Part 7 (1/2)
”You mean a cardiac cardiac principle. Threaten the prescribed chain of events, and your heart gives out.” principle. Threaten the prescribed chain of events, and your heart gives out.”
”It need not be so dire. I hope not. But yes, I think you're correct.”
Shel sat quietly, trying to absorb it all. ”What was the book? Why did you smile when you mentioned it?”
”It was one of my favorites. The Library of America edition of Tom Paine.”
”Why's that funny?”
”The first essay is 'Common Sense.' ”
[image]
”DAD, if you were actually to go back to talk to Galileo-” if you were actually to go back to talk to Galileo-”
”Yes.”
”How's your Italian?”
”Not bad. I've been doing a crash course.”
”Have you done anything like this yet? Have you actually been anywhere?”
”Only a couple of experimental trips.”
”Nothing long distance?”
”No. But let's get to the point. You're here because I didn't come back from this, right?”
”Yes.”
He pursed his lips. Not to worry. Everything's under control. ”Okay.”
”Dad, I don't think you understand. You're going back there to Renaissance Italy, or wherever, and something happened. Happens. Probably the Inquisition gets you, too.”
”No,” he said. ”Nothing will happen.”
”How can you say that?”
”Because when I'm done with my visit, instead of coming back here, I'll return in, say, two weeks.”
Shel's head was starting to spin again. ”Then the reason you disappeared is because I warned you you'd disappear.”
”Sure.” He grinned.
”Wouldn't it be simpler, and safer, not to go?”
”It's perfectly safe, Adrian. Because I know what I'm doing.”
”What would have happened if I hadn't shown up here?”
”Pointless question, son. You did did, and that's all that matters.”
Shel listened to a car approach, slow down, and pull into a driveway across the street.
”Now, I'm still missing as of when? When did you leave your base time?”
”Base time?”
”Your present.”
”Um. Thursday, the twenty-f ourth.”
”Morning? Night?”
”Morning.”
”Okay. That's the day I'll come back. In the evening.” He produced a Q-pod, a converter, and did something to it. ”Make it nine o'clock. In the evening. I'll call you as soon as I get in.”
”Okay,” said Shel. ”Good. That'll work.” A sense of relief flooded through him.
”One other thing: You need to keep quiet about this, Adrian. Tell n.o.body.”
”Okay.”
Mission accomplished. Shel got up, as did his father. They embraced. ”It's good to see you again, Dad. I thought I'd lost you.”
He laughed. ”Nice to know you care, son.”
”So, where've you been, exactly? Where were the experimental trips?”
”I sat up front and watched Beethoven play the Pathetique Pathetique. And I went to Broadway for Over the Top Over the Top.”
”Over the Top?”
”Fred and Adele Astaire.”
”Who?”
”Before your time, lad.”
”When was that? Over the Top Over the Top?”
”Nineteen seventeen.” He actually looked apologetic. ”I probably shouldn't be doing it. But it's been hard to resist.”