Herb Williams

“ While they sat as usual, reminiscing, Nat wondered aloud if Anton Bor still lived. He scarcely had uttered the question before the grass on the lawn seemed to shimmer slightly, and a time machine materialized before their startled eyes. Its door burst open and three men sprang out with weapons ready. ”

“ Abby—he'd finally discovered that her name was Abigaile Goodyeare—was behind a clump of bushes beside the stream, vainly trying to wash her voluminous clothing.
Now that the shock and humor had passed, Nat was deeply worried. He couldn't take Abby back to his own time and announce that he hadn't the heart to see her hanged, on the other hand, he simply could not take her back to 17th century New England to be hanged for witchcraft. If he dropped her off in any other time, they'd think she was insane. ”

“ At the very outset of the Third World War, the expression "take to the hills" had become a reality to many. Afterwards, when a prostrated world had begun painful reconstruction, lone men and women, and sometimes couples, continued to roam through the forests and deserts of Earth. Fugitives from fear in the beginning, many had held to the nomadic existence, liking their new individuality.
"He may be a TIC agent in disguise," Nat whispered.
"Why not use thy paralysis ray now?" Abby whispered back, "And not take chances." ”

“ As he had explained to Abby, "The power plant in these things gives off traceable radiation, provided the tracer gets close enough. But right now, tracing us would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. All we've got to watch out for is another time machine with someone aboard who might have reason to be suspicious of us." ”

“ Earlier in the day, just before leaving Earth University in the 25th century, tall, ascetic Anton Bor, Chief of the Time Inspection Corps, had impressed on him the penalties for Time Meddling. Fixing Nat with cold grey eyes, Bor had recited the familiar warning in calculated tones: "At no time, and under no circumstance, are people in past ages to know they are being observed." ”

“ A gallows had been erected on a mound in the center of the cleared space and a large crowd had gathered to watch what seemed to be an execution.
Checking his invisibility shield, Nat moved closer.
A tall, gaunt man, with a look of righteous wrath on his face was reading from a scroll. Except for his clothing, the man looked exactly like Anton Bor, Chief of the TIC. Nat shook his head in disbelief, but strained his ears to hear what the man was reading. ”

“ Another time machine controlled by an Arts student from Earth University appeared in an adjoining balcony. Nat flicked his machine to full power—too late! The student, an acquaintance of Nat's, had nodded in recognition.
Clocking away, Nat couldn't avoid a glum comment. "Well, the TIC probably will be after us in full force now."
Abby studied Nat's face. "Darling," she said, "Let's settle down. Why need we travel at all?" ”

“ But fate chose their honeymoon as the time of their undoing.
Nat had believed they would be safe for the rest of their lives. He knew that detection of the time machine was virtually impossible unless their full dimensional destination were known to the TIC ... assuming that he had been missed in the 25th century, which he believed unlikely. Sealed chronometers, installed by the TIC, would give him away if he ever returned the time machine to base. But premature discovery need be the only worry now. ”

“ A hundred yards from the cave entrance, they spotted a campfire. They approached stealthily, and finally were able to make out the shadowy form of an old man, apparently a war hermit who had set up a mountain retreat. ”