WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Circus by allan at one's nose. Just suppose, said Morgan,

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<v Speaker 1>that I did believe ye. Just for argument, he glanced

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<v Speaker 1>up at the man across the restaurant table. Where would

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<v Speaker 1>we go from here? The man shifted uneasily in his seat.

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<v Speaker 1>He was silent, staring down at his plate. Not a

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<v Speaker 1>strange looking man, Morgan thought, read the ordinary in fact,

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<v Speaker 1>a plain face, nose, a little too long, fingers a

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<v Speaker 1>little too dainty, a souit that doesn't quite seem to fit.

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<v Speaker 1>But all in all, a perfectly ordinary looking man. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>too ordinary, Morgan thought. Finally, the man looked up. His

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<v Speaker 1>eyes were dark, with a haunted look in their depths

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<v Speaker 1>that chilled Morgan a little. Where do we go? I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know. I'll try to think it out and I

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<v Speaker 1>get nowhere. But you've got to believe me, Morgen. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>lost a minute. If I can't get help, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know where it's going to end. I'll tell you where

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<v Speaker 1>it's going to end, said Morgan. It's going to end

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<v Speaker 1>in a hospital, a mental hospital. They'll lock you up

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<v Speaker 1>and they'll lose the key somewhere. He pulled himself another

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<v Speaker 1>cup of coffee and sipped it scolding hot, and that,

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<v Speaker 1>he added, will be that the place was dark and

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<v Speaker 1>almost empty. Overhead, a rotary fan swished patiently. The man

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<v Speaker 1>across from Morgan ran a hand through his dark hair.

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<v Speaker 1>There must be some other way, he said, there has

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<v Speaker 1>to be. All right, let's start from the beginning again.

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<v Speaker 1>Morgan said, maybe we can pin something down a little better.

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<v Speaker 1>You say your name is Parks, right, The man nodded.

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<v Speaker 1>Jefferson heldman, Parks, if that helps any Helman was my

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<v Speaker 1>mother's maiden name. All right, and you got into town

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<v Speaker 1>on Friday, right, Parks nodded. Fine. Now go through the

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<v Speaker 1>whole story again. What happened first? The man thought for

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<v Speaker 1>a minute, as I said, First, there was a fall

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<v Speaker 1>about twenty feet. I didn't break any bones, but I

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<v Speaker 1>was shaken up and limping. The fall was near the

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<v Speaker 1>highway going to the George Washington Bridge. I got over

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<v Speaker 1>to the highway and tried to flag down a ride.

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<v Speaker 1>How did you feel, I mean, was there anything strange

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<v Speaker 1>that you noticed? Strange? Eyed widened, I was speechless at first.

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<v Speaker 1>I hadn't noticed too much. I was concerned with the

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<v Speaker 1>fool and whether I was hurt or not. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>really think about much else until I hobbled up to

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<v Speaker 1>the highway and saw those cars coming. Then I could

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<v Speaker 1>hardly believe my eyes. I thought I was crazy, but

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<v Speaker 1>a car stopped and asked me if I was going

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<v Speaker 1>into the city, and I knew I wasn't crazy. Boonan's

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<v Speaker 1>mouth took a grim line. You understood the language. Oh yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't see how I could have, but I did.

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<v Speaker 1>We talked all the way into New York. Nothing very important,

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<v Speaker 1>but we understood each other. His speech had an odd sound,

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<v Speaker 1>but Morgan nodded, I know. I noticed. What did you

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<v Speaker 1>do when you got to New York? Well, obviously I

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<v Speaker 1>needed money. I had gold coin. There had been no

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<v Speaker 1>way of knowing if it would be useful, but I'd

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<v Speaker 1>taken it on chance. I tried to use it at

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<v Speaker 1>a new stand first, and the man wouldn't touch it.

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<v Speaker 1>Asked me if I thought I was a US treasury

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<v Speaker 1>or something. When he saw that I was serious, he

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<v Speaker 1>sent me to a money lender, a hog shop, I

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<v Speaker 1>think he called it. So I found a place. Let

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<v Speaker 1>me see the coins. Parks dropped two small gold discs

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<v Speaker 1>on the table. They were perfectly smooth and perfectly round,

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<v Speaker 1>tapered by where to a thin, blunt edge. There was

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<v Speaker 1>no design on them, and no printing. Morgan looked up

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<v Speaker 1>at the man sharply, what did you get for these parks?

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<v Speaker 1>Shrugged too little. I susp packed two dollars for the

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<v Speaker 1>small one, five for the larger. He should have gone

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<v Speaker 1>to a bank. I know that now I didn't. Then, naturally,

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<v Speaker 1>I assume that with everything else so similar, principles of

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<v Speaker 1>business would also be similar. Morgan sighed and leaned back

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<v Speaker 1>in his chair. Well, then, what puck spawed some more coffee?

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<v Speaker 1>His face was very pale, Morgan thought, and his hands

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<v Speaker 1>trembled as he raised the cup to his lips. Fright,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe hard to tell. The man put down the cup

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<v Speaker 1>and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.

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<v Speaker 1>First I went to the Mayor's office, he said. I

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<v Speaker 1>kept trying to think what anyone at home would do

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<v Speaker 1>in my place. That seemed a good bed. I asked

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<v Speaker 1>a poly man where it was, and then I went there.

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<v Speaker 1>But you didn't get to see him. No. I saw

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<v Speaker 1>a secretary. She said the mayors was in conference and

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<v Speaker 1>that I would have to have an appointment. She let

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<v Speaker 1>me speak to another man, one of the mayor's assistants,

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<v Speaker 1>and you told him no, I wanted to see the

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<v Speaker 1>mayors himself. I thought that was the best thing to do.

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<v Speaker 1>I waited for a couple of hours until another assistant

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<v Speaker 1>came along and told me flatly that the mayors wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>see me unless I stated my business first. He drew

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<v Speaker 1>in a deep breath. So I stated it, and then

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<v Speaker 1>I was gently but firmly ushered back into the suite again.

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<v Speaker 1>They didn't believe you, said Morgan, not for a minute.

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<v Speaker 1>They laughed in my face. Morgan nodded, I'm beginning to

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<v Speaker 1>get the pattern. So what did you do next? Next?

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<v Speaker 1>I tried the police. I got the same treatment there,

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<v Speaker 1>and only they weren't so gentle. They wouldn't listen either.

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<v Speaker 1>They muttered something about cranks and their crazy notions, and

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<v Speaker 1>when they asked me where I lived, they thought I

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<v Speaker 1>was what did they call it? A wise guy? Told

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<v Speaker 1>me to get out and not come back with any

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<v Speaker 1>more wild stories. I see, said Morgan. Jefferson Parks finished

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<v Speaker 1>his last bite of pie and pushed the plate away.

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<v Speaker 1>By then, I didn't know quite what to do. I've

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<v Speaker 1>been prepared for almost anything excepting this. It was frightening.

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to rationalize it, and then I quit trying.

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<v Speaker 1>It wasn't that I attracted attention or anything like that.

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<v Speaker 1>Quite the contrary. Nobody even looked at me unless I

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<v Speaker 1>said something to them. I began to look for things

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<v Speaker 1>that were different, things that I could show them and say, see,

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<v Speaker 1>this proves that I am telling the truth. Look at it.

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<v Speaker 1>He looked up helplessly, and what did you find? Nothing? Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>little things, insignificant little things. Your calendars, for instance. Naturally

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't understand your frame of reference, and the coinage,

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<v Speaker 1>your stamp, your coins we don't and cigarettes, we don't

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<v Speaker 1>have any such thing as tobacco, the man gave a

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<v Speaker 1>short laugh. And your house dogs, we have little animals

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<v Speaker 1>looked more like rabbits than poodles. But there was nothing

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<v Speaker 1>any more significant than that, Absolutely nothing except yourself. Morgan said, ah, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought that over carefully. I looked for differences, obvious ones.

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't find any. You can see that just looking

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<v Speaker 1>at me. So I searched for more supple things, skin texture, fingerprints,

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<v Speaker 1>bone structure, body proportion. I still couldn't find anything. Then

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<v Speaker 1>I went to a doctor. Morgan's eyebrows lifted. Good, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>Parks shrugged tiredly. Not really. He examined me. He practically

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<v Speaker 1>took me apart. I carefully refrained from saying anything about

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<v Speaker 1>who I was or where I came from. JAS said

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted a complete physical examination and let him go

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<v Speaker 1>to it. He was thorough, and when he finished, he

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<v Speaker 1>patted me on the back and said, Parks, you've got

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<v Speaker 1>nothing to worry about. You're as fine, strapping as peacemen

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<v Speaker 1>of a healthy human being as I've ever seen. And

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<v Speaker 1>that was that. Parks laughed bitterly. I guess I was

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to be happy with the verdict, and instead I

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<v Speaker 1>was ready to knock him down. It was idiotic. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a find reason it was infuriating. Morgan nodded sourly. Because

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<v Speaker 1>you're not a human being, he said, that's right, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not a human being at all. How did it happen

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<v Speaker 1>to pick this planet or this sun? Morgan asked curiously.

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<v Speaker 1>There must have been a million others to choose from.

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<v Speaker 1>Parks unbuttoned his collar and rubbed his double chin. Unhappily.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't make the choice. Neither did any one else.

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<v Speaker 1>Travel by warp is a little different from the travel

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<v Speaker 1>by the rocket. If fiction writers make so much of

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<v Speaker 1>with a rocket vehicle, you pick your destination, make your calculations,

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<v Speaker 1>and off you go. The WORP is blind, flying strictly blind.

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<v Speaker 1>We send an handman's scanner ahead. It probes around more

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<v Speaker 1>or less heat or miss until it to locate something

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<v Speaker 1>somewhere that looks habitable. When its pots a likely looking place,

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<v Speaker 1>we keep a tight beam on it and send it

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<v Speaker 1>through a man's scout. He grins sourly like me. If

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<v Speaker 1>it looks good to the scout, he signals back and

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<v Speaker 1>they leap. If the WORP anchored for a sort of

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<v Speaker 1>permanent gateway until we can get a transport beam built.

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<v Speaker 1>But we can't control the directional and dimensional scope of

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<v Speaker 1>the warp, there are an infinity of ways it can

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<v Speaker 1>go until we have a guide beam transmitting from the

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<v Speaker 1>other side. Then we can just scan a segment of

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<v Speaker 1>space with the warp and the scanner picks up the beam.

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<v Speaker 1>He shook his head wearily when new at it, Morgan,

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<v Speaker 1>we've only tried a few dozen runs. We're not too

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<v Speaker 1>far ahead of view in technology. We've been using rocket

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<v Speaker 1>vehicles just like yours for over a century. That's fine

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<v Speaker 1>for a solar system, but it's not much good for

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<v Speaker 1>the stars. When the Worp principle was discovered, it looked

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<v Speaker 1>like the answer, but something went wrong. The scanner picked

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<v Speaker 1>up this planet, and I was coming through, and then

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<v Speaker 1>something blue. Next thing I knew, I was falling. When

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<v Speaker 1>I try to make contact again, the scanner was gone.

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<v Speaker 1>And you found things here the same as back home,

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<v Speaker 1>said Morgan, the same. Your planet and mine are practically twins,

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<v Speaker 1>similar cities, similar technology, everything, The people are the same,

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<v Speaker 1>with precisely the same anatomy and physiology, the same sort

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<v Speaker 1>of laws, the same institutions, even compatible languages. Can't you

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<v Speaker 1>see the importance of it. This planet is on the

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<v Speaker 1>other side of the universe from mine, with the first

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<v Speaker 1>intelligent life we have yet encountered anywhere. But when I

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<v Speaker 1>try to tell your people that I am a native

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<v Speaker 1>of another star system, they won't believe me. Why should,

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<v Speaker 1>they asked Morgan, you looked like a human being, you

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<v Speaker 1>talk like one, you eat like one, you act like one.

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<v Speaker 1>What you're asking them to believe is utterly incredible. But

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<v Speaker 1>it's true, Morgan shrugged. So it's true. I won't argue

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<v Speaker 1>with you, But as I asked before, even if I

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<v Speaker 1>did believe you, what do you expect me to do

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<v Speaker 1>about it? Why pick me of all the people you've seen?

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<v Speaker 1>There was a desperate light in Bark's eyes. I was tired,

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<v Speaker 1>tired of being a laughed at, tired of having people

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<v Speaker 1>looking at me as though I lost my wits when

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to tell them the truth. You were here,

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<v Speaker 1>you were alone, so I started talking, and then I

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<v Speaker 1>found out you wrote stories. He looked up eagerly. I've

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<v Speaker 1>got to get back, Morgan, some how. My life is there,

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<v Speaker 1>my family, and think what it would mean to both

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<v Speaker 1>of our words contact with another intelligent race, combine our knowledge,

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<v Speaker 1>our technologies, and we could explore the galaxy. He leaned forward,

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<v Speaker 1>his thin face intense. I need money and I need help.

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<v Speaker 1>I know some of the mathematics of the war principle,

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<v Speaker 1>know some of the design, some of the power and

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<v Speaker 1>wiring principles. You have engineers here, technologists, physicists. They could

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<v Speaker 1>fill in what they don't know and build a guide beam.

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<v Speaker 1>But they won't do it if they don't believe me.

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<v Speaker 1>Your government won't listen to me, they won't appropriate any money.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, they won't they've got a war or two

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<v Speaker 1>in their hands. They have public welfare and atomic bombs

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<v Speaker 1>and rockets to the moon to sing their money into.

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<v Speaker 1>Morgan stared at the man. But what can I do?

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<v Speaker 1>You can write, That's what you can do. You can

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<v Speaker 1>tell the word about me. You can tell exactly what

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<v Speaker 1>has happened. I know how public interest can be aroused

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<v Speaker 1>in my word. It must be the same in yours.

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<v Speaker 1>Morgan didn't move, He just stared. How many people have

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<v Speaker 1>you talked to? He asked? A dozen, a hundred, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>a thousand, And how many believed you? None? You mean,

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<v Speaker 1>nobody would believe you, not one soul until I talk

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<v Speaker 1>to you. And then Morgan was laughing, laughing bitterly, tears

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<v Speaker 1>rolling down his cheeks. And I'm the one man who

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't help you if my life depended on it. He gasped.

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<v Speaker 1>You believe me, Morgan nodded sadly. I believe you. Yes.

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<v Speaker 1>I think your work brought you through to a parallel

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<v Speaker 1>universe of your own planet, not to another star. But

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<v Speaker 1>I think you're telling the truth. Then you can help me.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm afraid not. Why not, because I'd be worse than

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<v Speaker 1>no help at all. Jefferson. Parks gripped the table, his

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<v Speaker 1>knuckles white. Why, he cried hoarsely. If you believe me,

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<v Speaker 1>why can't you help me? Morgan pointed to the magazine

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<v Speaker 1>lying on the table. I write, yes, he said, sadly,

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<v Speaker 1>ever read stories like this before? Parks picked up the

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<v Speaker 1>magazine glanced at the bright covert. I barely looked at it.

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<v Speaker 1>You should look more closely. I have a storry in

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<v Speaker 1>this issue. The readers thought it was very interesting. Morgan grinned,

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<v Speaker 1>go ahead, look at it. The Stranger from the Stars

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<v Speaker 1>leafed through the magazine, stopped at the page that carried

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<v Speaker 1>Rogers Morgan's name. His eyes caught the first paragraph, and

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<v Speaker 1>he turned white. He set the magazine down with a

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<v Speaker 1>trembling hand. I see, he said, and the life was

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<v Speaker 1>gone out of his voice. He spread the pages viciously,

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<v Speaker 1>read the lines again. The paragraph said, just suppose, said Martin,

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<v Speaker 1>that I did believe you? Just for argument? He glanced

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<v Speaker 1>up at the man across the table. Where do we

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<v Speaker 1>go from here? End of circus? By allan ed one

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<v Speaker 1>knows