Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 2 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TIME Long ago I had 2 vague inkling of a machine——” “To travel through Time!” said the Very Young Man. “That shall travel indifferently in any direction of Space and Time, as the driver determines.” Filby contented himself with laughter. “It would be remarkably convenient,” the Psy- chologist suggested. “One might travel back and witness the battle of Hastings.” “Don’t you think you would attract attention?” said the Medical Man. ‘Our ancestors had no great tolerance for anachronisms.” “One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato,” the Very Young Man thought. “In which case they would certainly plow you for the little-go.* The German scholars have improved Greek so much.” “Then, there is the future,” said the Very Young Man. “Just think! One might invest all one’s money, leave it to accumulate at interest, and hurry on ahead.” “To discover a society,” said I, “erected on a strictly communistic basis.” | “Of all the wild extravagant theories gan the Psychologist. “Yes, so it seemed to me, and so I never talked of it until 2 “EKixperimental verification !”’ cried I. going to verify that!” “The experiment!” cried Filby, who was getting brain-weary. “Let’s see your experiment, anyhow,” said the Psychologist, “though it’s all humbug, you know.” The Time Traveler smiled around at us. Then, still smiling faintly, and with his hands deep in his trousers pockets, he walked slowly out of the room, and we heard his slippers shuffling down the long passage to his laboratory. The Psychologist looked at us. he’s got?” “Some sleight-of-hand trick or other,” said the Medical Man, and Filby tried to tell us about a conjuror he had seen at Burslem, but before he had finished his preface the Time Traveler came back, and Filby’s anecdote collapsed. ”» be. “You are “JT wonder what HE thing the Time Traveler held in his hand was 2 glittering metallic framework, scarcely larger than a small clock, and very delicately made. There was ivory in it, and some transparent crys- talline substance. And now I must be explicit, for this that follows—unless his explanation is to be accepted—is an absolutely unaccountable thing. He took one of the small octagonal tables that were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the fire, with two legs on the hearthrug. On this table he placed the mechanism. Then he drew up a chair and sat down. The only other object on the table was a small shaded lamp, the bright light of which fell full upon the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was adequately illuminated. I sat in a low armchair nearest the fire, and I drew this forward so as to be almost between the Time Traveler and * A public examination held in the English universities about the middle of the course of study —EDITOR. — MACHINE 151 the fireplace. Filby sat behind him, looking over his shoulder. The Medical Man and the Rector watched him in profile from the right, the Psychol- ogist from the left. We were all on the alert. It appears incredible to me that any kind of trick, however subtly conceived and however adroitly done, could have been played upon us under these condi- tions. The Time Traveler looked at us and then at the mechanism. “Well?” said the Psychologist. “This little affair,” said the Time Traveler, rest ing his elbows upon the table and pressing his hands together above the apparatus, “is only a model. It is my plan for a machine to travel through Time. You will notice that it looks singularly askew, and that there is an odd twinkling appearance about this bar, as though it was in some way unreal.” He pointed to the part with his finger. ‘Also, here is one little white lever, and here is another.” The Medical Man got up out of his chair and pers into the thing. “It’s beautifully made,” he said. “It took two years to make,” retorted the Time Traveler. Then, when we had all done as the Med- ical Man, he said: “Now I want you clearly to un- derstand that this lever, being pressed over, sends the machine gliding into the future, and this other reverses the motion. This saddle represents the seat of a time traveler. Presently I am going to press the lever, and off the machine will go. It will vanish, pass into future time, and disappear. Have a good look at the thing. Look at the table, too, and satisfy yourselves there is no trickery. I don’t want to waste this model, and then be told I’m a quack.” There was a minute’s pause perhaps. The psy- chologist seemed about to speak to me, but changed his mind. Then the Time Traveler put forth his finger toward the lever. “No,” he said suddenly; “lend me your hand.” And turning to the Psychol- ogist, he took that individual’s hand in his own and told him to put out his forefinger. So that it was the Psychologist himself who sent forth the model Time Machine on its interminable voyage. We all saw the lever turn. I am absolutely certain there was no trickery. There was a breath of wind, and the lamp flame jumped. One of the candles on the mantel was blown out, and the little machine sud- denly swung round, became indistinct, was seen as a ghost for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone—van- ished! Save for the lamp the table was bare. — Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Filby said he was d d. The Psychologist recovered from his stupor, and suddenly looked under the table. At that the Time Traveler laughed cheerfully. ‘Well?’ he said, with a reminiscence of the Psychologist. Then, getting up, he went to the tobacco jar on the mantel, and with his back to us began to fill his pipe. We stared at each other. “Look here,” said the Medical Man, “are you in earnest about this? Do you seriously believe that that machine has traveled into Time?” “Certainly,” said the ‘Time Traveler, stooping to light a spill at the fire. Then he turned, lighting hi ° . : - y is pipe, to look at the Psychol ist s olcs (The