"Every bit counts." She shook her head. "Only you have to wonder--I
mean, don't think I'm treasoning, but while I was shopping an hour ago
a lot of women said you have to think--how come all that obsolescent
junk could work so well, after being thoroughly wrecked, too? You
almost wonder whether some of it was too good for disintegration."
Wendell pretended to be shocked. "Just a fluke of circumstance. If
something like that happened again you'd be right to wonder. But it
could not ever happen again."
"Don't get me wrong, Wendell. None of the women attacked anything. It
was more like what you just said. They said if it happened again, then
you'd have to wonder. But of course it couldn't happen again."
How well the tables had turned! Not only had Marie's ignorant
knowledge proven helpful but she had now given him a positive idea
also.
When he met Wright and Johnson at the latter's apartment that evening
he explained it to them. "We can propagate 'dangerous' thoughts and
yet appear completely loyal. We can set up the reaction to next High
Holy Day."
"How?" demanded Johnson. "That's having your cake and eating it."
"Nothing's impossible in the human mind," Wright said. "Let's
listen."
"Here's the point. Wherever you go there will be people tsk-tsking
about the Preliminary fiasco. Just reassure them, say it meant nothing
at all by itself. If it ever happened again, then there would be room
for doubt but, of course, _it could not happen again_!"