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Millers brain was humming. Erickson shot the words at himstaccatofashion, as if they were things known from Great Primer days. The young druggist scratched his head. Youve got me licked, he admitted. Im a stranger here, myself. Naturally you cant be expected to understand things Ive been all mylife puzzling about. Simplest way I can explain it is that we are on atrain follog this immense circular railway. When the train reaches the point where it started, it is about toplunge into the past; but this is impossible, because the point where itstarted is simply the caboose of the train And that point is alwaysaheadand behindthe timetrain.

Now, my idea was that with the proper stimulus a man could be thrustacross the diameter of this circular railway to a point in his past. Because of the nature of time, he could neither go ahead of the train tomeet the future nor could he stand still and let the caboose catch upwith him. Buthe could detour across the circle and land farther backon the train And that, my dear Dave, is what you and I and Major havedonealmost. Almost? Miller said hoarsely. Erickson pursed his lips. We are somewhere partway across the spacebetween present and past.

We are living in an instant that can moveneither forward nor back. You and I, Dave, and Majorand the Lord knowshow many others the world overhave been thrust by my time impulsoronto a timeless beach of eternity. We have been caught in timesbackwash. Castaways, you might say.

An objection clamored for attention in Millers mind. But if this is so, where are the rest of them? Where is my wife? They are right here, Erickson explained. No doubt you could see yourwife if you could find her. But we see them as statues, because, for us, time no longer exists. But there was something I did not count on. I didnot know that it would be possible to live in one small instant of time, as we are doing. And I did not know that only those who are hoveringbetween life and death can deviate from the normal process of time You meanwere dead Millers voice was a bitter monotone. Obviously not.

Were talking and moving, arent we? Butwe are on thefence. When I gave my impulsor the jolt of high power, it went wrong andI think something must have happened to me. At the same instant, you hadshot yourself. Perhaps, Dave, you are dying. The only way for us to find out is to tryto get the machine working and topple ourselves one way or the other. Ifwe fall back, we will all live. If we fall into the presentwe maydie. Either way, its better than this Miller said fervently. I came to the library here, hoping to find out the things I must know. My own books are locked in my study. And thesethey might be cementedin their places, for all their use to me. I suppose we might as well goback to the lab. Miller nodded, murmuring: Maybe youll get an idea when you look at themachine again. Lets hope so, said Erickson grimly. God knows Ive failed so far

CHAPTER III Splendid Sacrifice It was a solid hours walk out to West Wilshire, where the laboratorywas. The immense bronze and glass doors of Wanamaker Institute wereclosed, and so barred to the two men. But Erickson led the way down theside. We can get in a service door. Then we climb through transoms andventilators until we get to my lab. Major frisked along beside them. He was enjoying the action and thecompanionship. It was less of an adventure to Miller, who knew deathmight be ahead for the three of them. Two workmen were moving a heavy cabinet in the side service door. To getin, they climbed up the back of the rear workman, walked across thecabinet, and scaled down the front of the leading man. They went up thestairs to the fifteenth floor. Here they crawled through a transom intothe g marked: Experimental.

Enter Only By Appointment. Major was helped through it, then they were crawling along the darkmetal tunnel of an airconditioning ventilator. It was small, and tooksome wriggling. In the next room, they were confronted by a stern receptionist on whosedesk was a little brass sign, reading: Have you an appointment? Miller had had his share of experience with receptionists ways, in hisdays as a pharmaceutical salesman. He took the greatest pleasure now inlighting his cigarette from a match struck on the girls nose. Then heblew the smoke in her face and hastened to crawl through the finaltransom. John Ericksons laboratory was well lighted by a glassbrick wall and ahuge skylight. The suns rays glinted on the time impulsor. 1 Thescientist explained the impulsor in concise terms. When he had finished, Dave Miller knew just as little as before, and the outfit stillresembled three transformers in a line, of the type seen on powerpoles, connected to a great bronze globe hanging from the ceiling.

Theres the monster that put us in this plight, Erickson grunted. Toostrong to be legal, too weak to do the job right. Take a good look With his hands jammed in his pockets, he frowned at the complexmachinery. Miller stared a few moments; then transferred his intereststo other things in the room. He was immediately struck by theresemblance of a transformer in a far corner to the ones linked up withthe impulsor.

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