Chapter 30 Chapter Twenty Nine

On the way home, Stu and Greg drove, and Wyoh and Leno and I squeezed into a small convertible, strapped in to keep from falling out.I finally had time to think about it.None of the girls' pressurized suits were equipped with communication equipment, and we had to communicate by touching the helmets-which was inconvenient. Now that we've won - and I finally understand some parts of the professor's plan that I've been baffled about before.They were lured into attacking the catapults to protect the residential area—don't know if the residential area was attacked or not, but that was the plan anyway—but the professor didn't seem to care about destroying the catapults.Yes, we also have a new catapult, but it is too far away from the districts, and the traffic is very inconvenient.Building the pipe-iron system to the new catapult took several years, and there were mountains along the way.Might as well be more cost-effective to build old catapults if possible.

Whether using the old catapult or the new catapult, there will be no grain pods to deliver food to Earth. This is exactly what the professor hoped for!He never indicated that his plans were based on destroying the old catapults - I mean his long term plans, not just revolutions.He probably won't admit it until now.But Mike will tell me -- if I ask him straight up: Mike, is that a factor in the odds of success?He will tell me. The metric-ton-for-metric-ton trade—which the Professor had explained in great detail while on Earth—had been the reason for urging the Earth side to build catapults.But privately he doesn't have much enthusiasm for it.

Once in America, he told me: "Yes, Manuel, I have a feeling it will work. But, if it is going to be built, it will only work for a short period of time. Tell you, there was a time Well, two centuries ago, dirty clothes were often shipped from California to Hawaii by seafaring ships—and the clean clothes were brought back. But this is a special case of this period, and it can’t always be like this. Even if one day in the future, we will see This will also be temporary until water and manure are shipped to the moon and returned with full grain. The future of the moon can only depend on the following: she is right above the gravitational well of a rich planet, she has cheap Energy, can accommodate a large population. If we moon people can fully realize the importance of maintaining a free port and non-alignment in the next few centuries, we may become the leader of two planets, three planets, or even the entire solar system. Stopovers. None of us will be farmers forever."

They greeted us at East Station, and we barely had time to take off our pressurized suits—the crazy scene from the last return from Earth was repeated.The howling crowd rushed forward and carried us on their shoulders.Even girls are the same. Slim Lemkeeler to Leno: "Can we lift you up?" Wyoh replied, "Of course, why not?" Young people rushed forward, scrambling to lift the girls up high. Most were wearing pressurized suits, and I was surprised to see how many of them were carrying guns - which I later realized were not ours but captured trophies.But what comforts me the most is that Moon City is still intact.

If there hadn't been a triumphant team, I'd have been anxious to call Mike to find out what had happened to Moon City—how much damage had been done, how many casualties, how much the victory had cost.But I don't have a chance.We were reluctantly taken to the old dome. They put us on the platform, with professors and other important figures in the cabinet.Our girl honored the professor, he gave me a Latin hug and kissed me on the cheek, and someone gave me a freedom trophy.In the crowd I spotted little Hazel and I blew her a kiss. Finally, everyone was quiet and let the professor speak.

"My friends," he said, after a short pause, waiting for silence, "my friends," he repeated softly, "my dear comrades, we have met at last in freedom, and now single-handedly for the moon The heroes who won the last battle are with us." They cheered us.The professor waited for a while, visibly tired, leaning on the podium, trying to keep himself steady, but his hands were still shaking, "I'll make time for them to tell us about their We all want to hear about heroic battles, all of us want to hear. "But first, I want to announce good news. China just announced that she will build a giant catapult in the Himalayas to make travel to the moon as cheap and easy as it used to be from the moon to Earth."

The cheers sounded again, and he continued: "But that's in the future—oh, happy day! The world finally recognizes the independence of the moon. Freedom! You have won your freedom—" The professor paused—looked shocked, not scared, just confused, and he straightened his back slightly. Then he left us forever.