Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

PARADOX LOST this is a time machine and it works, why do you say you think you invent them? If this is one—I mean—” The voice laughed. “But a time machine is impossible. It is a paradox. Your pro- fessors will explain that a time machine cannot be, because it would mean that two things could occupy the same space at the same time. And a man could go back and kill himself when he was younger, and—oh, all sorts of stuff like that. It’s:completely im- possible. Only a crazy man could—” “But you say this is one. Uh.. . where is it? I mean, where in time.” -“Now? It’s 1948, of course.” “In— Hey, it’s only 1943. Unless you moved it since I got on; did you?” '“No. J was in 1948 all along; that’s where I was listening to that lecture on the dino- saurs. But you got on back there, five years | back. That’s because of the warp. The one I’m going to take up with Napo—” “But where am I... are we... now?” “You’re in the same classroom you got on from, Shorty. But five years ahead. If you reach out, you'll see— Try, just to your left, back where you yourself were sitting.” “Uh—would I get my hand back again, or would it be like when I reached into here?” _ “It’s all right; you'll get it back.” ‘““Well—” said Shorty. Tentatively, he reached out his hand. It touched something soft that felt like hair. He took hold experimentally and tugged a little. It jerked suddenly out of his grasp, and involuntarily Shorty jerked his hand back. “Yow!” said the voice beside him. “That was funny!” “What Shorty. “It was a girl, a knockout with red hair. She’s sitting in the same seat you were sit- ting in back there five years ago. You pulled her hair, and you ought to’ve seen her jump! Listen—” “Listen to what?” “Shut up, then, so I can listen—” There -was a pause, and the voice chuckled. “The prof is dating her up!” “Huh?” said Shorty. ‘How—” “Oh, he just looked back at he when she let out a yip, and told her to stay after class. But from the way he’s looking at her, TI ean guess he’s got an ulterior motive. I what happened?” asked “Right in class? 33 can’t blame him; she’s sure a knockout. Reach out and pull her hair again.” “Uh ... well, it wouldn’t be quite... uh—” “That’s right,” said the voice disgustedly. “I keep forgetting you aren’t crazy like me. Must be awful to be normal. Well, let’s get out of here. I’m bored. How'd you like to go hunting?” “Hunting? Well, I’m not much of a shot. Particularly when I can’t see anything.” “Oh, it won’t be dark if you step out of the apparatus. It’s your own world, you know, but it’s crazy. I mean, it’s an—how would your professors put it?—an illogical aspect of logicality. Anyway, we always hunt with sling shots. It’s more sporting.” “Hunt what?” “Dinosaurs. They’re the most fun.” “Dinosaurs! With a sling shot? You're cra— I mean, do you?” The voice laughed. “Sure, we do. Look, that’s what was so funny about what that professor was saying about the saurians. You see, we killed them off. Since I made this time machine, the Jurassic has been our favorite hunting ground. But there may be one or two left for us to hunt. I know a good place for them. This is it.” “This? I thought we were in a classroom in 1948.” “We were, then. Here, I'll inverse the polarity, and you can step right out. Go ahead.” — | “But—” Shorty said, and then “Well—” and then took a step to his right. Sunlight blinded him. It was a brighter, more glaring sunlight than he had ever seen or known before, a terrific contrast after the darkness he’d been in. He put his hands over his eyes to pro- tect them, and only slowly was he able to take away and open his eyes. Then he saw he was standing on a patch of sandy soil near the shore of a smooth- surfaced lake. “They come here to drink,” said a familiar voice, and Shorty whirled around. The man standing there was a funny-looking little cuss, a good four inches shorter than Shorty, who stood five feet five. He wore shell-rimmed glasses and a small goatee; and his face seemed tiny and weazened under a tall black tophat that was turning greenish with age. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sling shot, but with quite heavy rubber between the prongs. He said, “You can shoot the first one if you want,” and held it out. (C© oO comicbooo S