Машина часу

           Itismyplanforamachinetotravelthroughtime. Youwillnoticethatitlookssingularlyaskew,andthatthereisanoddtwinklingappearanceaboutthisbar,asthoughitwasinsomewayunreal. ’Hepointedtothepartwithhisfinger. ‘Also,hereisonelittlewhitelever,andhereisanother.’ 

           TheMedicalMangotupoutofhischairandpeeredintothething. ‘It’sbeautifullymade,’hesaid. 

           ‘Ittooktwoyearstomake,’retortedtheTimeTraveller. Then,whenwehadallimitatedtheactionoftheMedicalMan,hesaid: ‘NowIwantyouclearlytounderstandthatthislever,beingpressedover,sendsthemachineglidingintothefuture,andthisotherreversesthemotion. Thissaddlerepresentstheseatofatimetraveller. PresentlyIamgoingtopressthelever,andoffthemachinewillgo. Itwillvanish,passintofutureTime,anddisappear. Haveagoodlookatthething. Lookatthetabletoo,andsatisfyyourselvesthereisnotrickery. Idon’twanttowastethismodel,andthenbetoldI’maquack.’ 

           Therewasaminute’spauseperhaps. ThePsychologistseemedabouttospeaktome,butchangedhismind. ThentheTimeTravellerputforthhisfingertowardsthelever. ‘No,’hesaidsuddenly. ‘Lendmeyourhand. ’AndturningtothePsychologist,hetookthatindividual’shandinhisownandtoldhimtoputouthisforefinger. SothatitwasthePsychologisthimselfwhosentforththemodelTimeMachineonitsinterminablevoyage. Weallsawtheleverturn. Iamabsolutelycertaintherewasnotrickery. Therewasabreathofwind,andthelampflamejumped. Oneofthecandlesonthemantelwasblownout,andthelittlemachinesuddenlyswunground,becameindistinct,wasseenasaghostforasecondperhaps,asaneddyoffaintlyglitteringbrassandivory;anditwasgone—vanished! Saveforthelampthetablewasbare. 

           Everyonewassilentforaminute. ThenFilbysaidhewasdamned.