Chapter 9 Chapter nine

On the third planet of the solar system, the population has increased by another 230,000 people compared to yesterday, but this increase has not attracted any attention among the five billion people on Earth; Kingdom of South Africa, a member of the Federation of the Free Worlds , was once again subpoenaed by the federal court for persecuting white minorities; fashion giants gathered in Rio to issue the latest authoritative standards: the bottom of the clothes should be low, and the belly button should not be exposed; the federal defense space station is cruising in space, ready to destroy everything that disturbs the planet Intruders of peace; the commercial space station continues to disturb the peace of the planet with endless trade conflicts; compared with the same period last year, the number of floating families who moved to the Hudson Bay area increased by half a million; the richest man in the world Sister Cynthia Dujus paid a large fee to get rid of her sixth husband.

His Excellency Dr. Daniel Digby, Archbishop of the New Revelation (i.e., First Church), announces that Thomas Boone, Senator of the United States, has been converted to the sect and has become a new believer, and that he has appointed Mr. Senator a personal chaplain, And hope to get church approval later today.The news organization released the news, but didn't dig deeper (Fosterites used to have troubles with news organizations, which gave them such a headache that they didn't dare to mess with the organization anymore).Harrison Campbell VI and Mrs. Harrison Campbell VI and his wife were on vacation in Peru when a surrogate mother gave birth to a son at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.Dr. Horace Quackenbush, a professor of recreational arts at Yale Divinity School, called for a return to an honest society and a reshaping of spiritual values.A gambling scandal broke out on the West Point football team, involving half of the players.Three chemical and biological weapons experts who have been suspended by authorities in Toronto on the grounds of mental instability say they will file a lawsuit in federal court.In Rheinsberg v. Missouri (the issue of voting rights for re-elected congressmen at partisan nominating conventions), the federal court overturned the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

At this time, the Honorable Joseph Edgerton Douglas, Secretary General of the Federation of the Free World, was fiddled with his breakfast, wondering in his heart: Why can't he even get a decent cup of coffee?He had someone specially assigned to collect information for him, and the group of people on duty last night had already prepared the morning newspaper for him, playing it with an inductive scanner, and the scrolling speed was just right for his reading habits.As long as he kept his eyes on the direction of the scanner, the news kept rolling.At this moment, he was looking in that direction, but only to avoid eye contact with the big boss across the table.Mrs. Douglas did not read the newspapers, she had other sources.

"Joseph—" Douglas looked up, and the scanner stopped rolling. "What's the matter, dear?" "You have something on your mind." "Huh? Why do you think so, dear?" "Joseph! I have served you for thirty-five years. I mend your socks if they are torn, and stand in for you when trouble comes. As long as you have something on your mind, I know." damn it.He secretly admitted that she did know.He looked at her, but he couldn't figure it out: How could she force her to sign this non-terminating marriage contract?In "The Good Old Days", he was the state legislator and she was nothing more than his secretary.Their first contract was just a ninety-day cohabitation agreement, which would save them money on hotel accommodation.It is just for the sake of convenience, which is recognized by both parties. "Cohabitation" simply means that two people live under the same roof.Even then, she never mended any socks for him!

He tried to recall what had changed since then.Mrs. Douglas's biography, Behind the Great Men: A Woman's Story, claims that Douglas formally proposed to her during the counting of votes in the first election.He is the most romantic person, and only a traditional marriage "only death can separate two people" can express this romance. Alas, it is useless to compare with the official version. "Joseph! Answer me!" "Huh? It's nothing, honey, I didn't sleep well last night." "I know! They called you last night, you pretend I don't know?"

He remembered that her bedroom was on the other side of the mansion, fully fifty yards from his. "How do you know, dear?" "Huh? A woman's intuition. What did Bradley report to you?" "Come on, dear, I have to finish the news before today's cabinet meeting." "Joseph Edgerton Douglas! Don't change the subject!" He sighed, "That damned Smith is gone." "Smith? You mean the visitor from Mars? What do you mean, 'missing'? That's ridiculous." "It's absurd enough, my dear, but he did run away and disappeared from his ward yesterday."

"Absurd! How did he escape?" "From all indications, it is disguised as a nurse." "But—forget it, here's the problem: he's missing. What the hell did you do to get him back?" "Ah, arrangements have been made. Trustworthy people, Berquist—" "That pig's brain? It doesn't matter if it's a federal police officer or a school inspector chasing down students who skipped classes—you actually sent Berquist!" "But, honey, you don't understand our situation. Those people can't be sent. Officially, Smith is not missing. Understand? We don't have the, uh, the other guy, he's the, uh, 'official ' version of A Man From Mars."

"Ah..." Mrs. Douglas tapped her fingers on the table, "I told you, changing the meter would get us into trouble!" "But, my dear, wasn't it you who had the idea in the first place?" "I haven't. Don't talk back to me! Um... call Berquist." "He followed Smith, and there is no news yet." "Huh? Who knows where Burqvist's going? On his way to Zanzibar, maybe. He sold us out. I never trusted the guy. I warned you when you hired him..." "When I hired him?" "Don't interrupt! I warned you that the person who gets money from two ends will get money from a third party." She frowned, "Joseph, the Eastern Alliance must be behind the tricks. The Freedom Federation Congress will definitely file a vote of no confidence in you .”

"Huh? I can't see it. No one knows about it." "Oh, for God's sake! Everybody'll know, and the Eastern Alliance will get it out on purpose. Be quiet, and let me think." Douglas stopped talking and continued reading the news of the day: Los Angeles was engulfed in smoke and dust, but the Department of Health failed to provide timely assistance. The city and county councils of Los Angeles petitioned the free federal authorities to ask the federal government to lend a helping hand—should throw a block Slice of bread or something, get rid of these guys.The First Sect put forward its own candidate in that area, Charlie's re-election is a bit tricky, and this is the time to buy people's hearts.At the close of trading yesterday, Huanyue’s stock rose by two percentage points...

"Joseph." "What's the matter, dear?" "The 'Guest from Mars' we put out is the only real one; the one coming out from the Eastern Alliance is a fake. That's it." "But, my dear, our argument does not hold water!" "'Untenable'? What is that! Must stand!" "We really can't. Scientists can see through this impostor at a glance. I'm at the end of my rope trying to keep scientists from touching him." "the scientist!" "They have the ability, you know that." "I don't know that! What scientists? It's half guesswork, half superstition! They should all be locked up! There should be laws against their scientific activities! Joseph, I've told you a thousand times: Astrology, and only astrology, is the only science."

"Oh, I don't know that. I don't mean to belittle astrology—" "You better not! Astrology has helped you so much." "However, those experts and scholars are really powerful. One day, a scientist introduced me to a star, saying that the matter on it is 6,000 times heavier than lead! No, it is 60,000 times heavier? Let me think about it." -" "Nonsense! How could they know such a thing! Don't say anything, Joseph, let's give him a dead end, just insist: They are fakes! At the same time, use all the power of the Secret Service , get him back. If you're lucky, you might catch him before the Eastern Alliance pushes him out. If you have to take tough measures, and this Smith dared to resist arrest and was beaten to death—well, what a pity ...that guy was a big problem from the start anyway." "Agnes! Do you know what you're implying?" "I didn't hint at anything. It happens to people every day. It has to be done, Joseph, for everyone. Don't you always say it's a sacrifice for the good of the many." "I don't want anything to happen to the boy." "Who said what was the accident? But you have to take tough measures, Joseph, it's your job. History will support your choice. Either keep five billion people safe, or give a man who can't even be called a citizen." The guy showed mercy, and the result is endless troubles. You can weigh it yourself." Douglas said nothing.Mrs. Douglas stood up and said: "I can't waste any more time on these unclear things. I have to go to Mrs. Withant to see the new horoscope. I have spent most of my life on you, Xin I have worked so hard to push you to this position, and I must not let you lose all of this because you have no spine in your back. Wipe off the eggs on your chin." She left. The CEO of the planet remained in his seat.After drinking two more cups of coffee, he pulled himself together and prepared to attend the cabinet meeting.Poor old Agnes!She must be terribly disappointed in him.This matter is even worse.Well, at least she's pretty faithful... none of us have any flaws.She annoys me, and I—forget it, don't think about it! He straightened himself up.Hell, there was only one thing he was sure of, and he wouldn't let his men do anything tough on that boy Smith.He was, of course, a great trouble; but it was also unbearable to look so half-foolish, pitiful and helpless.Agnes should have seen how easily startled Smith was, and she would have stopped saying those things, and Smith would have awakened her motherhood. But the question is, does Agnes have "motherhood"?As long as she opens her mouth, she really can't hear any "maternity".Fuck it, all women have maternal instincts - it's scientifically proven.Well, isn't it? In a word, to hell with her intuition.He won't let her lead him by the nose.She always said that he, Douglas, relied on her to climb to his current high position. In fact, he knew it better than anyone else... Besides, it was his own responsibility.Douglas stood up, straightened his shoulders, and went to the headquarters of the Freedom Federation. He has been restless all day.The first shoe fell off, and he thought someone would drop the second soon.It didn't.He had to believe that the news of Smith's disappearance was still in his own hands, although it was extremely unlikely that this supposition was true.The Federal Secretary-General hoped that he could close his eyes and let this fatal misfortune disappear automatically.But events wouldn't give him that luxury, and neither would his wife. Agnes Douglas didn't wait for her husband to act on the disappearance of a visitor from Mars.Her husband's men were also at her command - or more at her command.She first sent someone to find the executive assistant for social information, the person under Douglas who was in charge of news promotion, and then put her mind on the most important task: the new astrological chart.Her suite had an encrypted communication link to Mrs. Vicente's studio.The astrologer's chubby face immediately appeared on the screen. "Agnes? What's the matter, dear? I have a visitor here." "Is your line insured?" "certainly." "Send the guests away." Mrs. Alexandra Vicente was not in the least unhappy. "Wait a minute." Her face disappeared, replaced by a standby sign.A man came in and stood at Mrs Douglas' table.She glanced up, and it was James Sanvers, the press officer she had summoned. "Have you heard from Berquist?" she asked. "Huh? It's not my business, it's McClary's business." She ignored the answer, "You have to destroy his reputation before he speaks." "You think Burquist will betray us?" "Don't be naive. Before using him, you should ask me first." "It's not my job, it's McClary's." "But these things, you should know. I—" Mrs. Withant's face appeared on the screen again, "Go over there and wait." Mrs. Douglas said to Sanvers, and then turned to the screen, "Dear Alex , I want to see the new horoscope, for Joseph and me, right now." "Okay." The astrologer hesitated for a moment, "Honey, is there any emergency? If you can tell me first, it will be of great help to the accuracy of the calculation." Mrs. Douglas tapped her fingers on the table. "Need to know?" "Of course not. Anyone who knows the time and place of the subject's birth, and has received the necessary rigorous training, plus knowledge of mathematics and astrology, can calculate the horoscope chart of the subject. If you are not so busy, you can do it yourself But please remember: the astrology can only show the general trend of the event and cannot affect the situation. If you want me to make a detailed analysis and provide valuable advice for you in a certain crisis, I must know what to do Pay attention to that part of the astrology: Is the influence of Venus the most important thing to consider? Maybe Mars must be added? Or—” Mrs. Douglas made up her mind. "Plus Mars." She added, "Alex, I'd like to have one more horoscope chart." "Okay, for whom?" "Well...Alex, can I trust you?" Mrs. Vicente looked aggrieved. "Agnes, if you don't believe me, you'd better not consult me. Others can give you a scientific interpretation. I am not the only student of the ancient knowledge of astrology. He is also very researched, although he is a bit..." She deliberately stopped talking. "Don't do it, don't do it! I don't want anybody to figure it out for me. Well, listen—no one can hear you there?" "Of course not, dear." "I'd like to have a fortune on Valentine Michael Smith." "'Valentine Michael—' the visitor from Mars?" "Yes, yes. Alex, he's been kidnapped and we must find him." Two hours passed, and Mrs. Alexandra Vicente lifted her body from the table and took a long breath.She has asked her secretary to cancel all appointments with customers today.A large pile of calculation drafts full of charts and figures and a book of nautical almanacs that were turned over were testimonials of her efforts.Alexandra Vicente was a little different from the average astrologer: she did try to work out the many "influences" of the various celestial bodies.Her tool was a paperback book called The Mysterious Science of Astrology and the Key of Solomon's Stone, bequeathed by her late husband, Professor Simon Mages.The man was a telepathic warlock, performed hypnosis and hallucinations on the stage at the same time, and was also a student of occult medicine. She believed in this book as she believed in her dead husband.As long as he's not drunk, my husband's astrology skills are unrivaled; half the time he doesn't even need the book.She knew that she would never reach that level.Her fortune-telling depended on astronomical almanacs and astrological handbooks; her calculations were sometimes very inaccurate; The formula is confusing. Despite this, her astrology business was uncharacteristically satisfying.Her illustrious clients were far more numerous than Mrs. Douglas. However, when Mrs. Douglas proposed to have a fortune teller for the visitor from Mars, Mrs. Wesant was still a little panicked.This panic used to happen: before her professor husband could ask a question, some impudent idiot rushed up from the audience and demanded that the black cloth covering her eyes be tied again and tighter.However, as a girl she had discovered long ago that no matter what the problem was, she had a knack for dealing with it.So, she will suppress the panic and continue to perform. So she asked Agnes for the exact time, date and place of the Martian visitor's birth.She is very sure that the other party will definitely not be able to produce these data. However, accurate data was soon reported, copied from the "Envoy" log.At this moment, she didn't panic anymore, she just wrote down the data and assured the other party that the astrology result would be sent by telegram soon. However, after two hours of painful arithmetic operations, she could only calculate the two horoscope charts of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, but no progress in Smith's.The reason is simple—and insurmountable at the same time: Smith was not born on Earth. There is no such concept in the astrology book in her hand.Long before man's first rocket landed on the moon, the unnamed author of the book died.She tried her best to untie this knot.She thought that the principle should be the same, all that needs to be done is to replace the earth with Mars.But all kinds of unfamiliar relationships turned into a maze, which made her at a loss.She doesn't know if the zodiac signs seen from Mars are the same as those seen on the earth... But, if there are no zodiac signs, how can the astrological chart be calculated? It's almost as difficult as finding a cube root.Back then, I dropped out of school because I couldn't pass this hurdle. She found the refreshing drink that she usually kept in reserve for emergencies, drank one hurriedly, poured another, and wondered how Simon would have reacted.Simon's calm voice seemed to ring in his ears again: "Confidence, little girl! If you have confidence in yourself, those idiots will have confidence in you. For them alone, you have to have confidence in yourself." She felt much better, and began to write quickly, first writing down the horoscope charts of Mr. Douglas and Mrs. Douglas that had been calculated, and then making up Smith's out of thin air-no calculations, it was as easy as pie.As always, the words justify themselves as long as they're on paper—it's just so true, it's wonderful!Towards the end of writing, Agnes Douglas called again. "Hello, Alex? Isn't it over yet?" "Just finished." Mrs. Vicente replied briskly. "You know, the horoscope chart of young Smith is really unusual. In astrology, this is an unprecedented big problem. Like him, born on another planet In fact, every aspect had to be recalculated. The influence of the sun was weakened, the influence of the moon was almost completely disappeared, and Jupiter also showed a completely new role-or 'unique' role. These all need to be calculated..." "Alex! Don't go so far! Have you come to a conclusion?" "Of course." "Oh, thank God! I thought you'd say it's too difficult to work out." Mrs. Wesant, whose dignity was hurt, said solemnly: "Dear madam, as a science, the iron law of astrology will not change; what changes is only the form. This science has calculated the truth of Jesus Christ. The time and place of birth also foretell the date and method of Caesar’s death... When did it ever fail? Truth is truth, and it will never change.” "Yes, yes, of course." "Ready?" "Wait until I turn on the tape recorder—go ahead." "Okay. Agnes, this is a crucial period in your life, and the signs shown by the astrology have never been stronger. First of all, you must be calm, don't be hasty, and make a thorough plan before acting. In general Come, the stars are in your favour... provided you refrain from any imprudent action. Don't let appearances confuse your mind—" She spouted her prescriptions and advice.Becky Vesey had always given good advice to others, and she said it emphatically, because she believed in her own advice.She learned this from Simon: even if it seems that the star luck is extremely bleak, there is always a way to soften the blow, and there are always ways to provide advice to the guests, so that they can walk on the smooth road to happiness... The face staring at her on the screen gradually settled down and began to nod in agreement with her suggestion. "So you see," she concluded at last, "that the disappearance of young Smith was inevitable under the interplay of the triad. Don't worry, he will return before long—at least you will have news of him. .The important thing is not to act rashly and stay calm." "That's right, I see." "One more thing. Venus shows the most auspicious omens, with the potential to overwhelm Mars. There is no doubt that Venus symbolizes you, and Mars symbolizes your husband and young Smith-this is determined by the unique circumstances of his birth. So you have a double burden and you have to rise to this challenge. You use the best qualities of a woman: calm, intelligence, restraint. You have to support your husband and guide him through this crisis , soothe him, take care of him. You must, like our mother earth, keep the springs of wisdom welling up. This is your unique gift...be sure to use it." Mrs. Douglas breathed a sigh of relief, "Alex, you are so kind! I really don't know how to thank you." "Thank you sages, I'm just their insignificant student." "I can't thank them, I have to thank you. This time, besides the commission, I will give you another gift." "No, Agnes, it's an honor to be of your service." "It's also an honor to listen to your advice. Say nothing, Alex." After hearing the other party's compliment, Mrs. Vicente hung up the phone and gave an astrology interpretation that she firmly believed in. She felt warm and satisfied.Poor Agnes!She felt quite honored to be able to remove some of her heart troubles and lighten her burden.Agnes was happy to help. Visante couldn't express how happy he was to be treated as an equal by the dignified wife of the Secretary-General.Of course, she didn't think so herself, she was not a snob.But Becky Vesey was too inconspicuous when she was young. In the past, the little official only noticed her butt, but never remembered her name.Becky Vesey didn't hold a grudge against it.Becky liked people, liked Agnes Douglas. Becky Vesey likes everyone under the sun. She sat for a while, enjoying the warm feeling in her heart, and took another sip of her refreshing drink.At the same time, her shrewd brain analyzed all the information she had just obtained.Moments later, she called her stockbroker and instructed him to short sell Moonlight stock. He snorted, "Alex, don't you lose weight and diet too much, and your mind is confused?" "Listen, Ed, whenever a stock goes down ten points, or even if it keeps going down, forget about it and get the money back. When it's up three points, buy it again . . . the stock is back where it is today." After the closing price, sell." The other party was silent for a while, "Alex, you seem to have got some inside information, can you tell your Uncle Ed?" "This is the result of my observation of the stars, Ed." Ed let out a curse.Judging from the astrology, it is absolutely impossible for the content of this curse to become a reality. "Well, it's fine if you don't want to say it. Well... I'm short-sighted, and I can't help but want to follow when I see crooked doors and ramps. You don't mind if I follow a trend?" "Of course not, Ed. But don't move too much so as not to attract attention. It's a delicate moment with Saturn in the middle of Virgo and Leo." "Talk it all you want, Alex." Mrs. Douglas was really happy that her own judgment was confirmed by Alex.She immediately got busy.She sent someone to fetch Berquist's personal file, issued orders, launched a propaganda campaign, and completely discredited the missing man.She also urgently summoned Mr. Twitchell, the Secretary of the Secret Service (after leaving her, Mr. Twitchell looked extremely unhappy, and took out his anger on his subordinates, making their lives miserable).She directed Samvers to schedule another TV show on "The Man From Mars," while spreading rumors that "according to sources close to the authorities," Smith was about to leave, or had already, to a health resort deep in the Andes , the climate there is closest to that of Mars, which is conducive to his physical recovery.After that, she sat down and began to think about how to win Pakistani votes for Joseph. She called her husband and asked him to support Pakistan's proposal to claim most of Kashmir's thorium deposits.Douglas, who had no objection to the proposal, had no difficulty in being persuaded by her, and was only annoyed at his wife's assumption that he was against it.When the matter was settled, Mrs. Douglas set off for a meeting called "Daughters of the Second Revolution" to deliver a speech entitled "Motherhood in a New World."