"In truth, gentlemen, it now constituted the largest private fortune on
the terrestrial globe. And in that year, 2621 A.D., there were thirteen
generations yet to come, before John Jones the fortieth would arrive.
"To continue. In the year 2721 A.D., an important political battle was
concluded in the Solar System Senate and House of Representatives. I am
referring to the great controversy as to whether the Earth's moon was a
sufficient menace to interplanetary navigation to warrant its removal.
The outcome of the wrangle was that the question was decided in the
affirmative. Consequently--
"But I beg your pardon, young men. I occasionally lose sight of the fact
that you are not so well informed upon historical matters as myself.
Here I am, talking to you about the moon, totally forgetful that many of
you are puzzled as to my meaning. I advise all of you who have not yet
attended the Solaris Museum on Jupiter, to take a trip there some Sunday
afternoon. The Interplanetary Suburban Line runs trains every half hour
on that day. You will find there a complete working model of the old
satellite of the Earth, which, before it was destroyed, furnished this
planet light at night through the crude medium of reflection.
"On account of this decision as to the inadvisability of allowing the
moon to remain where it was, engineers commenced its removal in the year
2721. Piece by piece, it was chipped away and brought to the Earth in
Interplanetary freight cars. These pieces were then propelled by
Zoodolite explosive, in the direction of the Milky Way, with a velocity
of 11,217 meters per second. This velocity, of course, gave each
departing fragment exactly the amount of kinetic energy it required to
enable it to overcome the backward pull of the Earth from here to
infinity. I dare say those moon-hunks are going yet.
"At the start of the removal of the moon in 2721 A.D., the accumulated
wealth of John Jones the fortieth, stood: