Prof let them roar, then led them in “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Simon’s version. Adam appeared on screen again, took over leading it and sang with them, and we tried to slip away, off back of platform, with help of stilyagi led by Slim. But women didn’t want to let us go and lads aren’t at their best in trying to stop ladies; they broke through. Was twenty-two hundred before we four, Wyoh, Prof, Stu, self, were locked in room L of Raffles, where Adam-Mike joined us by video. I was starved by then, all were, so I ordered dinner and Prof insisted that we eat before reviewing plans.
Then we got down to business.
Adam started by asking me to read aloud white paper, for his benefit and for Comrade Wyoming– “But first, Comrade Manuel, if you have the recordings you made Earthside, could you transmit them by phone at high speed to my office? I’ll have them transcribed for study–all I have so far are the coded summaries Comrade Stuart sent up.”
I did so, knowing Mike would study them at once, phrasing was part of “Adam Selene” myth–and decided to talk to Prof about letting Stu in on facts. If Stu was to be in executive cell, pretending was too clumsy.
Feeding recordings into Mike at overspeed took five minutes, reading aloud another thirty. That done, Adam said, “Professor, the reception was more successful than I had counted on, due to your speech. I think we should push the embargo through Congress at once. I can send out a call tonight for a session at noon tomorrow. Comments?”
I said, “Look, those yammerheads will kick it around for weeks. If you must put it up to them–can’t see why–do as you did with Declaration. Start late, jam it through after midnight using own people.”
Adam said, “Sorry, Manuel. I’m getting caught up on events Earthside and you have catching up to do here. It’s no longer the same group. Comrade Wyoming?”
“Mannie dear, it’s an elected Congress now. They must pass it. Congress is what government we have.”
I said slowly, “You held election and turned things over to them? Everything? Then what are we doing?” Looked at Prof, expecting explosion. My objections would not be on his grounds–but couldn’t see any use in swapping one talk-talk for another. At least first group had been so loose we could pack it–this new group would be glued to seats.
Prof was undisturbed. Fitted fingertips together and looked relaxed. “Manuel, I don’t think the situation is as bad as you seem to feel that it is. In each age it is necessary to adapt to the popular mythology. At one time kings were anointed by Deity, so the problem was to see to it that Deity anointed the tight candidate. In this age the myth is ‘the will of the people’. . . but the problem changes only superficially. Comrade Adam and I have had long discussions about how to determine the will of the people. I venture to suggest that this solution is one we can work with.”
“Well . . . okay. But why weren’t we told? Stu, did you know?”
“No, Mannie. There was no reason to tell me.” He shrugged. “I’m a monarchist, I wouldn’t have been interested. But I go along with Prof that in this day and age elections are a necessary ritual.”
Prof said, “Manuel, it wasn’t necessary to tell us till we got back; you and I had other work to do. Comrade Adam and dear Comrade Wyoming handled it in our absence. . . so let’s find out what they did before we judge what they’ve done.”
“Sorry. Well, Wyoh?”
“Mannie, we didn’t leave everything to chance. Adam and I decided that a Congress of three hundred would be about right. Then we spent hours going over the Party lists–plus prominent people not in the Party. At last we had a list of candidates–a list that included some from the Ad-Hoc Congress; not all were yammerheads, we included as many as we could. Then Adam phoned each one and asked him–or her–if he would serve . . . binding him to secrecy in the meantime. Some we had to replace.