Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 The Barras thumping rose crescendo in the silence. If our Commandoman escaped, that lethal thumping might stop forever. If he were taken— “Ten are gone,” the colonel announced. Dr. Palgrave rapped nervously on his desk. He toyed with dials and verniers. He plucked at his lower lip. “Fiftee—” Silently, Dr. Palgrave rose and pointed at the small door. I started from my chair, then sank back as the armed squad passed me. I could do nothing. There was ashen dread on Dr. Palgrave’s face, and a grin of ugly’ self-satisfaction on that of the colonel. The corporal jerked open the door. A stranger stepped out. He was a good- looking young man with a curly red beard, faultlessly dressed in Saville Row white flannels, a subtly figured white shirt, and a professionally arranged ascot. His skin glowed with clean health. Colonel Heinz von Schwarzenau stared speechlessly. The corporal peered into the room and made a flabbergasted announce- ment in German to the effect that there were no facilities there for washing or changing clothes, nor any sign of the Commando. One little glimmer of hope shone in von Schwarzenau’s eyes. He stepped forward and tugged at the beard. The stranger said, “Ouch!” Dr. Palgrave smiled. “I could not cee the joke, my dear colonel. I happened to have another American guest whom you had not yet met. The temptation to build a dramatic introduction was too much for me. But now if you wish to search the house personally for your mythical Commando- man, I shall be glad to be of any assistance that I can. You know my loyalty to you and your friends.” The stranger and I sat silent under the watchful eyes of the corporal while von Schwarzenau’ searched the house. He re- turned. glowering: “Pigs!” he snorted. “Weakling offspring of impure dogs! You bring me information and what is the result! You allow that one makes a fool of me!” Not until the footsteps were dead in the distance did anyone speak. Then the stranger burst out, “What goes here, brothers? Where have I been and how did I get back here and— I thought I was dead © and was that a heaven for you!” I began to understand. “Then you—” “Yes, Holding,” Dr. Palgrave explained. “Our friend here is indeed the ghost. I ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION realized that the exact description could not be coincidental. And if he was the ghost, then my time machine must be successful with a human traveler. It must be I who sent him back to Uptonleigh’s classic party. And the ghost changed in those six weeks, you will recall, cleaned up and grew a beard. If I could bring him back, he would be com- pletely unrecognizable to von Schwarzenau. So I sent him into my traveling cabinet.” “But how— You didn’t go near it.” “I explained to you that it operated by remote control. I sent him on his journey and fetched him back under von Schwarze- nau’s very eyes, while he thought I was in- dulging in mere nervous twiddling.” “Brother,” the Commandoman said, “I had you tagged all wrong. You’re a right guy, after all, and I’m sorry I waved Betsy at you. You’ve done a good deed today for the United Nations.” “The United Nations?” Dr. Palgrave blinked. “Oh, yes. Yes— But what is im- portant is that I have proved that my time machine is a practical device capable of carrying human life.” The Commandoman gulped. “You mean I was a guinea pig?” His hand sneaked to- ward Betsy, but he dropped it again. “Who cares? You saved me, that’s the main thing.” “That colonel,’ Dr. Palgrave spoke re- flectively, “che meant what he said—” “They mostly do, them boys.” “He really meant that he would wantonly destroy all my invaluable apparatus merely to— And I thought that he had a respect for science,.an understanding of my—” It was my chance to strike. “You get it now, Dr. Palgrave? ‘You’ve been his dupe, his court jester. And when amusement palled, neither you nor your work meant a thing to him. All your research would have been wiped out without a moment’s com- punction.” “The gasped. I tried not to smile. now, sir. You’ve learned that your holy world of science isn’t sacred to them, doesn’t stand apart from the rest of the world. There are no islands any more. There never have been. No man is an island, entire of him- self. And every man who is not a part of their black force is going to find himself and all that he holds holiest destroyed when it suits their convenience. One by one, we learn our lesson. Some of us had sense and soul enough to learn it as part of mankind comiclooks the devil—” Dr. Palgrave “You’ve learned it: (©)