Stranger in a Strange Land

«Patty, you're an utter darling. Believe me, now that we're water brothers, we wouldn't hesitate — “sharing the nest” isn't just poetry. But it's the other way around. If you ever need money, just say so. Any amount. Any time. Write us — better yet, call me; Mike doesn't have the foggiest idea about money. Why, dear, I'm keeping a couple of hundred thousand in my name right now. Want some?»

Mrs. Paiwonski looked startled. «Bless me! I don't need money.»

Jill shrugged. «If you ever do, just holler. If you want a yacht — Mike would enjoy giving you a yacht.»

«I certainly would, Pat. I've never seen a yacht.»

Mrs. Paiwonski shook her head. «Don't take me up on a tall mountain, dearie — all I want from you two is your love — »

«You have that,» Jill told her.

«I don't grok “love”,» Mike said. «But Jill always speaks rightly. If we've got it, it's yours.»

« — and to know that you're saved. But I'm no longer worried about that. Mike has told me about waiting, and why waiting is. You understand, Jill?»

«I grok. I'm no longer impatient about anything.»

«But I have something for you two.» The tattooed lady got her purse, took a book out. «My dear ones … this is the very copy of the New Revelation that Blessed Foster gave me … the night he placed his kiss on me. I want you to have it.»

Jill's eyes filled with tears. «But, Aunt Patty — Patty our brother! We can't take this one. We'll buy one.»

«No. It's … it's “water” I'm sharing with you. For growing closer.»

«Oh — » Jill jumped up. «We'll share it. It's ours now — all of us.» She kissed her.

Mike tapped her shoulder. «Greedy little brother. My turn.»

«I'll always be greedy, that way.»

The Man from Mars kissed his new brother first on her mouth, then kissed the spot Foster had kissed. He pondered, briefly by Earth time, picked a corresponding spot on the other side where George's design could be matched — kissed her there while he thought by stretched-out time and in great detail. It was necessary to grok the capillaries —

To the other two, he briefly pressed his lips to skin. But Jill caught a hint of his effort. «Patty!See!»

Mrs. Paiwonski looked down. Marked on her, paired stigmata in blood red, were his lips. She started to faint — then showed her staunch faith. «Yes.Yes! Michael — »

Shortly the tattooed lady was replaced by a mousy housewife in high neck, long sleeves, and gloves. «I won't cry,» she said soberly, «and there are no good-bys in eternity. I will be waiting.» She kissed them, left without looking back.

XXVIII

«BLASPHEMY!»

Foster looked up. «Something bite you, Junior?» This annex had been run up in a hurry and Things did get in — swarms of almost invisible imps usually … harmless, but a bite from one left an itch on the ego.

«Uh … you'd have to see it to believe it — here, I'll run the omniscio back a touch.»

«You'd be surprised at what I can believe, Junior.» Nevertheless Digby's supervisor shifted part of his attention. Three temporals — humans, he saw they were; a man and two women — speculating about the eternal. Nothing odd about that. «Yes?»

«You heard what she said! “Archangel Michael” indeed!»

«What about it?»

«“What about it?” Oh, for God's sake!»

«Very possibly.»

Digby's halo quivered. «Foster, you must not have taken a good look! She meant that over-age juvenile delinquent that sent me to the showers. Scan it again.»

Foster let the gain increase, noted that the angel-in-training had spoken rightly — and noticed something else and smiled his angelic smile. «How do you know he isn't, Junior?»

«Huh?»

«I haven't seen Mike around the Club lately and his name has been scratched on the Millennial Solipsist Tournament — that's a Sign that he's likely away on detached duty; Mike is one of the most eager Solipsism players in this sector.»

«But the notion's obscene!»

«You'd be surprised how many of the Boss's best ideas have been called “obscene” in some quarters — or, rather, you should not be surprised, in view of your field work. But 'obscene' is a null concept; it has no theological meaning. “To the pure all things are pure”.»

«But — »

«I'm still Witnessing, Junior. In addition to the fact that our brother Michael seems to be away at this micro-instant — I don't keep track of him; we're not on the same Watch list — that tattooed lady who made that oracular pronouncement is not likely to be mistaken; she's a very holy temporal herself.»

«Who says?»