ring the bubble back
manually?"

"Fredman gave the actual order. In line with your directive to have
all facilities ready for--"

Reinhart headed toward the entrance of the research building. "Where
is Fredman?"

"Inside."

"I want to see him. Let's go."

Fredman met them inside. He greeted Reinhart calmly, showing no
emotion. "Sorry to cause you trouble, Commissioner. We were trying to
get the station in order for the war. We wanted the bubble back as
quickly as possible." He eyed Reinhart curiously. "No doubt the man
and his cart will soon be picked up by your police."

"I want to know everything that happened, in exact detail."

Fredman shifted uncomfortably. "There's not much to tell. I gave the
order to have the automatic setting canceled and the bubble brought
back manually. At the moment the signal reached it, the bubble was
passing through the spring of 1913. As it broke loose, it tore off a
piece of ground on which this person and his cart were located. The
person naturally was brought up to the present, inside the bubble."

"Didn't any of your instruments tell you the bubble was loaded?"

"We were too excited to take any readings. Half an hour after the
manual control was thrown, the bubble materialized in the observation
room. It was de-energized before anyone noticed what was inside. We
tried to stop him but he drove the cart out into the hall, bowling us
out of the way. The horses were in a panic."

"What kind of cart was it?"

"There was some kind of sign on it. Painted in black letters on both
sides. No one saw what it was."

"Go ahead. What happened then?"

"Somebody fired a Slem-ray after him, but it missed. The horses
carried him out of the building and onto the grounds. By the time we
reached the exit the cart was half way to the park."

Reinhart reflected. "If he's still in the park we should have him
shortly. But we must be careful." He was already starting back toward
his ship, leaving Fredman behind. Harper fell in beside him.

Reinhart halted by his ship. He beckoned some Government guards over.
"Put the executive staff of this department under arrest. I'll have
them tried on a treason count, later on." He smiled ironically as
Harper's face blanched sickly pale. "There's a war going on. You'll be
lucky if you get off alive."

Reinhart entered his ship and left the surface, rising rapidly into
the sky. A second ship followed after him, a military escort. Reinhart
flew high ab