Stranger in a Strange Land

«Jubal, I said Mike raises snakes. I meant figuratively and literally — the setup is a snake pit. Unhealthy. Mike's Temple is a big place. An auditorium for public meetings, smaller ones for invitational meetings, many smaller rooms — and living quarters. Jill sent me a radiogram telling me where to go, so I was dropped at the private entrance on the back street. Quarters are above the auditorium, as private as you can be and still live in a city.»

Jubal nodded. «Be your acts legal or illegal, nosy neighbors are noxious.»

«In this case a very good idea. Outer doors let me in; I suppose I was scanned, although I didn't spot the scanner. Through two more automatic doors — then up a bounce tube. Jubal, it wasn't an ordinary one. Not controlled by the passenger, but by someone out of sight. Didn't feel like the usual bounce tube, either.»

«I have never used them and never shall,» Jubal said firmly.

«You wouldn't have minded this. I floated up gently as a feather.»

«Ben, I don't trust machinery. It bites.» Jubal added, «However, Mike's mother was one of the great engineers and his father — his real father — was a competent engineer, or better. If Mike has improved bounce tubes until they are fit for humans, we ought not to be surprised.»

«As may be. I got to the top and landed without having to grab for it, or depend on safety nets — didn't see any, to tell the truth. Through more automatic doors and into an enormous living room. Oddly furnished and rather austere. Jubal, people think you run an odd household.»

«Nonsense! Just plain and comfortable.»

«Well, your menage is Aunt Jane's Finishing School compared with Mike's weirdie. I'm just inside the joint when the first thing I see I don't believe. A babe, tatooed from chin to toes — and not a goddam stitch on. Hell, she was tattooed everywhere. Fantastic!»

«You're a big-city bumpkin, Ben. I knew a tattooed lady once. Very nice girl.»

«Well…» Ben conceded, «this gal is nice, too, once you get adjusted to her pictorial supplement — and the fact that she usually has a snake with her.»

«I was wondering if it was the same woman. Fully tattooed women are scarce. But the lady I knew, thirty years back, had the usual vulgar fear of snakes. However, I'm fond of snakes … I look forward to meeting your friend.»

«You will when you visit Mike. She's sort of a majordomo for him. Patricia — but called “Pat”, or “Patty”.»

«Oh, yes! Jill thinks highly of her. Never mentioned her tattoos, however.»

«But she's nearly the age to be your friend. When I said “babe” I was giving a first impression. She looks to be in her twenties; she claims her oldest child is that old. Anyhow, she trotted up, all big smile, put her arms around me and kissed me. “You're Ben. Welcome, brother! I give you water!”»

«Jubal, I've been in the newspaper racket for years — I've been around. But I had never been kissed by a strange babe dressed only in tattoos. I was embarrassed.»

«Poor Ben.»

«Damn it, you would have felt the same way.»

«No. Remember, I've met one tattooed lady. They feel dressed in those tattoos. Or at least this was true of my friend Sadako. Japanese, she was. But Japanese are not body conscious the way we are.»

«Well,» Ben answered. «Pat isn't body conscious — just about her tattoos. She wants to be stuffed and mounted, nude, when she dies, as a tribute to George.»

«“George”?»

«Sorry. Her husband. Up in heaven, to my relief… although she talked as if he had just slipped out for a beer. But, essentially, Pat is a lady… and she didn't let me stay embarrassed — »

XXXI

PATRICIA PAIWONSKI gave Ben Caxton the all-out kiss of brotherhood before he knew what hit him. She felt his unease and was surprised. Michael had told her to expect him and placed Ben's face in her mind. She knew that Ben was a brother in all fullness, of the Inner Nest, and Jill was grown-closer with Ben second only to that with Michael.

But Patricia's nature was an endless wish to make other people as happy as she was; she slowed down. She invited Ben to get rid of his clothes but did not press the matter, except to ask him to remove his shoes — the Nest was soft, and clean as only Michael's powers could keep things clean.

She showed him where to hang clothes and hurried to fetch him a drink. She knew his preferences from Jill and decided on a double martini; the poor dear looked tired. When she came back with drinks, Ben was barefooted and had removed his jacket. «Brother, may you never thirst.»

«We share water,» he agreed and drank. «There's mighty little water in that.»

«Enough,» she answered. «Michael says that water could be in the thought; it is the sharing. I grok he speaks rightly.»

«I grok. And just what I needed. Thanks, Patty.»

«Ours is yours and you are ours. We're glad you're home. The others are at services or teaching. There's no hurry; they will come when waiting is filled. Would you like to look around your Nest?»