The wrong end of time

The wrong end of time by John Brunner Read Free Book Online

Book: The wrong end of time by John Brunner Read Free Book Online
Authors: John Brunner
Tags: Fiction, Science-Fiction, Fiction in English, English Fiction
worried!"
     
"You'd be a lot more worried if you'd gone to that much trouble for something that didn't work out," Magda said, and stepped into the shower. For the next couple
     
     
of minutes the noise of water was too loud for conversation; besides, another hovercar pulled up and the building trembled.
     
Then she emerged, wrapped a towel around her, and sat down facing him. She said, "I guess you've had enough time to make sense of what you saw?"
     
"Not really," Danty muttered. "What do you think?"
     
"An East Bloc agent being landed?"
     
' "In a reserved area? Under the nose of radar and nuclear missiles? Jesus why? For all their talk of security, the borders aren't tight-why not bring an agent in through Alaska, or Canada? The Cubans send theirs in through Mexico, don't they? Hell, the guy came out of the biggest submarine I ever saw, and if I-"
     
He stopped dead in mid-sentence. Magda tensed.
     
"Go on!" she encouraged.
     
He gave her a blank, helpless stare. "I . . . oh, I think sometimes I shall go insane! Do you know what I did? When I got through the fence, I-I felt out the equipment. I found the central switch-house, this little round thing made of that artificial ruby they use over in Lakonia, and I sneaked in and turned everything off. It's sort of complicated, but when you do it in a certain order .... Well, never mind; I can't explain the details.
     
"But when I came away I left the site turned off!"
     
"Then they'll find out!" Magda exclaimed. "They service those sites all the time-you see the helicopters taking off from the airport!"
     
"Yes, of course," Danta said, staring miserably down at his hands. "And I can feel that they'll find out soon. I had a reason for doing what I did, I'm sure of that. But I'll be radiated if I can remember what it was!"
     
"You're shaking, baby" Magda said. "Here. Let me wind you down." She rose and began to strip off her towel.
     
"Uh-uh," Danty sighed. "It goes on."
     
"What comes next?"
     
"I'm not sure. I only feel I have to be somewhere-out by the scrap yards on the west end of town. I'll know the spot when I get there." He checked his watch. "In fact it's about time I got started."
     
"Have some pot, at least-or a trank, if you're really in a hurry!"
     
"No, I daren't risk it. I have to be as keyed up as I can."
     
She stared at him for a long moment. Before she could say anything else, however, he had read her mind.
     
"You think I'm going to burn myself out, don't you?"
     
She gave a nod. A very slight nod, as though limiting the gesture could soften the truth behind it.
     
"Yes: Yes, I think so too," Danty muttered. "But not doing what I feel I have to do-that would be worse." A faint smile followed the words. "But thank you anyhow. If there wasn't someone I could talk to, someone, who cares about me, I'd have gone insane long ago."
     
He rose, stretching. "Although it's arguable, I guess," he added, "that I already am crazy. Poor Magdal"
     
"What?"
     
"'Poor Magdal' I said. Landed with one case for which you can't see any hopeful outcome!"
     
She pondered that, then shook her head. "No, that's not true. You may burn yourself out, that's a fact. But it would be a very special kind of burning. Goodbye, Danty."
     
     
     
"What ch'waiting fo'?" Potatohead muttered, staring at the addle cock blonde with the bare chowbag. He nudged ;, Josh Tatum.
     
"Poke me one more," Josh said, "I cut out yo' Idaho eyes. She walking this way? She climbing walls? Shee-it."
     
     
Josh wasn't a reb and if you'd called him one he'd have carved you for it. They were tight on guns in Cowville but knives, everybody had knives. He was slick from neck to a heel in plastic blacker than his skin, and shinier, and his scalp fuzzed an eighty-eight force-grown natural. Same with other, Shark Bance. -Potatohead was shaved and ashamed. But something wrong with the follicles.
     
"Lakonia," Shark said under his breath.
     
"Where the shit else? 1 know

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