Jon gestured vaguely. "Great things. The world. The universe."
There was silence. Ryan grunted. He did not say anything. Finally he put out his cigarette. "Jon --"
"Yes?"
"You think what you see is real?"
Jon smiled. "I know it's real."
Ryan's gaze was sharp. "What do you mean, real? In what way is this world of yours real?"
"It exists."
"Where does it exist?"
"I don't know."
"Here? Does it exist here?"
"No. It's not here."
"Some place else? A long way off? Some other part of the universe beyond our range of experience?"
"Not another part of the universe. It has nothing to do with space. It's here." Jon waved around him. "Close by. It's very close. I see it all around me."
"Do you see it now?"
"No. It comes and goes."
"It ceases to exist? It only exists sometimes?"
"No, it's always there. But I can't always make contact with it."
"How do you know it's always there?"
"I just know."
"Why can't I see it? Why are you the only one who can see it?"
"I don't know." Jon rubbed his forehead wearily. "I don't know why I'm the only one who can see it. I wish you could see it. I wish everybody could see it."
"I don't know." Jon rubbed his forehead wearily. "I don't know why I'm the only one who can see it. I wish you could see it. I wish everybody could see it."
"Maybe it can't. I don't know. I don't care. I don't want to present it for empirical analysis."
There was silence. Jon's face was set and grim, his jaw tight. Ryan sighed. Impasse.
"All right, Jon." He moved slowly toward the door. I'll see you later."
Jon said nothing.
At the door Ryan halted, looking back. "Then your visions are getting stronger, aren't they? Progressively more vivid."
Jon nodded curtly.
Ryan considered awhile. Finally he raised his hand. The door slid away and he passed outside the room, into the hall.
Grant came up to him. "I was watching through the window. He's quite withdrawn, isn't he?"
"It's difficult to talk to him. He seems to believe these attacks are some kind of vision."
"I know. He's told me."
"Why didn't you let me know?"
"I didn't want to alarm you more. I know you've been worried about him."
"The attacks are getting worse. He says they're more vivid. More convincing."
Grant nodded.
Ryan moved along the corridor, deep in thought, Grant a little behind. "It's difficult to be certain of the best course of action. The attacks absorb him more and more. He's beginning to take them seriously. They're usurping the place of the outside world. And in addition --"
"And in addition you're leaving soon."
"I wish we knew more about time travel. A great number of things may happen to us." Ryan rubbed his jaw. "We might not come back. Time is a potent force. No real exploration has been done. We have no idea what we may run into."
He came to the lift and stopped.
"I'll have to make my decision right away. It has to be made before we leave."
"Your decision?"
Ryan entered the lift. "You'll know about it later. Watch Jon constantly from now on. Don't be away from him for even a moment. Do you understand?"
Grant nodded. "I understand. You want to be sure he doesn't leave his room."
"You'll hear from me either tonight or tomorrow." Ryan ascended to the roof and entered his inter-city ship.
As soon as he was in the sky he clicked on the vidscreen and dialed the League Offices. The face of the League Monitor appeared. "Offices."
"Give me the medical center."
The monitor faded. Presently Walter Timmer, the medical director, appeared on the screen. His eyes flickered as he recognized Ryan. "What can I do for you, Caleb?"
"I want you to get out a medical car and a few good men and come over here to City Four."
"Why?"
"It's a matter I discussed with you several months ago. You recall, I think."
Timmer's expression changed. "Your son?"
"I've decided. I can't wait any longer. He's getting worse, and we'll be leaving soon on the time trip. I want it performed before I leave."
"All right." Timmer made a note. "We'll make immediate arrangements here. And we'll send a ship over to pick him up at once."
Ryan hesitated. "You'll do a good job?"
"Of course. We'll have James Pryor perform the actual operation." Timmer reached up to cut the vidscreen circuit. "Don't worry, Caleb. He'll do a good job. Pryor is the best lobotomist the center has."
vidscreen circuit. "Don't worry, Caleb. He'll do a good job. Pryor is the best lobotomist the center has."
Kastner peered over his shoulder. "Will we be confined to the one Project -- getting Schonerman's papers? Or can we move around?"
"Only the one Project is contemplated. But to be certain of success we should make several stops on this side of Schonerman's continuum. Our time map may be inaccurate, or the drive itself may act with some bias."
The work was finished. All the final sections were put in place.
In a corner of the room Jon sat watching, his face expressionless. Ryan glanced toward him. "How does it look to you?"
"Fine."
The time ship was like some stubby insect, overgrown with warts and knobs. A square box with windows and endless turrets. Not really a ship at all.
"I guess you wish you could come," Kastner said to Jon. "Right?"
Jon nodded faintly.
"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked him.
"Fine."
Ryan studied his son. The boy's color had come back. He had regained most of his original vitality. The visions, of course, no longer existed.
"Maybe you can come next time," Kastner said.
Ryan returned to the map. "Schonerman did most of his work between 2030 and 2037. The results were not put to any use until several years later. The decision to use his work in the war was reached only after long consideration. The Government seemed to have been aware of the dangers."
"But not sufficiently so."
"No." Ryan hesitated. "And we may be getting ourselves into the same situation."
"How do you mean?"
"Schonerman's discovery of the artificial brain was lost when the last claw was destroyed. None of us have been able to duplicate his work. If we bring his papers we may put society back in jeopardy. We may bring back the claws."
Kastner shook his head. "No. Schonerman's work was not implicitly related to the claws. The development of an artificial brain does not imply lethal usage. Any scientific discovery can be used for destruction. Even the wheel was used in the Assyrian war chariots."
"I suppose so." Ryan glanced up at Kastner. "Are you certain USIC doesn't intend to use Schonerman's work along military lines?"
"USIC is an industrial combine. Not a government."
"It would ensure its advantage for a long time."
"USIC is strong enough as it is."
"Let it go." Ryan rolled up the map. "We can start any minute. I'm anxious to get going. We've worked a long time on this."
"I agree."
Ryan crossed the room to his son. "We're leaving, Jon. We should be back fairly soon. Wish us luck."
Jon nodded. "I wish you luck."
"You're feeling all right?"
"Yes."
"Jon -- you feel better now, don't you? Better than before?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you glad they're gone? All the troubles you were having?"
"Yes."
Ryan put his hand awkwardly on the boy's shoulder. "We'll see you later."
Ryan put his hand awkwardly on the boy's shoulder. "We'll see you later."