The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wheels Within, by Charles V. De Vet

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Title: Wheels Within

Author: Charles V. De Vet

Illustrator: Don Sibley

Release Date: April 24, 2010 [EBook #32127]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1952.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.

Wheels Within

By CHARLES DE VET

Never ask "Who am I and where do I come from?" The answers
may not be what you'd expect!

Illustrated by DON SIBLEY

* * * * *

"When did the headaches first start?" asked the neurologist, Dr. Hall.

"About six months ago," Bennett replied.

"What is your occupation, Mr. Bennett?"

"I am a contractor."

"Are you happy in your work?"

"Very. I prefer it to any other occupation I know of."

"When your headaches become sufficiently severe, you say that you have
hallucinations," Hall said. "Can you describe what you see during
those hallucinations?"

"At first I had only the impression that I was in a place completely
unlike anything I had ever known," Bennett answered. "But each time my
impressions became sharper, and I carried a fairly clear picture when
my mind returned to normal the last time. I felt then that I had been
in a room in a tall building that towered thousands of feet over a
great city. I even remembered that the name of the city was Thone.
There were other people in the room with me--one person especially. I
remembered her very clearly."

"Her?" Hall asked.

"Yes."

"Was there anything unusual about this woman?"

"Well, yes, there was," Bennett said, after a brief and almost
embarrassed pause. "This will sound pretty adolescent, but--"

Hall leaned forward attentively. "It may be relevant. You're not here
to be judged,