“Certainly,”saidtheTimeTraveller, , lightinghispipe, tolookatthePsychologist’sface.(ThePsychologist, toshowthathewasnotunhinged, helpedhimselftoacigarandtriedtolightituncut.) “Whatismore, Ihaveabigmachinenearlyfinishedinthere” —heindicatedthelaboratory—“andwhenthatisputtogetherImeantohaveajourneyonmyownaccount.”
“Youmeantosaythatthatmachinehastravelledintothefuture?”saidFilby.
“Intothefutureorthepast—Idon’t, forcertain, knowwhich.”
AfteranintervalthePsychologisthadaninspiration.“Itmusthavegoneintothepastifithasgoneanywhere,”hesaid.
“Why?”saidtheTimeTraveller.
“BecauseIpresumethatithasnotmovedinspace, andifittravelledintothefutureitwouldstillbehereallthistime, sinceitmusthavetravelledthroughthistime.”
“But,”Isaid, “Ifittravelledintothepastitwouldhavebeenvisiblewhenwecamefirstintothisroom; andlastThursdaywhenwewerehere; andtheThursdaybeforethat; andsoforth!”
“Seriousobjections,”remarkedtheProvincialMayor, withanairofimpartiality, turningtowardstheTimeTraveller.
“Notabit,”saidtheTimeTraveller, and, tothePsychologist: “’spresentationbelowthethreshold, youknow, dilutedpresentation.”
“Ofcourse,”saidthePsychologist, andreassuredus.“That’’splainenough, , norcanweappreciatethismachine, anymorethanwecanthespokeofawheelspinning, , ifitgetsthroughaminutewhilewegetthroughasecond, ’splainenough.”Hepassedhishandthroughthespaceinwhichthemachinehadbeen.“Yousee?”hesaid, laughing.
.
“Itsoundsplausibleenoughto-night,”saidtheMedicalMan; “.”
