Robert Heinlein - Assignment in Eternity

McGinty had been able to supply one more important fact: in addition to the guard at the temple building, and the locks and armor plate of the building itself, the arming circuit was booby-trapped. Even if it were inoperative as an arming circuit for the 'Nova' bomb on Earth, it itself would blow up if tampered with. Gail and Joe discussed it in their room, Gail sitting on his lap like an affectionate wife, her lips close to his left ear. "Perhaps you could wreck it from the door, without exposing yourself."

"I've got to be sure. There is certainly some way of switching that gimmick off. She has to provide for possible repairs or replacements."

"Where would it be?"

"Just one place that matches the pattern of the rest of her planning. Right under her hand, along with die disarming switch and the trigger switch." He rubbed his other ear; it contained his short-range radio hook-up to McGinty and itched almost constantly.

"Hmm then there's just one thing to be done; I'll have to wring it out of her before I kill her."

"Well see."

Just before dinner the following "evening" she found him in their room. "It worked, Joe, it worked!"

"What worked?"

"She fell for the bait. She heard from her secretary about my skill as a masseuse; I -was ordered up for a demonstration this afternoon. Now I am under strict instructions to come to her tonight and rub her to sleep."

"It's tonight,' then."

McGinty waited in his room, behind a locked door.

Joe stalled in the back hall, spinning out endlessly a

dull tale to Mr. James.

A voice in his ear said, "She's in her room now." " and that's how my brother got married to two women at once," Joe concluded. "Sheer bad luck. I better get these plants outside before the missus happens to ask about *em."

'I suppose you had. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mr. James." He picked up two of the pots and waddled out.

He put them down outside and heard, "She says she's started to massage. She's spotted the radio switching unit; it's on the belt that the old gal keeps at her bedside table when she's not wearing it."

'Tell her to kill her and grab it."

"She says she wants to make her tell how to unswiteh the booby-trap gimmick first."

"Tell her not to delay.'

Suddenly, inside his head, clear and sweet as a bell as if they were her own spoken tones, he heard her. Joe, I can hear you. can you hear me?

yes, yes! Aloud he added, "Stand by the phones anyhow, Mac."

it wonХt be long. I have her in intense pain; she'll crack soon.

hurt her plenty! He began to run toward the temple building. Gad, are you still shopping for a husband?

I've found him.

marry me and I'll beat you every Saturday night.

the man who can beat me hasn't been born.

I'd like to try. He slowed down before he came near the guard's station. "Hi, Jim!"

it's a deal.

"Well, if it taint Joey boy! Got a match?"

"Here." He reached out a hand then, as the guard fell. he eased him to the ground and made sure that he would stay out.

Gail! It's got to be now!

The voice in his head came back in great consternation: Joe! She was too tough, she wouldn't crack. She's dead!

good! get that belt, break the arming circuit, then see what else you find. I'm going to break in. He went toward the door of the temple.

it's disarmed, Joe. I could spot it; it has a time set on it. I can't tell about the others, they aren't marked and they all look alike.

He took from his pocket a small item provided by Baldwin's careful planning. twist them all from where they are to the other way. You'll probably hit it.

oh, Joe, I hope so!

He had placed the item against the lock; the metal around it turned red and now was melting away. An alarm clanged somewhere.

Gail's voice came again in his head; there was urgency in it but no fear: Joe! they're beating on the door. I'm trapped.

McGinty! be our witness! He went on: I, Joseph, take thee. Gail, to be my lawfully wedded wife

He was answered in tranquil rhythm: I, Gail, take thee, Joseph, to be my lawfully wedded husband

to have and to hold, he went on.

to have and to hold, my beloved!

for better, for worse

for better, for worse Her voice in his head was singing ... till death do us part. I've got it open, darling, I am going in.

till death do us part! They are breaking down the bedroom door, Joseph my dearest.

hang on! I'm almost through here.

they have broken it down, Joe. They are coming toward me. Good-bye my darling! I am very happy. Abruptly her "voice ' stopped.

He was facing the box that housed the disarming circuit, alarms clanging in his ears; he took from his pocket another gadget and tried it.

The blast that shattered the box caught him full in the chest.

* * * The letters on the metal marker read:

TO THE MEMORY OF MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH GREENE WHO, NEAR THIS SPOT, DIED FOR ALL THEIR FELLOW MEN

Excerpt from the Evening, STANDARD:

SOUGHT SAVANT EVADES POLICE City Hall Scandal Looms

Professor Arthur Frost, wanted for questioning in connection with the mysterious disappearance from his home of five of his students, escaped today from under the noses of a squad of police sent to arrest him. Police Sergeant Izowski claimed that Frost disappeared from tfie interior of the Black Maria under conditions which leave the police puzzled. District Attorney Kames labeled Izowsld's story as preposterous and promised the fullest possible investigation.

"But, Chief, I didn't leave him alone for a second!" "Nuts!" answered the Chief of Police. "You claim 'f you put Frost in the Wagon, stopped with one foot on the tailboard to write in your notebook, and when you looked up he was gone. D'yuh expect the Grand Jury to believe that? D'yuh expect me to believe that?"

"Honest, Chief," persisted Izowski, "I just stopped to write down "

"Write down what?"

"Something he said. I said to him, 'Look, Doc, why don't you tell us where you hid 'em? You know we're bound to dig 'em up in time.' And he just gives me a funny faraway look, and says, Time ah, time ... yes, you could dig them up, in Time.' I thought it was an important admission and stops to write it down. But I was standing in the only door he could use to get out of the Wagon. You know, I ain't little; I kinda fill up a door."

"That's all you do," commented the Chief bitterly. "Izowski, you were either drunk, or crazy or somebody got to you. The way you tell it, it's impossible!"

Izowski was honest, nor was he drunk, nor crazy.

Four days earlier Doctor Frost's class in speculative metaphysics had met as usual for their Friday evening seminar at the professor's home. Frost was saying, "And why not? Why shouldn't time be a fifth as well as a fourth dimension?"

Howard Jenkins, hard-headed engineering student, answered, "No harm in speculating, I suppose, but the question is meaningless."

"Why?" Frost's tones were deceptively mild.

"No question is meaningless," interrupted Helen Fisher.

"Oh, yeah? How high is up?"

"Let him answer," meditated Frost.

"I will," agreed Jenkins. "Human beings are constituted to perceive three spatial dimensions and one time dimension. Whether there are more of either is meaningless to us for there is no possible way for us to know ever. Such speculation is a harmless waste of time."

"So?" said Frost. "Ever run across J. W. Dunne's theory of serial universe with serial time? And he's an engineer, like yourself. And don't forget Ouspensky. He regarded time as multi-dimensional."

"Just a second, Professor," put in Robert Monroe. "I've seen their writings but I still think Jenkins offered a legitimate objection. How can the question mean anything to us if we aren't built to perceive more dimensions? It's like in mathematics you can invent any mathematics you like, on any set of axioms, but unless it can be used to describe some sort of phenomena, it's just so much hot air."