“You’re a genius, Gromozeka.” I said.
“And now I shall have to get some sleep, for tomorrow we begin loading. Even without the atomic batteries we shall require at least three ships for the loading of the machine. And I still have to find the ships.”
And Gromozeka promptly leaned his large, soft, rather balloon-like head against the wall and fell asleep..
4
All the following day Gromozeka rushed around Moscow, flew to Prague, called back and forth to the Moon constantly, acquired ships, negotiated about freight and cargo space and only in the evening arrived back at our house. On this occasion he came without flowers, not but alone.
Gromozeka brought with him two temporalists, as the researchers at the Institute of Time were known. One temporalist was young, lanky, and very lean, and perhaps because of that appeared rather morose. He had thick, kinky black hair in an Afro, and Gromozeka, astonished that such thing creatures could even exist, spent all his time poking and prodding at the poor fellow with the claw at the end of one tentacle. The second temporalist was a short, thickset, middle aged man with small, penetrating grey eyes. From time to time he hiccoughed; he was dressed in the latest fashion.
“Petrov.” He introduced himself. “M-micael Petrov. I’m project director. But it will be Richard here who will actually operate the machine.”
“Of course, of course.” I said. The name of this famous physicist, who had discovered temporal changes in superstring plasma, and who had then went on to head the Time Institute, was one very familiar to me. “I am delighted you could come here.”
“Is there some holiday or celebration.” Petrov asked. “A birth day, p-perhaps? I’m sorry; if we had known I’d have brought something..”
“No, no celebration.” I said. “Our friend Gromozeka brought some flowers yesterday. And as Gromozeka never does anything at less than ten thousand percent he just cleared out an entire flower nursery.”
“Do sit down.” Gromozeka said. “Have some Ex-Lax and we can talk.”
He reached inside the deep pouch which grows on the belly of all Chumaroseans and pulled out a bottle of Ex-Lax, several kinds of crackers, cheeses and dips, as well as some bottles of wine for the rest of us.
“So,” he said, spreading out on the rug and surrounding all of us with his tentacles, as though we were afraid we might all run screaming in every direction, “We now have ships, the agreement of the Academy of Sciences for your expedition into space, and we will soon be testing your machine. Are you happy?”
“Thank you.” Petrov said politely. “Your invitation was…most kind.”
“Ah,” Gromozeka said mortified, turning to me, “in reality he is anything but happy. And do you know why? Because he wanted to spend time on Chud lake.”
“Chudskoe.” Alice corrected Gromozeka.
Gromozeka ignored her.
“He wanted to go to Chudskoe lake because he knew what was awaiting him there in the past. As many times as he might venture there and then, nothing will change the fact that Alexander….. Nevsky defeated the Tattletonic Knights. But on Coleida we do not know, with certainty, how everything came about. And what if the planet died not from Space Plague but from something else?”
“If you are trying to imply cowardice on our parts,” Richard grew angry, “try somewhere else. You have no idea what sort of risks are associated with working out-time. Our people have tried to save Giordano Bruno from the fire, they have infiltrated the Crusades and Fascist camps, sharing the danger and misfortune, and sometimes fates, of the peoples of other times…”
“Don’t get angry, Richard.” Petrov said. “Can’t you see that Gromozeka is trying to tease you? And you took the bait.”
“But I am teasing no one!” Gromozeka grew agitated. “I am a very direct and naive archaeologist.”
What Gromozeka said was anything but the truth. In reality he was not devoid of spite himself, and he was afraid the temporalists would somehow get out of going to the archaeological dig and that all his dreams would turn to dust.
“Don’t be afraid, Gromozeka.” Petrov said suddenly. “If the Time Institute promised you the exp-perimental model of the time machine would be tested at your expedition, it will be.” He was a very perceptive person.
“Now that is superb!” Gromozeka answered. “Of course I don’t doubt it. Otherwise I would never have introduced you to my best friends, Professor Seleznev and his famous daughter Alice, about whom you know far too little, although you will soon have the opportunity to become more fully acquainted with her.”
“And why will they? Become acquainted, I mean?” I asked.
“Because I have conceived the perfect gift for your daughter’s birthday, Professor.” Gromozeka answered.
“And what is that?”
“We’ll take her with us to Coleida?”
“When? Now?”
“Of course, certainly, now.”
“But Alice has to go to school.”
“Tomorrow I’ll go myself to visit your school and have a word with the teacher. She will certainly let her go for several days.”
“Oh!” Alice said, “Thanks a lot! But just don’t walk into the school yourself.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because Elena, my teacher, she’s really nervous and afraid of spiders and mice and other critters.”
“And in what way am I like unto them?” Gromozeka thundered.
“You’re not.” Alice hurried to answer. “But she’d really be afraid of you a little. Not so much for herself but for me. She’s say that she was afraid to let me go… that is not so much with you as with what you are; just don’t get angry Gromozeka…”
“I understand it all.” My friend said sadly. “It’s perfectly obvious. You, dear child, have fallen into the hands of a cruel and terrible woman. You fear what she might threaten me, your friend, with evil…”
“No, you don’t quite understand…”
“I understand everything. Professor!”
“What?” I asked and tried to hold back the grin on my face.
“You must immediately remove your child from that school. They are torturing her. If you do not do it I shall go there myself tomorrow and save Alice myself.”
“Alice is perfectly capable of saving herself.” I said. “Don’t have any fears for her sake. Now, how many days do you propose to take her for?”
“A mere thirty or forty.” Gromozeka said.
“No. Don’t even think of it.”
“Then for twenty-seven days.”
“Why twenty-seven.”
“Because the two of us are bargaining and you have already gotten me to back down two days. Your move.”
The temporalists were laughing.
“I had no idea that space archaeologists were so….” Richard said.
“But I am not prepared to bargain with you on this.” I told Gromozeka. “You really must understand that earth children have to go to school.”
“To such a monster like the foul Elena, who tortures mice and spiders? Who would have attacked me, if not for Alice’s timely warning?”
“Yes to the monster, to the charming, pleasant and intelligent woman, my thick skinned egoist friend.”
“P-please do not argue.” Petrov said. “When does Alice’s term break start?”
“In five days.” Alice said.
“How long is it?”
“One week.”
“That’s just p-perfect. Send your daughter with us for the term break week. There is certainly no way we will be able to finish loading before Alice’s break starts.”