“Thenthereisthefuture,”saidtheVeryYoungMan.“Justthink! Onemightinvestallone’smoney, leaveittoaccumulateatinterest, andhurryonahead!”
“Todiscoverasociety,”saidI, “erectedonastrictlycommunisticbasis.”
“Ofallthewildextravaganttheories!”beganthePsychologist.
“Yes, soitseemedtome, andsoInevertalkedofituntil —”
“Experimentalverification!”criedI.“Youaregoingtoverifythat?”
“Theexperiment!”criedFilby, whowasgettingbrain-weary.
“Let’sseeyourexperimentanyhow,”saidthePsychologist, “thoughit’sallhumbug, youknow.”
, stillsmilingfaintly, andwithhishandsdeepinhistrouserspockets, hewalkedslowlyoutoftheroom, andweheardhisslippersshufflingdownthelongpassagetohislaboratory.
ThePsychologistlookedatus.“Iwonderwhathe’sgot?”
“Somesleight-of-handtrickorother,”saidtheMedicalMan, andFilbytriedtotellusaboutaconjurerhehadseenatBurslem; butbeforehehadfinishedhisprefacetheTimeTravellercameback, andFilby’sanecdotecollapsed.
ThethingtheTimeTravellerheldinhishandwasaglitteringmetallicframework, scarcelylargerthanasmallclock, , , forthisthatfollows—unlesshisexplanationistobeaccepted—, andsetitinfrontofthefire, , , , twoinbrasscandlesticksuponthemantelandseveralinsconces, -chairnearestthefire, , , , howeversubtlyconceivedandhoweveradroitlydone, couldhavebeenplayeduponusundertheseconditions.
TheTimeTravellerlookedatus, andthenatthemechanism.“Well?”saidthePsychologist.
