knew nothing about. Force fields.
Planes without wings--soundless.

Cole reached around in his pockets. He found the identification tube
the man had handed him. In the excitement he had carried it off. He
unrolled the tube slowly and began to study it. The writing was
strange to him.

For a long time he studied the tube. Then, gradually, he became aware
of something. Something in the top right-hand corner.

A date. October 6, 2128.

Cole's vision blurred. Everything spun and wavered around him.
October, 2128. Could it be?

But he held the paper in his hand. Thin, metal paper. Like foil. And
it had to be. It said so, right in the corner, printed on the paper
itself.

Cole rolled the tube up slowly, numbed with shock. Two hundred years.
It didn't seem possible. But things were beginning to make sense. He
was in the future, two hundred years in the future.

While he was mulling this over, the swift black Security ship appeared
overhead, diving rapidly toward the horse-drawn cart, as it moved
slowly along the road.

Reinhart's vidscreen buzzed. He snapped it quickly on. "Yes?"

"Report from Security."

"Put it through." Reinhart waited tensely as the lines locked in
place. The screen re-lit.

"This is Dixon. Western Regional Command." The officer cleared his
throat, shuffling his message plates. "The man from the past has been
reported, moving away from the New York area."

"Which side of your net?"

"Outside. He evaded the net around Central Park by entering one of the
small towns at the rim of the slag area."

"_Evaded?_"

"We assumed he would avoid the towns. Naturally the net failed to
encompass any of the towns."

Reinhart's jaw stiffened. "Go on."

"He entered the town of Petersville a few minutes before the net
closed around the park. We burned the park level, but naturally found
nothing. He had already gone. An hour later we received a report from
a resident in Petersville, an official of the Stockpile Conservation
Department. The man from the past had come to his door, looking for
work. Winslow, the official, engaged him in conversation, trying to
hold onto him, but he escaped, driving his cart off. Winslow called
Security right away, but by then it was too late."

"Report to me as soon as anything more comes in. We must have him--and
damn soon." Reinhart snapped the screen off. It died quickly.

He sat back in his chair, waiting.

Cole saw the shadow of the Security ship. He reacted at