Stranger in a Strange Land

Bishop."
                "I mean it deeply. I've had your record searched in Heaven-now, now, never mind; I know that you are an unbeliever but let me speak. Even Satan has a purpose in God's Great Plan. It is not yet time for you to believe. Out of your sorrow and heartache and pain you spin happiness for other people. This is all credited on your page of the Great Ledger. Now please! I did not bring you here to argue technology. We never argue with anyone, we wait until they see the light and then we welcome them. But today we shall just enjoy a happy hour together."
                Digby then proceeded to act as if he meant it. Jubal was forced to admit that the glib fraud was a charming host, and his coffee and liquor and food were all excellent. Jubal noticed that Mike seemed decidedly jumpy, especially when Digby deftly cut him out of the herd and spoke with him alone-but, confound it, the boy was simply going to have to get used to meeting people and talking to them on his own, without Jubal or Jill or somebody to feed him his lines.
                Boone was showing Jill some relics of Foster in a glass case on the other side of the room; Jubal covertly watched her evident reluctance with mild amusement while he spread pate de fois gras on toast. He heard a door click and looked around; Digby and Mike were missing. "Where did they go, Senator?"
                "Eh? What was that, Doctor?"
                "Bishop Digby and Mr. Smith. Where are they?"
                Boone looked around, seemed to notice the closed door. "Oh, they've just stepped in there for a moment. That's a little retiring room used for private audiences. You were in it, weren't you? When the Supreme Bishop was showing you around."
                "Um, yes." It was a small room with nothing in it but a chair on a dais-a "throne," Jubal corrected himself with a private grin-and a kneeler with an ann rest. Jubal wondered which one would use the throne and which one would be left with the kneeler-if this tinsel bishop tried to argue religion with Mike he was in for some shocks. "I hope they don't stay in there too long. We really do have to be getting back."
                "I doubt if they'll stay long. Probably Mr. Smith wanted a word in private. People often do - . - and the Supreme Bishop is very generous that way. Look, I'll call the parking lot and have your cab waiting right at the end of that passageway where we took the elevator-that's the Supreme Bishop's private entrance. Save you a good ten minutes."
                "That's very kind of you."
                "So if Mr. Smith has something on his soul he wants to confess, we won't have to hurry him. I'll step outside and phone." Boone left.
                Jill came over and said worriedly, "Jubal, I don't like this. I think we were deliberately maneuvered so that Digby could get Mike alone and work on him."
                "I'm sure of it."
                "Well? They haven't any business doing that. I'm going to bust right in on them and tell Mike it's time to leave."
                "Suit yourself," Jubal answered, "but I think you're acting like a broody hen. This isn't like having the S.S. on our tails, Jill; this swindle is much smoother. There won't be any strong-arm stuff." He smiled. "It's my opinion that if Digby tries to convert Mike, they'll wind up with Mike converting him. Mike's ideas are pretty hard to shake."
                "I still don't like it."
                "Relax. Help yourself to the free chow."
                "I'm not hungry."
                "Well, I am .. and if I ever tuned down a free feed, they'd toss me out of the Authors' Guild." He piled paper-thin Virginia ham on buttered bread, added to it other items, none of them syntho, until he had an unsteady ziggurat, munched it and licked mayonnaise from his fingers.
                Ten minutes later Boone had not returned. Jill said sharply, "Jubal, I'm not going to remain polite any longer. I'm going to get Mike out of there."
                "Go right ahead."
                She strode to the door. "Jubal, it's locked."
                "Thought it might be."
                "Well? What do we do? Break it down?"
                "Only as a last resort." Jubal went to the inner door, looked it over carefully. "Mmm,