«Heavens, man! — or are you a mouse? — I'm trying to goad you. Why are you moaning to an old man? When you should be heading for the Nest like a homing pigeon! Hell, if I were even
«Lay off, Jubal. What do you really think of Mike's church?
«You said it was just a discipline.»
«Yes and no. It is supposed to be “Truth” with a Capital “T” as Mike got it from the Martian “Old Ones”. »
«The “Old Ones”, eh? To me, they're hogwash.»
«Mike believes in them.»
«Ben, I once knew a manufacturer who believed that he consulted the ghost of Alexander Hamilton. However — Damn it, why must
«What's biting you now?»
«Ben, the foulest sinner of all is the hypocrite who makes a racket of religion. But we must give the Devil his due. Mike does believe and he's teaching the truth as he sees it. As for his “Old Ones”, I don't
«Oh, for Heaven's sake, Jubal!»
«All names belong in the hat, Ben. Man is so built that he cannot imagine his own death. This leads to endless invention of religions. While this conviction by no means proves immortality to be a fact, questions generated by it are overwhelmingly important. The nature of life, how ego hooks into the body, the problem of ego itself and why each ego
«Whew: Jubal, you should have been a preacher.»
«Missed it by luck. If Mike can show us a better way to run this fouled-up planet, his sex life needs no vindication. Geniuses are justifiably contemptuous of lesser opinion and are always indifferent to sexual customs of the tribe; they make their own rules. Mike is a genius. So he ignores Mrs. Grundy and diddles to suit himself.
«But from a theological standpoint Mike's sexual behavior is as orthodox as Santa Claus. He preaches that all living creatures are collectively God … which makes Mike and his disciples the only self-aware gods on this planet … which rates him a union card by all the rules for godding. Those rules
«You want proof? Leda and the Swan? Europa and the Bull? Osiris, Isis, and Horus? The incredible incests of the Norse gods? I won't cite eastern religions; their gods do things that a mink breeder wouldn't tolerate. But look at the relations of the Trinity-in-One of the most widely respected western religion. The only way that religion's precepts can be reconciled with the interrelations of what purports to be a monotheos is by concluding that breeding rules for deity are not the rules for mortals. But most people never think about it; they seal it off and mark it: “Holy — Do Not Disturb”.
«One must allow Mike any dispensation granted other gods. One god alone splits into at least two parts, and breeds, not just Jehovah — they all do. A group of gods will breed like rabbits, and with as little regard for human proprieties. Once Mike entered the godding business, orgies were as predictable as sunrise — so forget the standards of Podunk and judge them by Olympian morals.»
Jubal glowered. «Ben, to understand this, you must start by conceding their sincerity.»
«Oh, I do! It's just that — »
«
«Maybe I shouldn't have been.»
«Obviously you shouldn't have been. Mike clearly had misgivings. But Gillian insisted. Eh?»
«That only makes it worse!»
«How? She wanted you to be one of them “in all fullness”, as Mike would say. She loves you — and is not jealous of you. But you are jealous of her — and, while you claim to love her, your behavior doesn't show it.»
«Damn it, I
«So? As may be, you clearly did not understand the Olympian honor you were being offered.»
«I guess I didn't,» Ben conceded glumly.
«I'm going to offer you a way out. You wondered how Mike got rid of his clothes. I'll tell you.»
«How?»
«A miracle.»
«Oh, for God's sake!»
«Could be. One thousand dollars says it was a miracle. Go ask Mike. Get him to show you. Then send me the money.»
«Hell, Jubal, I don't want to take your money.»
«You won't. Bet?»
«Jubal,
«They'll take you back with open arms and never ask why you left. One thousand on that prediction, too. Ben, you were there less than twenty-four hours. Did you give them the careful investigation that you give something smelly in public life before you blast it?»
«But — »
«Did you?»
«No, but — »
«Oh, for God's sake, Ben! You claim to
«What?»
«Christ was crucified for preaching without a police permit. Sweat over
Caxton chewed a thumb and said nothing — then stood up suddenly. «I'm on my way.»
«After lunch.»
«Now.»
Twenty-four hours later Ben wired Jubal two thousand dollars. When, after a week, Jubal received no other message, he sent a stat care of Ben's office:«
«
Part Five
