"Gives me a better identification. If I can get
into the story, it's easier to draw the reader in." He forced a casual
smile. "I'll change that name later, of course."

"I see what you mean." Andorra sipped from his glass.

"You know," he added, "a couple of hours ago, I was almost ready to get
excited about the idea of a cosmos full of super beings. And I even
might have dreamed up something like this myself--and more than half
believed it." He shook his head.

"But when a fantasist like yourself comes up with it, and makes it look
so nicely possible, the idea almost looks foolish. After all, Elwar, if
you actually were the guy in that little sketch of yours, you'd hardly
be asking me to read it, now would you?" He looked down at the papers,
then raised his head again, frowning.

"'He'll have to choose his helpers from among his own people,'" he
quoted. "'All these things, that youngster is going to have to do.'" He
sipped again from his glass, keeping a searching gaze on his friend.

"And on the other hand, if your story here should be true, you just
might be asking me to read it, for one reason or another." He raised his
glass, examining the bright liquid within it.

Elwar tensed, his hand coming part way out of his pocket.

Suddenly, Andorra set the glass down and leaned forward, hands gripping
his knees.

"Tell me, Elwar," he begged, "this isn't a hoax, is it? Surely, no one
could be so warped as to present a friend with something like this and
then to laugh it off?"

Forell drew a deep breath and examined his companion closely. At last,
his left hand relaxed a little.

"It's no hoax," he admitted.

Andorra sighed and leaned back.

"And you can use help? You're asking me?"

He paused, waiting as Forell nodded, then spread his hands.

"You know," he said, "it shouldn't take me too long to fix it so I would
not be missed too much for a few years." He looked at the wall.

"It must be quite a training course."

THE END

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ January
1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIRECTION ***

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