He spoke again, his own unknown language rippling from his lips. But words came out of the machine—English!

“Welcome, travelers, to this branch of the American College. Please be seated.”

Saunders and Belgotai gaped. The man smiled. “I see the psychophone is new to you. It is a receiver of encephalic emissions from the speech centers. When one speaks, the corresponding thoughts are taken by the machine, greatly amplified, and beamed to the brain of the listener, who interprets them in terms of his own language.

“Permit me to introduce myself. I am Hamalon Avard; dean of this branch of the College.” He raised bushy gray eyebrows in polite inquiry.

They gave their names and Avard bowed ceremoniously. A slim girl, whose scanty dress caused Belgotai’s eyes to widen, brought a tray of sandwiches and a beverage not unlike tea. Saunders suddenly realized how hungry and tired he was. He collapsed into a seat that molded itself to his contours and looked dully at Avard.

Their story came out, and the dean nodded. “I thought you were time travelers,” he said. “But this is a matter of great interest. The archaeology departments will want to speak to you, if you will be so kind—”

“Can you help us?” asked Saunders bluntly. “Can you fix our machine so it will reverse?”

“Alas, no. I am afraid our physics holds no hope for you. I can consult the experts, but I am sure there has been no change in spatio-temporal theory since Priogan’s reformulation. According to it, the energy needed to travel into the past increases tremendously with the period covered. The deformation of world lines, you see. Beyond a period of about seventy years, infinite energy is required.”

Saunders nodded dully. “I thought so. Then there’s no hope?”

“Not in this time, I am afraid. But science is advancing rapidly. Contact with alien culture in the Galaxy has proved an immense stimulant—”

“Yuh have interstellar travel?” exploded Belgotai. “Yuh can travel to de stars?”

“Yes, of course. The faster-than-light drive was worked out over five hundred years ago on the basis of Priogan’s modified relativity theory. It involves warping through higher dimensions— But you have more urgent problems than scientific theories.”

“Not Ih!” said Belgotai fiercely. “If Ih can get put among de stars—dere must be wars dere—”

“Alas, yes, the rapid expansion of the frontier has thrown the Galaxy into chaos. But I do not think you could get passage on a spaceship. In fact, the Council will probably order your temporal deportation as unintegrated individuals. The sanity of Sol will be in danger otherwise.”

“Why, yuh—” Belgotai snarled and reached for his gun. Saunders clapped a hand on the warrior’s arm.

“Take it easy, you bloody fool,” he said furiously. “We can’t fight a whole planet. Why should we? There’ll be other ages.”

Belgotai relaxed, but his eyes were still angry.

* * *

They stayed at the College for two days. Avard and his colleagues were courteous, hospitable, eager to hear what the travelers had to tell of their periods. They provided food and living quarters and much-needed rest. They even pleaded Belgotai’s case to the Solar Council, via telescreen. But the answer was inexorable: the Galaxy already had too many barbarians. The travelers would have to go.