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〃Put the mind in gear； Jim！〃 I shouted at myself； my words loud in the surrounding silence。 〃Something is happening…but what？ Something happened after you touched the green light。 Something to do with the artifact。〃
I stared at it。 Tapped it with my knuckles。 Groped about for inspiration。 Found it。
〃Tachyons！ This thing emits them…we know that because that is how Aida tracked it in the first place。 Tachyons…the units of time 。 。 。〃
The device was now functioning…I had turned it on when I had pressed the light。 Green for go。 Go where？
Stasis or speed。 Either I had been speeded up or the world had slowed down。 Or how could I tell the difference？ From my point of view everything seemed to have slowed and stopped。 The artifact had done something； projected a temporal field or stopped the motion of molecules。 Or had created an occurrence that froze the surrounding world in a single moment of time。 Time had e to a stop everywhere that I could see…except in the close vicinity of the device。 I moved even closer and patted it。
〃Good little time machine。 Time mover； slower； halter； stopper…whatever you are。 Neat trick。 But what do I do next？〃
It chose not to answer me。 Nor did I expect it to。 This was my problem now and I had to force myself to take the time to think it out。 For the moment I had all the time I needed。 Though eventually I would have to do something。 And that something would probably mean touching another one of the colored buttons。 Either that or I could stand looking dumbly at the device while I quietly died of thirst or starvation or whatever。
But which light？
Green had been obvious enough…even more obvious by hindsight。 And the decision had been made at a moment of life and death。 Nov； I was not so sure。 I reached out； then dropped my hand。 With plenty of time to decide I had bee the master of indecision。 Green had meant go； turn on； get started。 Did red mean off； stop？ Maybe。 But what about white and orange？
〃Not an easy one； Jimmy boy？〃 I said in what I hoped was a jocular voice…which came out very mournful and doomladen。 I wrung my hands together with indecision。 Then stopped and looked at them as though I might see some answer printed on my fingers。 All I saw was dirt under the nails。
〃You have got to do it sooner or later…so do it sooner before your nerve fails pletely；〃 I told myself。 Reached out a finger…drew it away。 It looked like my nerve had indeed failed me pletely。
〃Take yourself in hand； Jim！〃 I ordered。 Reached back and took a handful of collar and shook myself as violently as I could。
It was no help at all。 Random choice then？ Why not； just as good as guessing。 I put the finger out again and promised myself that I would push down on whatever color was under the finger when the jingle ended。
〃Eeeny； meeny； miney； shmoe； catch a 。 。 。〃
I never found out what I was going to catch because at that moment I heard the dragging footsteps ing from the hall。
Sound？
Out there where nothing moved！
I jumped about； hands raised in defense。 Lowered them and waited as the footsteps grew louder； came closer and closer to the doorway 。 。 。
Slipped past Floyd's immobile body。
〃Aliens！ Monsters！〃 I gasped； pulling back。 Trying to run although I knew there was no place to go。
Two hideous metal creatures。 Bifurcated limbs； many…angled skulls； glowing eyes； claw…fingered hands。 ing towards me。 Stopping。 Reaching out
No！ Reaching up to twist their own heads off。 I could hear a gurgling scream； was only dimly aware that it was my own voice。
Twisted and turned and lifted…
Lifted off the helmets。 Two very human faces looked at me with a good deal of interest。 I stared back with the same emotion。 Realized that； despite the close…cropped hair； the one on the left was female。 She smiled at me and spoke。
〃Wes hal； eltheodige； ac hwca bith thes thin freond？〃
I blinked； didn't understand a word。 Shrugged and smiled in what I hoped was a winning way。 The second visitor shook his head。
〃Unrihte tide； unrihte elde； to earlz'ch eart thu re！〃
〃Look；〃 I said； having enough of this and very much needing a few questions answered。 〃Could you please try Esperanto？ That good； old； simple intergalactic second language Esperanto。〃
〃Certainly；〃 the girl said； smiling a winning and white…toothed smile。 〃My name is Vesta Timetinker。 My panion is Othred Timetinker。〃
〃Married？〃 I asked for some inprehensible reason。
〃No； stepsiblings。 And you…you have a name？〃
〃Yes； of course。 James diGriz。 But everyone calls me Jim。〃
〃A pleasure to meet you； Jim。 Our thanks for activating the temporooter。 We'll take it off your hands now。〃
She started towards the artifact…which I now knew was a temporooter。 Though I still knew little else。 I stepped in front of it and said：
〃No。〃
〃No？〃 Her rather attractive forehead furrowed while Othred's face suddenly looked grim。 I turned a bit so I could keep an active eye on him。
〃If no is too abrupt；〃 I said； 〃then I will ameliorate it and say hold on just a moment if you please。 Didn't you just thank me for finding this thing？〃
〃I did。〃
〃Finding means that it has been lost。 And has now been recovered because of my intervention。 In return for this favor I believe you owe me at least an explanation。〃
〃We're dreadfully sorry。 But it is strictly forbidden to pass on information to temporal aborigines。〃
Not too flattering； I thought。 But I was thick…skinned enough to take it。 〃Look；〃 I carefully explained。 〃This is one aborigine who already knows a good deal about what is happening。 I now have in my possession your temporooter； a device that has been constructed for burrowing through time。 It seems that you or your associates not only lost control of the device but actually lost it in time and space。 This is very worrying because you are forbidden to reveal your operations to people living along the time tracks you explore。〃
〃How…how do you know this？〃 she asked。 Well done； Jim。 They may be long on linguistics but are certainly short on extrapolation and imagination。 Keep going。
〃At first； when we aborigines discovered the device； we thought it was an alien construction from the far past； built by longlost； millennia…dead aliens。 Of course the real explanation is much simpler。 It was sent from the future and through a malfunction got out of control。〃 Now I was just guessing…but their shocked expressions meant I was still doing well。
〃Got so far out of control that it just kept going back in time until it ran out of power。 Without power you could not locate it。 You thought it might have been destroyed。 Which is why there was such consternation when it signaled its presence。 And you two were sent to retrieve it。〃
〃You…you read minds？〃 She spoke in a hushed voice。 I nodded firmly。
〃The science of mental telepathy is well advanced in this era。 Though it is obvious that all knowledge of our abilities has been expunged from your records in the future。 But I will cease my mind reading now。 I know how embarrassing it is to have one's secret thoughts revealed to strangers。〃 I turned away； pinched my forehead； turned back。 〃I have stopped the function。 We now municate by words。〃
They looked at each other； still dazed。
〃Speak； please； for now I do not know what you are thinking。 Only by speech can we understand each other's thoughts。〃
〃Knowledge of time travel is forbidden；〃 Othred said。
〃That's not my fault…you're the ones who lost the thing。 You must understand that now I know all about it…as do all of my brothers in telepathekinesis who have been listening to my thoughts。 But we are sworn to silence！ If you wish your secret to remain a secret it will be secret。 But you must aid us in keeping this secret secret。 Look about you。 See this ugly…looking type in the horned helmet？ He is just about to kill me。 And when you entered you probably stepped over the wreckage of a very armed and deadly machine…you did？； nod yes…good。 That thing was going to kill me and my friend； but he got it first。 So just turning off the temporooter and skedaddling is out of the question。 You will leave behind a deadly and destructive situation。〃
〃What must we do？〃 Vesta asked。 Palm of my hand。
〃First you will help me by pe