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We've done work for State； for Agriculture； for the Pentagon。 I hate Pentagon work。 Those people are in a hell of a rut。 I wish they'd climb off the Chinese back and find some other enemy to study and outwit。〃 He dropped back into the beach chair and returned his attention to the surf。 〃I have a job waiting； I rather like it。 I'm going back to jt when I get tired of sitting here doing nothing…tired of loafing。 Find yourself another demographer。〃
〃No； sir。 Indic has assigned you to the Bureau。〃
Chaney came out of the chair like a rocket。 He towered over the diminutive woman。
〃They have not！〃
〃They have； Mr。 Chaney。〃
〃They wouldn't do that without my consent。〃
〃I'm sorry； but they have。
Insistently： 〃They can't。 I have a contract。〃
〃The Bureau has purchased your contract； sir。〃
Chaney was dumbfounded。 He gaped at the woman。
She removed a folded letter from the pages of the book and handed it to him to read。 The letter was couched in stiff corporate language； it was signed； and it bore the great seal of the Indiana Corporation。 It transferred the balance of term of employment of Brian Chaney from the private corporation to the public agency； then generously arranged to share with him on an equal basis the financial consideration paid for the transfer。 It wished him well。 It politely mentioned his book。 It was very final。
The waiting woman did not understand the single Aramaic word hurled down the Florida beach。
The waves were crashing around his knees； spraying his chest and face。 Brian Chaney turned in the surf and looked back at the woman standing on the beach。
He said： 〃There are only two buses a day。 You'll miss the last one if you don't hurry。〃
〃I have not pleted my instructions； Mr。 Chaney。〃
〃I'd be pleased to give you certain instructions。〃
Kathryn van Hise stood her ground without answer。 The gulls came swooping back； only to take flight again。
Chaney shouted his frustration。 〃Why？〃
〃The special project needs your special skills。〃
〃Why？〃
〃To survey and map the future； you are a futurist。〃
〃I'm not a surveyor…I'm not a cartographer。〃
〃Those were figures of speech； sir。〃
〃I don't have to honor that contract。 I can break it； I can turn black…leg and go to work for the Chinese。 What will the Pentagon do then； Miss van Hise？〃
〃Your puter profile indicated that you would honor it； sir。 It also indicated your present annoyance。 The Pentagon knows nothing of this project。〃
〃Annoyance！ I can also give that puter explicit instructions； but they would be as hard to obey as yours。 Why don't you go home？ Tell them I refused。 Rebelled。〃
〃When I have finished； sir。〃
〃Then finish up； damn it； and get along！〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 She moved closer to him to avoid raising her voice and permitting the gulls to overhear top secret information。 〃The first phase of the operation began shortly after Indic submitted its report three years ago； and continued all the while you were studying in Israel。 As the author of that report； you were considered one of the most likely persons to participate in the next phase； the field implementations。 Expertise。 The Bureau is now ready to move into the field； and has recruited a select team to conduct field operations。 You will be a member of that team； and then participate in the final report。 Mr。 Seabrooke expects to submit it to the White House； he is counting on your enthusiastic support。〃
〃Bully for Seabrooke； he shanghais me and then expects my enthusiastic support。 What implementations？〃
〃A survey of the future。〃
〃We've already done that。 Read the Indic report。〃
〃A physical survey of the future。〃
Brian Chaney looked at her for a long moment with unconcealed amusement and then turned back to the sea。 A red and white sail was beating across the Culf in the middle distance and the tacking fascinated him。
He said： 〃I suppose some nutty genius somewhere has really invented a tachyon generator； eh？ A generator and deflector and optical train that works？ The genius can peer through a little telescope and observe the future？〃
The woman spoke quietly。 〃The engineers at Westinghouse have built a TDV； sir。 It is undergoing tests at the present time。〃
〃Never heard of it。〃 Chaney shaded his eyes against the sun the better to watch the bright sail。 〃V is for vehicle； I suppose？ Well…that's better than a little telescope。 What is the TD？〃
〃Time Displacement。 An engineering term。〃 There was a peculiar note of satisfaction in her voice。
Brian Chaney dropped his hand and turned all the way around in the water to stare down at the woman。 He felt as if he'd been hit。
〃Time Displacement Vehicle？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 The satisfaction became triumph。
〃It can't work！〃
〃The vehicle is in test operation。〃
〃I don't； believe it。〃
〃You may see it for yourself； sir。〃
〃It's there？ It's sitting there in your lab？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Operating？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I'll be damned。 What are you going to do with it？〃
〃Implement our new program； Mr。 Chaney。 The Indic report has bee an integral part of the program in that it offered several hard guidelines for a survey of the future。 We are now ready to initiate the second phase； the field explorations。 Do you see the possibilities； sir？〃
〃You're going to get in that thing； that vehicle； and go somewhere？ Go into the future？〃
〃No； sir。 You are； the team will。〃
Chaney was shocked。 〃Don't be an idiot！ The team can do what they damned please； but I'm not going anywhere。 I didn't volunteer for your program； I wasn't a willing candidate； I oppose peonage on humanitarian grounds。〃
He quit the surf and stalked back to the beach chair； not caring if the woman followed him。 Gulls shrieked their annoyance at his passage。 Chaney dropped into the chair with another muttered imprecation of stiffnecked bureaucrats； a scurrilous declaration couched in Hebraic terms the woman wouldn't understand。 It mented on her employer's relations with jackasses and Philistines。
TDV。 A furious stimulant to the imagination。
The gulls； the tide； the salt spray； the descending sun were all ignored while his racing imagination toyed with the information she had given him。 He saw the possibilities…some of them…and began to appreciate the interest his Indic report had aroused in those people possessing the vehicle。 A man could peer forward… no； leap forward into the future and check out his theories； his projections of events to e。 A man could see for himself the validity of a forewarning； the eventual result of a prefiguration； the final course of a trend。 Would sixteen…year…olds marry and vote？ Would city and county governments be abolished； relinquishing authority to local state districts？ Would the Eastern seaboard plex break down and fail to support life？
TDV。 A vehicle to determine answers。
Chaney said aloud： 〃I'm not interested。 Find another demographer； Miss van Hise。 I object to being ambushed and sold across the river。〃
A man could inspect…personally inspect…the Great Lakes to determine if they had been saved or if the Lake Reconstruction program had e too late。 A man could study the census figures for a hundred years to e and then pare them to the present tables and projections to find the honesty of those projections。 A man could discover if the recently inaugurated trialmarriage program was a success or failure…and learn first…hand what effect it was having on the birth rate； if any。 It would be good to know the validity of earlier predictions concerning the population shifts and the expected concentration of human mass along the central waterways。 A man could…
Chaney said aloud： 〃Give the team my regards； Miss van Hise。 And tell them to watch out for traffic cops。 I'll read about their adventures in the newspapers。〃
Kathryn van Hise had left him。
He saw her tracks in the sand； glanced up and saw her putting on the shoes near the weedy border of the beach。 The delta pants stretched with her as she bent over。 The mail Jeep was again visible in the distance； now ing toward him and servicing the boxes on the other side of the beach road。 The interview had been pleted in less than an hour。
Chaney felt the weight of the book in his lap。 He hadn't been aware of the woman placing it there。
The legend on the red dustjacket was as familiar as the back of his hand。 From the Qumran Caves： Past； Present； and Future。 The line of type next below omitted the word by and read only： Dr。 Brian Chaney。 The bright jacket was an abomination created by the sales department over the inert body of a conservative editor； it was designed to appeal to the lunatic fringe。 He detested it。 Despite his careful explanations； despite his scholarly translation of a suspect scroll； the book had stirred up twice the storm he'd expected and aroused the ire of righteous citizens everywhere。 String up the blasphemer！
A small card protruded from the middle pages。
Chaney opened the volume with curiosity and found a calling card with her name imprinted on one side； and the address of a government laboratory in Illinois written on the other。 He supposed that the ten fift