enly
I played a very minor role. 'This is my new assistant, Dr. Tompkins,'
you said. And then what happened? I get shot in the legs and you get a
hole in your back. We were both nearly obliterated that time and we
didn't even come close to getting the child.

"Still you wanted to run the whole show. 'I'm younger than you,' you
said. 'I'll take the wheel.' And the next thing I know I'm floating in
space halfway to nowhere with two broken legs, a spinal injury,
concussion and some of the finest bruises you ever saw."

* * * * *

"These twentieth century machines aren't what they ought to be," Arvid
6 said.

"You never run out of excuses, do you, Arvid? Remember what you said
in the Ultroom when you pushed the lever clear over and transferred
Kanad back 6,000 years? 'My hand slipped.' As simple as that. 'My hand
slipped.' It was so simple everyone believed you. You were given no
real punishment. In a way it was a reward--at least to you--getting to
go back and rescue the life germ of Kanad out of each era he'd be born
in."

Tendal 13 turned and looked steadily and directly at Arvid 6. "Do you
know what I think? I think you deliberately pushed the lever over as
far as it would go _just to see what would happen_. That's how simple
I think it was."

Arvid 6 flushed, turned away and looked at the floor.

"What crazy things have you been doing since I've been gone?" Tendal
13 asked.

Arvid 6 sighed. "After what you just said I guess it wouldn't amuse
you, although it has me. They got to me right after the accident
before I had a chance to collect my wits, dematerialize or
anything--you said we shouldn't dematerialize in front of anybody."

"That's right."

"Well, I didn't know what to do. I could see they thought I was drunk,
so I was. But they had a blood sample before I could manufacture any
alcohol in my blood, although I implanted a memory in them that I
reeked of it." He laughed. "I fancy they're thoroughly confused."

"And you're thoroughly amused, no doubt. Have they questioned you?"

"At great length. They had a psychiatrist in to see me. He was a queer
fellow with the most stupid set of questions and tests I ever saw."

"And you amused yourself with him."

"I suppose you'd think so."

"Who do you tell them you are?"

"John Smith. A rather prevalent name here, I understand. I
manufactured a pasteboard called a social security card and a driver's
license--"

"Never m