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smug and satisfied. "There was no other way, drugs against my will.
"Do you believe," his shocked voice answered, "that I would put anything at
all in that brandy? Of course not, my darling. We have just found your excuse,
that is all.
7
IF
We are there; we are correct. The computations were perfect. That is our
destination below.
"You are a worm," 17 said to her companion, 35, who resembled her every way
other than in number. "Yes - that is the correct place. But we are nine years
too early. Look at the meter.
"I am a worm. I shall free you of the burden of my useless presence. 35
removed her knife from the scabbard and tested the edge, which proved to be
exceedingly sharp. She placed it against the white wattled width of her neck
and prepared to cut her throat.
"Not now," 17 hissed. "We are shorthanded already and your corpse would be
valueless to this expedition. Get us to the correct time at once. Our power is
limited, you may remember.
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"It shall be done as you command," 35 said as she slithered to the bank of
controls. 44 had ignored the talk, keeping her multi cellular eyes focused
intently on the power control bank: constantly making adjustments with her
spatulate fingers in response to the manifold dials.
"That is it," 17 announced, rasping her hands together with pleasure. "The
correct time, the correct place. We must descend and make our destiny. Give
praise to the Saur of All, who rules the destinies of all.
"Praise Saur," her two companions muttered, all of their attention on the
controls.
Straight down from the blue sky the globular vehicle fell. It was round and
featureless, save for the large rectangular port on the bottom now, and made
of some sort of green metal, perhaps anodized aluminium, though it looked
harder. It had no visible means of flight or support, yet it fell at a steady
and controlled rate. Slower and slower it moved until it dropped from sight
behind the ridge at the northern end of Johnson's Lake, just at the edge of
the tall pine grove. There were fields nearby, with cows, who did not appear
at all disturbed by the visitor. No human being was in sight to view the
landing beside the path that cut in from the lake here: a scuffed dirt trail
that led to the highway.
An oriole sat on a bush and warbled sweetly; a small rabbit hopped from the
field to nibble a stem of grass. This bucolic and peaceful scene was
interrupted by the scuff of feet down the trail and a high-pitched and
singularly monotonous whistling. The bird flew away, a touch of soundless
color, while the rabbit disappeared into the hedge. A boy came over the rise
from the direction of the lake shore. He wore ordinary boy clothes and carried
a schoolbag in one hand, a homemade cage of wire screen in the other. In the
cage was a small lizard which clung to the screen, its eyes rolling in what
presumably was fear. The boy, whistling shrilly, trudged along the path and
into the shade of the pine grove.
"Boy," a high-pitched and tremulous voice called out.
"Can you hear me, boy?
"I certainly can," the boy said, stopping and looking around for the unseen
speaker. "Where are you?
"I am by your side, but I am invisible. I am your fairy godmother . . . .
The boy made a rude sound by sticking out his tongue and blowing across it
while it vibrated. "I don't believe in invisibility or fairy godmothers. Come
out of those woods, whoever you are.
"All boys believe in fairy godmothers," the voice said, but a worried tone
edged the words now. "I know all kinds of secrets. I know your name is Don and
. . .
"Everyone knows my name is Don and no one believes anymore in fairies. Boys
now believe in rockets, submarines, and atomic energy.
"Would you believe in space travel?
"I would.
Slightly relieved the voice came on stronger and deeper. "I did not wish to
frighten you, but I am really from Mars and have just landed . . . .
Don made the rude noise again. "Mars has no atmosphere and no observable forms
of life. Now come out of there and stop playing games.
After a long silence the voice said, "Would you consider time travel?
"I could. Are you going to tell me that you are from the future?
With relief: "Yes I am.
"Then come out where I can see you.
"There are some things that the human eye should not look upon ....
"Horseapples! The human eye is okay for looking at anything you want to name.
You come out of there so I can see who you are  o r I'm leaving.
"It is not advisable.
The voice was exasperated. "I can prove I am a temporal traveler by telling
you the answers to tomorrow's mathematics test. Wouldn't that be nice? Number
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