owns that territory. I know what to do in bed, Briney; it’s the merchandising of the
product that I must learn.’
`Don’t be so eager, slippery bottom; it may not be necessary. Tell me… Do you
still believe that Ted – Theodore – Corporal Bronson – carne from the future?’
I suddenly sobered. `I do. Don’t you?’
‘Mo, I believed him as quickly as you did. I believed him before his prophecy about
the end of the War proved true. Now I’m asking you this: do you believe in Ted
strongly enough that you are willing to risk every cent we own that his prediction
of a collapse in the stock market will be right on the button exactly like his
prediction of Armistice Day?’
‘Black Tuesday,’ I said softly. `29 October. This year.’
‘Well? If I take this gamble – and miss – we’ll be broke. Marie won’t be able to
finish at Radcliffe, Woodie will have to scratch for a college education, and Dick
and Ethel – well, we’ll cross those bridges later. Sweetheart, I’m into this bull
market up to my ears… and I propose to get deeper into it on the firm assumption
that Black Tuesday takes place on the dot and exactly as Ted said it would.’
‘Do it!’
`Are you sure, Mo? If anything goes wrong, we’ll be right back to fried mush.
Whereas it is not too late to hedge my bets – pull half of it out and stash it away.
Gamble with the other half.’
`Briney, I wasn’t brought up that way. You remember Father’s harness racer Loafer?’
‘I saw him a few times. A beautiful beast.’
`Yes. Just not quite as fast as he looked. Father regularly bet on himself. Always
on the nose. Never to place or show. Loafer could usually come in second or third…
but Father would not bet that way. I’ve heard him talk to Loafer before a heat,
softly, gently: “This time we’re going to take ’em, boy! This time we’re going to
win!” Then later I’ve heard him say, “You tried, old fellow! That’s all I can ask.
You’re still a champion… and we’ll take ’em next time!” And Father would pat him
on the neck and Loafer would whinny and nicker to him, and they would comfort each
other.’
`Then you think I should bet across the board? For there isn’t going to be any next
time.’
`No, no! Shoot the works! You believe Theodore and so do I. So let’s do it!’ I
added, as I reached down and grabbed his tool, `If it’s fried mush time again, it
need not be for long. You can knock me up, uh, let me see’ – I counted – `next
Monday. Which would mean that I would unload about’ – I stopped to count again –
‘oh, a couple of weeks after Black Tuesday. Then we will receive another Howard
Page 145
Heinlein, Robert A – To Sail Beyond the Sunset.txt
Foundation bonus shortly thereafter.’
‘No.’
‘Huh? I mean, Excuse me? I don’t understand.’
‘Mo, if Ted’s prediction is wrong, the Foundation’s principal assets may be wiped
out. Justin and Judge Sperling are betting that Ted’s prediction is correct; Chapman
is bucking them. There are four other trustees… and two are Hoover Republicans,
two were for Al Smith. Justin doesn’t know which way it will go.’
Selling our house when we did was part of the gamble. It was a hard-nosed decision
as it involved what came to be known as ‘block-busting’. We lived in an all-white
neighbourhood, but Darktown was just north of us, not far away, and had been growing
steadily closer in the twenty-odd years we had owned that house. (Dear, sweet house!
– stuffed with happy memories.)
Brian had been approached by a white real estate agent who said he had an offer from
an undisclosed client: how much did Brian want for his house?
`Darling, I did not ask about his client… because, if I had asked, it would turn
out that the client was a white lawyer who, if pushed, would be acting for a client
in Denver or Boston. In this sort of a deal the cover-up is about six levels deep…