The Cat pass-wall

the cat pass-wall ( The cat who walks through walls ) is a Romance of Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1985

Summary

An unknown assied with the table of the Colonel in Campbell retirement, requires of him to assassinate somebody and dies itself assassinated. It is the beginning of a succession of increasingly incredible events and more and more dangereux.
In his escape éperdue with his new wife, the hero is proof of the pragmatism of the “old soldier with whom one does not make it” to overcome the plot which does not cease being closed again on them. This road-movie makes them leave in catastrophe the space station “Regulates of Gold” in a shuttle just good to be crushed on the Moon. They will meet a crowd of people as sympathetic nerves as covetous in various lunar cities until a battle arranged in a hotel seedy character.

Mishaps of Colonel Campbell pass incredible with absurd when that which has been his wife for three days tries to convince it that it is agent space-time in universe where shuttles four places comprise toilets victoriennes, where it is difficult to know if somebody is thirty years or three hundred years old, where one can meet the heroes of serial of his childhood, and where all those which one crosses are married with the different one, or fruit of these marriages.

He discovers finally the reason of this cosmic plot around his person: the files in the future attest that him and his wife carried out a capital mission for the Multivers. They would have recovered the computer Mycroft Holmes IV without creating temporal Paradoxe. Mike was secretly the brain of the lunar war of independence, one century earlier, until “her death” during a last bombardment.

But one of the two versions of the files specifies that they died at the time of this mission. Like the Cat of Schrödinger, colonel Campbell is at the same time dead and alive.

Style

One finds expensive social topics with Robert Heinlein, such as:

the Gold Rule that all is paid in one way or another;
marriages polygamous and more particularly polyandric;
primacy of the woman on the man;
shameless sexuality;
effectiveness of expeditious justice;
contempt of the victimization;
the refusal of the racial distinctions.

The dialogs are truculent as in best films of Michel Audiard. The exchanges full with irony and cynicism give a dynamic and merry color to a history which could have been mortally serious. Some of the declarations of colonel Campbell would deserve to be used like proverbs and aphorismes.
As in Podkayne, girl of Mars and Revolt on the Moon , the book finishes sadly on a pessimistic uncertainty.

The intrigue is so incredible that the hero himself does not believe in it. However the universe is built, explained admirably well in detail as well on the sociological level as on the technological level. The account takes an unexpected coherence when it becomes clear that this continuation of improbabilities is due to the action of several companies having the possibility of traversing time to modify the histoire.
However the quantity of temporal paradoxes returns the explanations of the author and his characters passably bulky and abtruse. Even the hero has evil to include/understand something there.

The references to the books the Children of Mathusalem , The Number off the Beast and Révolte on the Moon abound in all the chapters. Who does not know the work of Heinlein can have difficulties of finding himself there among about thirty characters usually using pseudonyms.

Per moments, one finds environments and descriptions close to those of C.J. Cherryh (in particular Forteresse of the stars ) and of Poul Anderson (mainly Patrol of time )

The cat…

The title of the book is a pun as only can find the scientists of them.

The Chat of Schrödinger is a paradox explaining why a cat locked up in a box with an ore slightly radioactive has as much chance of living being than dead. It is impossible to know it without opening the box… what ruins the experiment. It is about one reference to the quantum theory where an electron has only two possible roads to move: through a wall or by circumventing it. But in experiments, the electron leaves traces of its passage on the two incompatible ways. Known as differently, the electron is and is not at the same time.

In the book of Heinlein, the cat pass-wall is a kitten of the name of pixel which moves through the walls because it is too young to know that it is impossible . It is the metaphorical summary of character Campbell the Hake which leaves itself all the ambushes whereas they consider impossible what the heroes of all the other novels of Heinlein regard as established facts: the voyage in time, the universes parallel, medical youth and immortality.

Quotations

If the Man sought really the innovation, baseball would have disappeared since two hundred years instead of being so popular. What could it occur during a match from baseball which was never seen before? -- ( Yew people truly wanted novelty, baseball would cuts died out two centuries back off… instead being ever popular. Does What edge possibly happen in have baseball range that everyone has not seen many times before? )
Though you made, though you were, all is completely, at 100%, of your fault. All. -- (… whatever you' ve gives, whatever you' ve been, is all, totally, one hundred bore, your own fault. All. )
In case of doubt or of danger, run in all the directions, shout and howl. -- ( When in danger gold in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. )
a monarch should always have a slip knot autout neck. That would help it to be a good monarch. -- ( has monarch' S neck should always cuts has noose around it. It keeps him upright. )
One never should encourage the bad manners. It is necessary to counteract by reprisals, pleasant but firm. -- ( It does not C to encourages bad manners; one should retaliate, urbanely, goal firmly. )
a friend who offers his assistance without asking to you for explanations is priceless. -- ( has friend who offers help without asking for explanations has treasure beyond price. )
Admit it, the promises made by a woman with the bed are not made to be held. -- ( Confound it, promised has woman makes in bed should not Be binding. )
Frapper her husband is the privilege of any married woman… as long as it does it into private. -- Beating her husband to death is every married woman' S privilege… ace long ace she does it in private. )
Each wall cupboard has its skeleton. It is a natural law. -- ( Every closet has skeleton. This has natural law. )
I helped it by not giving him a council. Even not a mot. That was hard, but I succeeded. -- ( I helped by not offering advice. Not has Word. It was difficult goal I managed it. can )
Comment a good criminal, who works hard, succeed in his profession if its victim refuses to cooperate? -- ( How has sincere criminal, trying hardware, going to get ahead in his profession yew his victim fails to cooperate? )
the criminals is the most preserving group of any company. -- ( The criminal class is the most conservative group in any society )
When you hear noises of shoes, you expect horses, not zebras. -- ( Hear hoofbeats; expect horses, not streaked. )
But good god, the animism is not that pure superstition… except as regards the weapons. -- ( Goal damn it all, animism is sheer superstition. (Except butt let us weapons.) )
It seemed to be ninety years old more than God, and twice more dignity. -- (… He himself appeared to Be ninety years older than God and twice ace dignified )
If you do not want to find you with a broken wrist, do not point a weapon towards me -- ( If you don' T want has broken wrist, don' T wave has gun in my face. )
I took the stupid air (my best role). -- ( I looked stupid -- my best role. )
Premenstrual syndrome: right before their rules, the women behave as the men do it all the time -- ( Premenstrual Syndrome: Just before to their periods women behave the way men C all the time. )
the women seems to have a capacity for forgiveness quasi unlimited. And as they are generally the men who need to be forgiven, it must be a rule of survival the species. -- ( Women seem to cuts almost unlimited capacity for forgiveness. (Since it is usually has man who needs forgiveness, this must Be has racial survival milked.) )
people who consult a psychiatrist should be made examine. ( Anyone who consults has shrink should cuts his head examined. )
… a plethora tautologiquement redundant of excessive repetitions, and almost insulting. -- (… has tautologically redundant will plethora off excess surplusage, repetitious and almost insulting. )
" It is anarchy here? " " Not, I would not say that it is as well organized! " -- ( " How is this place run? Is it year anarchy? " " No, I would not say that it is that well organized." )
I am reassured. Your selfishness skimped egocentric person remained a hâvre of stability in this always moving world. -- ( I' m relieved. Your simple coil-centered selfishness has been has haven off stability in year ever-shifting world. )
an intellectual is a very educated man who is not able to count by keeping his shoes, and which is proud of its gaps. -- ( year intellectual has highly educated man who can' T C arithmetic with his shoes one, and is proud off his lack. )
Tuer a dinosaur is about also sportsman to shoot with the rifle at a cow. And the meat is less good. --- ( Killing has dinosaur is butt ace sporting ace shooting has cow. And not ace good meatus. )

Random links: