The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

by Robert A. Heinlein

Nobody argued with Shorty—don’t see how he got involved in murder.

I’m too much old-timer to be rude to a woman no matter what—they have so much of what we have none of.

There weren’t even hand guns in Luna, though what we would do with guns I did not know. Shoot each other, maybe.

“Yes, sir, Captain. Uh, I don’t need help to scrub my back . . . but I’ll leave the door up so we can talk. Just for company, no invitation implied.”

I waited. Women talk when they want to. Or don’t.

Oh, I don’t mean I would keep him dogged down. I don’t think it matters where a man eats lunch as long as he comes home for dinner. I would try to make him happy.”

When a man dies, doesn’t shock me too much; we get death sentences day we are born.

She is my comrade. I don’t say ‘tovarishch’ for I mean it not just as politeness but in the older sense. Binding. She is my comrade. We differ only in tactics. Not in objectives, not in loyalties.”

Mmm! That fish smells good.” “Fish?” “That pink salmon,” Prof answered, pointing at ham.

your pressure suit would be watched. By someone not suspected of any connection with the Warden. Most probably a comrade.” Prof dimpled. “The trouble with conspiracies is that they rot internally. When the number is as high as four, chances are even that one is a spy.”

“Functional organization. How does one design an electric motor? Would you attach a bathtub to it, simply because one was available? Would a bouquet of flowers help? A heap of rocks? No, you would use just those elements necessary to its purpose and make it no larger than needed—and you would incorporate safety factors. Function controls design.

“Ah.” Prof took a pad from his pouch, began to sketch. “Here is a cells-of-three tree. If I were planning to take over Luna, I would start with us three. One would be opted as chairman. We wouldn’t vote; choice would be obvious—or we aren’t the right three. We would know the next nine people, three cells . . . but each cell would know only one of us.”

“Manuel, don’t be hasty. Here we are, three, the perfect number, with a variety of talents and experience. Beauty, age, and mature male drive—” “I don’t have any drive!” “Please, Manuel.

can get along with a Randite. A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as ‘state’ and ‘society’ and ‘government’ have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame . . . as blame, guilt, responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings singly and nowhere else. But being rational, he knows that not all individuals hold his evaluations, so he tries to live perfectly in an imperfect world . . . aware that his effort will be less than perfect yet undismayed by self-knowledge of self-failure.”

“My point is that one person is responsible. Always. If H-bombs exist—and they do—some man controls them. In terms of morals there is no such thing as ‘state.’ Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts.”

“Dear lady, I’ll happily accept your rules.” “But you don’t seem to want any rules!” “True. But I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

“We will now overthrow the Authority,” he said blandly. “How? Going to throw rocks at ’em?”

“I must confess,” said Prof, “that I find these conflicting reports very conflicting.”

either that the data are too meager, or the horses or riders are not honest. Possibly all three.

Was classed as “non-political” and someone had added “not too bright” which was both unkind and true or why would I get mixed up in Revolution?

she admitted to me one night in pillow talk that she had no religion with a brand on it, then cautioned me not to tell Greg. I exacted same caution from her. I don’t know Who is cranking; I’m pleased He doesn’t stop.

Nothing frustrates a man so much as not letting him get in his say. With luck and help from Warden, Chief Engineer would have ulcers by Christmas.

One might define adulthood as the age at which a person learns that he must die . . . and accepts his sentence undismayed.”

Shows how thoroughly humanity had corrupted this innocent machine that he should wish to see his name in print.

He and I were friendly but didn’t matter if we let a couple of years go by.

Was reminding her that anything free costs twice as much in long run or turns out worthless.”

Women are scarce; aren’t enough to go around—that makes them most valuable thing in Luna, more precious than ice or air, as men without women don’t care whether they stay alive or not. Except a Cyborg, if you regard him as a man, which I don’t.”

Meaning is whatever you assign and no computer can analyze it simply from letter group.

(Prof was a pacifist. Like his vegetarianism, he did not let it keep him from being “rational.” Would have made a terrific theologian.)

Women are amazing creatures—sweet, soft, gentle, and far more savage than we are.

Must be a yearning deep in human heart to stop other people from doing as they please. Rules, laws—always for other fellow.

This is why parliamentary bodies all through history, when they accomplished anything, owed it to a few strong men who dominated the rest.

I say that we are met in accordance with customs created by Black Jack Davis our First Husband and Tillie our First Wife.

But you do not get milk by beating the cow.

“Never mind financial aspects. Anything which is physically possible can always be made financially possible; money is a bugaboo of small minds.

and boast of being “sovereign.” “Sovereign,” like “love,” means anything you want it to mean; it’s a word in dictionary between “sober” and “sozzled.”

Look . . . I knew we couldn’t whip Terra—I’m tech by trade and know that an H-missile doesn’t care how brave you are. But was ready, too. If they wanted a fight, let’s have it!

our strategy must be to antagonize them into striking the first blow, the classic ‘Pearl Harbor’ maneuver of game theory, a great advantage in Weltpolitick.

“What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well- intentioned men, granting to government powers to do something that appears to need doing.

But if you really believe that your neighbors must have laws for their own good, why shouldn’t you pay for it?

There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.”

sometimes Prof was too subtle; some people talk better if they breathe vacuum.

when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again.”