Avon Fantasy Reader No. 8 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

rANITAST ACAVER NO. © THE MACHINE MAN OF ARDATHIA | 31 - “Einstein?” “One of our gréat scientists: and nibuehiepaaicinns;” I explained. “So you have scientists and mathematicians? Sonderha! That bears. out what Hoomi says. I must remember to tell : . . However, to resume my explanation. Time is apprehended in the same manner as is space—that is in its relation to matter. When you measure space, you do so by letting your measuring rod leap from point to point of matter. Or, in the case of spanning the void, let us say, from the earth to Venus, you start and end with matter, remarking that between lies so many miles.of space. But it is clear that you see and touch no space, merely spanning the distance between two points of matter with the vision or the measuring rod. You do the same when you compute time with the sun or by means of the clock, which I see hanging on. the wall there. Time, then, is no more of an abstraction than is space. If it is possible for man to move freely in space, it is possible for him to move freely in time. We Ardathians are beginning to do so.” “But how?” | “I am afraid your limited intelligence could not grasp what I could tell. You must realize that compared to us you are hardly as much as human. When I look at you, I perceive your body is enormously larger than your head. This means that you are dominated by animal passions and that your mental: capacity is not very high.” That this weirdly humorous thing inside a glass cylinder should come to such a conclusion regarding me, made me smile. ; “If any of my fellow citizens should see you,” I replied, “they would c con- sider you—well, absurd.” “That is bécause they would judge by the only standard they iow! heme selves. In Ardathia you would be regarded as bestial. In fact, that is exactly how your reconstructed skeletons are regarded. Tell me, is it true that you nourish your bodies by taking food through your mouths into your stomachs?” ese “And are at that stage of bodily evolution when you will eliminate the waste products through the alimentary canal?” I lowered my head. “How disgusting.” The unwinking eyes regarded me intently. Then something happened which startled me very much. The creature raised a glass tube to its face. From the end of the tube leaped a purple ray which came through the glass casing and Baie over the room. “There is no need to. be albrined? said the metallic voice. “I was merely viewing your habitat and making some deductions. Correct me if I am wrong, please. You are an English-speaking man of the twentieth century. You and -eomilchbooks (CO)