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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..891b91c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51136 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51136) diff --git a/old/51136-h.zip b/old/51136-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8516e4b..0000000 --- a/old/51136-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51136-h/51136-h.htm b/old/51136-h/51136-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 6e331af..0000000 --- a/old/51136-h/51136-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1030 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Nothing But the Best, by Alan Cogan. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1, .ph2, .ph3, .ph4 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: xx-large; margin: .67em auto; } -.ph2 { font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; } -.ph3 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } -.ph4 { font-size: medium; margin: 1.12em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Nothing But the Best, by Alan Cogan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Nothing But the Best - -Author: Alan Cogan - -Release Date: February 6, 2016 [EBook #51136] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTHING BUT THE BEST *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="372" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> -<h1>Nothing But the Best</h1> - -<p>By ALAN COGAN</p> - -<p>Illustrated by CAL</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Galaxy Science Fiction September 1956.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph3"><i>If he took the high road—and also the low<br /> -road—he'd be in the same place afore himself!</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Charles Mead stood on top of Hobson's Hill and stared at the -town below, as though trying to imprint a permanent impression -of the view on his memory. He paid particular attention to a -wood-and-corrugated-iron construction at the bottom of the hill by the -railroad tracks, which bore the sign, FINLAY'S LUMBER CO.</p> - -<p>Well concealed in the bushes behind him and humming mutely were four -black metal boxes forming a small square. Antennae sprouted from -each box, curving inward to form an arch in which the light seemed to -vibrate and shimmer. Charles Mead made an adjustment on one of the -boxes and then stepped quickly into the shimmering arch.</p> - -<p>Darkness smothered him immediately. There was a sudden terrifying -sensation of weightlessness, of falling. He kept pushing and pushing, -although there seemed to be nothing to push against except swirling, -spinning blackness.</p> - -<p>Then, suddenly, he was standing on another Hobson's Hill.</p> - -<p>The four black boxes had gone, but the blurred arch of light was -still there. He fell to his knees, clutching in terror at the grass, -trembling and breathless: the switch from one world to another was -always unnerving. Immediately between worlds, the sensation of being in -<i>no</i> world, of stepping into a bottomless abyss, always left him ragged -with panic. He had not made the trip many times before, but he doubted -if he would ever get used to it.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The town looked substantially the same as the one he had just left, -though he was pleased to note that Finlay's Lumber Co. was no longer in -sight. It was proof that he had made the switch successfully. For some -reason, Finlay never seemed to have established his business anywhere -but in Charles Mead's world. There were similar changes in every -world—some large changes, some small—but at least Hobson's Hill was -always there, which was why he chose it as his jumping-off point.</p> - -<p>Charles Mead set off down the hill and along the highway into town. In -a telephone booth, he searched the directory and then began walking -again with a new eagerness in his step.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later, he turned onto the front porch of a small, neat -brick bungalow. He was about to press the bell button when he paused, -listening. From inside the house, he heard voices yelling—a man and a -woman—strident with anger.</p> - -<p>Charles Mead smiled faintly and rather smugly and put his finger to the -button. The voices stopped yelling as the bell jangled somewhere in the -house. A moment later, the front door opened and, at the same time, he -heard a woman's high heels stamping through to the back of the house. -Then a door slammed.</p> - -<p>The man in the doorway wore moccasins, jeans and a red plaid shirt. -Except for the general sloppiness of his dress compared with the -unwrinkled neatness of Charles Mead's expensive gray slacks and -sports jacket, the pair could have been twins. Both were slim and tall -with the slightly stooped appearance of tall men. Their short, sandy -hair and wide blue eyes gave them both a boyish look.</p> - -<p>"Chuck Mead?" Charles Mead asked. This one was sure to be called Chuck, -he thought.</p> - -<p>The man nodded, frowning slightly.</p> - -<p>"Good," said Charles. "That's my name, too. May I come in?"</p> - -<p>He pushed his way past the bewildered Chuck Mead, went into the living -room and sat down.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He began the speech he had prepared. It was the first time he had said -it aloud to anyone and, as he talked, he became painfully aware of how -foolish it sounded. He knew that Chuck Mead was smiling behind the hand -he so casually cupped over his chin and mouth. In the tiny living room -with its fading furnishings, its old mahogany piano and the new TV, -its old wedding pictures on the newly redecorated walls, talk of other -worlds than this was hopelessly out of place.</p> - -<p>"Look, I'm wasting my time trying to explain," Charles Mead said. "I -want you to come with me. Don't ask questions. What I have to show you -will save hours of explanation."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to show me?" Chuck asked.</p> - -<p>"Just come with me," Charles persisted. He knew it was only a matter of -time. The bewildering similarity between them had definitely aroused -the other's curiosity. He noticed that although Chuck Mead still -smiled, it was an uneasy smile.</p> - -<p>"Okay," Chuck said. "Anything for a laugh. Where do we go?"</p> - -<p>"Hobson's Hill. I suppose you call it that in this world, too?"</p> - -<p>"That's what we call it," Chuck said, suppressing another grin. "In -this world."</p> - -<p>"Let's go, then," Charles urged, relieved that the toughest part was -over. "There's nothing to worry about—you'll be completely safe."</p> - -<p>"Who's worrying?" challenged his counterpart pugnaciously.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Charles pulled Chuck Mead, fighting and struggling all the way, into -his own world and together they stood on Hobson's Hill, overlooking -the town. "Scares me silly every time I make that crossing," Charles -confessed breathlessly.</p> - -<p>Chuck's fingers still clutched his arm, digging painfully into the -flesh as though he expected the ground to crumble away at any moment.</p> - -<p>"You're okay now," Charles reassured him. He pressed the switches -on the square of black boxes and the humming noise ceased. The arch -collapsed. "Just look around you and see if this isn't a different -world. You'll notice we have a Finlay's Lumber Company here, which you -don't have in your world. That's only one minor difference. Come on -home with me and I'll give you all the proof you could want."</p> - -<p>Charles Mead's home was a spacious villa set well back from the road -in pleasant handsomely kept grounds. They went inside and Charles led -the way upstairs to the den, a bright, paneled room at the back of the -house.</p> - -<p>"Nice place," Chuck said, awed.</p> - -<p>"I suppose it is," Charles agreed. "Sit down. We've got a lot to talk -about."</p> - -<p>He poured drinks from a well-stocked cabinet and settled in an easy -chair. "Now, then, I want to know if you're really convinced of this -business of other worlds."</p> - -<p>"Sure," Chuck said, "unless you've got me doped or hypnotized or I'm -dreaming or something. It all <i>seems</i> real enough."</p> - -<p>"It <i>is</i> real." Ice cubes clicked as Charles tilted his glass and -drank. "Now let's get down to business. Just listen to what I have to -say and don't interrupt. I want you to think for a moment about those -times in your life when you've had to make a decision or choose between -two alternative courses of action which would affect your whole life. -Have you ever wondered, when you've made your choice, what would have -happened if you had chosen the other alternative? For instance, if you -arrived at a situation where two jobs were available and you chose one, -wouldn't you sometimes wonder how things would have been if you had -chosen the other job?</p> - -<p>"I think I can show you," he continued, "that when we reach such -situations and finally select a course of action, <i>we also take the -other course at the same time</i>. I'm going to try to prove to you that -an alternative world somehow comes into existence in which you live -your other life. As a matter of fact, you and I sprang from one of -these decisive moments. I'm pretty sure I know which one, too."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He cut short his guest's protests with a quick wave of his hand. -"You really can't argue with me about it. You've seen <i>two</i> worlds -already—surely you don't think it ends there? After all, we live in an -infinite universe; why shouldn't we be infinite creatures living out -the infinite possibilities of our lives? Still, to return to you and -me—your wife's name is Kathy, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah. Is yours?"</p> - -<p>"My wife is called Estelle. Does that mean anything to you?"</p> - -<p>Chuck put down his drink and straightened suddenly. "You mean Estelle -Defoe?"</p> - -<p>"That's right. If you want to make sure we're talking about the same -girl, go look out the window."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="312" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Chuck stood up and leaned over the sill. Outside, surrounded by the -close-trimmed green lawn, was a swimming pool. Beside the pool, a -shapely blonde was stretched out face down on a red towel like some -bright, beautiful calendar girl. She wore the bottom half of a green -striped bikini; the top half lay on the grass beside her.</p> - -<p>"My God! That's Estelle, all right!" Chuck exclaimed. "I'd know her -anywhere. Still got that terrific figure, too!"</p> - -<p>"I suppose she is hard to forget after—how long? Just over seven -years, isn't it? Isn't that how long you've been married?"</p> - -<p>"How did you know?"</p> - -<p>"Can't you guess? Remember, seven or eight years ago, how you tortured -yourself choosing between two girls—Estelle or Kathy? Remember how -hard it was arriving at a decision?"</p> - -<p>"It wasn't too difficult. I chose Kathy."</p> - -<p>"I know," Charles said, smiling. "I was left with Estelle. Or perhaps -it was the other way round. Don't you see: <i>I am you and you are me!</i> -If there's any difference between us, it's only what the last seven -years have done to us. It was one of those decisions I spoke of, when -one of us followed one path, leaving the other to explore the other -path."</p> - -<p>"That's crazy! I happen to know Estelle married a major in the Army -years ago and went out West to live."</p> - -<p>"In your world, maybe," Charles said, "but the one in this world -married me."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Chuck looked enviously out of the window. "Lucky you." He made a -gesture that took in the room, the girl, the magnificent house, the -beautiful garden. "Did Estelle make you rich, too?"</p> - -<p>"Not the way you seem to be figuring. Her father gave me a job in his -electronics business and I did some profitable research for him. Now -I'm a partner in the firm. We have a big plant on the other side of -town. As a matter of fact, it was while I was in the lab out there that -I stumbled on these alternate worlds. By sheer accident, I crossed into -another world and almost scared myself to death.</p> - -<p>"By the way," he went on, "what happened to you after you married -Kathy? I often wondered what it would have been like being married to -her."</p> - -<p>"It's all right, I guess," Chuck said. "We got married and bought a -house. A couple of years ago, I went into business on my own—Hi-Fi and -TV repairs. Business isn't too bad." He flashed another look at the -golden girl sunning herself by the pool. "Estelle hasn't changed much -in all these years," he said nostalgically. "She's still as beautiful -as ever."</p> - -<p>Then he banged his glass down hard on the window sill. "You must be -trying to put something over on me! What's the gag?"</p> - -<p>"There's no gag," Charles assured him. "Besides, there's more to come."</p> - -<p>"Like what?"</p> - -<p>"I mentioned earlier about this being an infinite universe. There -<i>must</i> be more than just the world you live in and the world I live in. -Think it over—millions of everybody making decisions all the time, -following one path and discarding another—there must be millions of -worlds! An infinite number of them!"</p> - -<p>Chuck drained his glass and went back to the cabinet to help himself.</p> - -<p>"It's not just a theory," Charles insisted. "I <i>know</i> there's more than -just our two worlds. I've seen a couple of them. I could even take you -to them. And every time anyone makes a decision, new ones spring into -existence. Do you follow me?"</p> - -<p>"I guess so," Chuck said. "As much as anyone can follow a thing like -that."</p> - -<p>"I'm still not finished—"</p> - -<p>"Hold it," Chuck cut in abruptly. "Before we get tangled up any -further, what am <i>I</i> doing here?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"I had to tell someone," Charles said. "I couldn't keep a thing like -this to myself, yet who could I tell? I thought it over and said -nothing to anyone in this world, because it suddenly occurred to me -that the best person to confide in was one of my hundreds of selves."</p> - -<p>"Quit it," Chuck begged. "You'll drive me nuts—you and your hundreds -of selves!"</p> - -<p>"You're one of them," Charles reminded him. "The others all exist -somewhere. I just happened to reach <i>you</i> by accident. When I started -down Hobson's Hill, I didn't know which Charles Mead would be in the -town. After all, I've made dozens of big decisions in the past few -years. There must be plenty of other Charles Meads in existence."</p> - -<p>"That still doesn't explain why you brought <i>me</i> here. Don't tell me -you intend to round up all the different versions of yourself. If so, -count me out!"</p> - -<p>"You're getting warm," Charles said. "If you'll bear with me a little -longer, I'll stretch your imagination again."</p> - -<p>Chuck groaned and settled down resignedly in the armchair.</p> - -<p>"If there really are all these worlds," Charles began, "and I can't see -why there shouldn't be, then a world must exist where there's a Charles -Mead who never made a wrong decision! A Charles Mead who did everything -right, who never made a wrong move in his life! Of course there must -also be one of us who never made a <i>right</i> decision—to say nothing -of all the endless varieties between the two extreme cases. But, of -course, I'm not concerned with them."</p> - -<p>Chuck stood watching the sleeping girl by the ornamental pool, looking -back, thinking back over seven years. Then he went over to the cabinet -and poured himself another drink—a strong one. "So what if there is a -perfect Charles Mead somewhere? What about him?"</p> - -<p>"I'd like to see him," Charles said. "I'd like to see such a world. -Wouldn't you?"</p> - -<p>"In your place? Not a chance! What's wrong with the world you're in -now? It looks good to me. A lot better than mine—beautiful wife, big -house, big shot in the company...."</p> - -<p>"It's a matter of what you're used to," Charles said dryly. "I hope -you don't mind me saying this—we are brothers, more rather than -less—when I called on you, I'm sure I heard you fighting with Kathy. -Do you fight often?"</p> - -<p>"I guess we do," Chuck said, "from time to time."</p> - -<p>"Estelle and I fight all the time. I still regret marrying her, even -though I got rich because of it. Anyway, we don't get along. We don't -even try to manage. There were plenty of times when I regretted not -marrying Kathy. She seemed to me to be a nice homy, comfortable sort of -kid."</p> - -<p>"I hope you're not going to suggest we trade places," Chuck said.</p> - -<p>"Of course not. I told you—I'm searching for the <i>perfect</i> world. -Charles Mead's Utopia!" He raised his glass in a mock toast. "Want to -come along?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Chuck Mead was silent, looking out of the window on to the lawn. The -girl by the pool stirred briefly in her sunny slumber. "Weren't you -ever happy with Estelle?" he asked.</p> - -<p>Charles shrugged. "I suppose I was at first. But we soon grew tired of -each other. I was tied up with the business and Estelle wanted a good -time."</p> - -<p>"It's funny," Chuck said wistfully, "but when Kathy and I started to -drift apart, I began to have Estelle on my mind all the time. I used -to imagine how much better things would have been if I'd married her -instead."</p> - -<p>"I guess we both made a poor choice. Probably the perfect Charles Mead -didn't choose either girl."</p> - -<p>"If <i>I</i> failed with Kathy and <i>you</i> failed with Estelle, I wouldn't be -surprised if the Charles Mead who—ah—got away didn't fail in some -other world. Kathy and Estelle were a couple of nice kids. Maybe it -wasn't their fault entirely. Maybe it was the fault of Charles and -Chuck Mead."</p> - -<p>"Possibly," said Charles a little wearily. "But that sort of argument -gets us nowhere. You still can't disprove that there isn't a perfect -Charles Mead somewhere."</p> - -<p>"I doubt if he's perfect," Chuck said. "Making the correct decisions -all the time doesn't necessarily make him perfect. Besides, even if you -did meet him, it wouldn't alter <i>you</i> in any way. You'd be the same -person you are now."</p> - -<p>"I'd still like to find him."</p> - -<p>"I'll bet you wouldn't know him if you saw him. And you might waste a -whole lifetime looking. Then, if you did find him, what makes you think -he'd want <i>you</i> hanging around?"</p> - -<p>"At least, if he did kick me out, I'd know he'd made the absolutely -correct decision," Charles said, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Well, don't count me in on your search. If you take my advice, you'll -smash your invention or whatever it is and stay in your own world. -There's nothing to be gained by exploring the paths you <i>might</i> have -followed."</p> - -<p>"What's to be gained by not going?"</p> - -<p>"That's up to you. You can stay and make the best of your own world."</p> - -<p>"You're a fine one to talk. Are you going back to your own life—to -Kathy? Even though you don't get along with her?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nodding emphatically, Chuck said, "Of course. Your Utopia is as remote -to me as Heaven or Hell. The important thing is not the hundreds of -lives you could have led or all the possibilities that occur in your -lifetime. The thing that counts is what you do with the one lifetime -that's given to you. You're not happy with Estelle so you blame -Estelle, thinking you'd be happier with Kathy or someone else. I felt -the same way about Kathy and thought I'd be happier with Estelle. Now -that you've given us both the opportunity to see ourselves ruining -<i>both</i> lives, we can see that it's probably us at fault. If you -want to find the perfect Charles Mead, you have to find him inside -yourself—not in some untouchable otherworld."</p> - -<p>"You should have been a minister," Charles told him. "You preach a good -sermon."</p> - -<p>Chuck's boyish face reddened suddenly. "It still goes, anyway. Perhaps -I've spent more time than you lately wondering why my marriage was -breaking up. Maybe I have the answer now."</p> - -<p>"So you're going back to the little woman, filled with love and kisses -and a heart full of hope!"</p> - -<p>"Forget it," Chuck said. "Forget I said anything at all."</p> - -<p>"Don't worry about it. No hard feelings. You're perfectly free to do or -say what you like." He suddenly smiled and then began to laugh aloud.</p> - -<p>"What's funny?" Chuck asked.</p> - -<p>"Plenty," said Charles. "I just realized we both made decisions a few -minutes ago. We both chose between two alternatives. You decided to -go home to Kathy instead of going with me. I decided to go on with my -quest instead of going back to Estelle."</p> - -<p>"What about it?"</p> - -<p>"Remember what I told you? Every time you choose one of two alternative -courses of action, <i>another world comes into existence in which you -follow the other course of action</i>! Don't you see what that means?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Charles Mead said good-by to Chuck as they stood on top of Hobson's -Hill. Then, when Chuck had vanished, he switched off his equipment and -set about camouflaging the black boxes in the bushes. It was too late -in the day to make a second attempt at crossing into another world and -he decided to wait until tomorrow. When a man was seeking perfection, -he told himself, it paid to be patient and cautious and not to rush -headlong into things.</p> - -<p>Presently, when he was satisfied with his work of concealing the -apparatus, he set off down the hill.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Chuck Mead came through the harrowing experience of crossing worlds -and stood once more on the top of Hobson's Hill in his own world. He -glanced all around him, nervously reassuring himself that he <i>was</i> in -his own world again. Then he took a crumpled cigarette from his shirt -pocket and inhaled hungrily while he waited for his heart to stop its -frantic hammering.</p> - -<p>Had he really been in another world, he wondered, and had he really -seen Estelle? Presently, as he recalled events, his train of thought -brought him around to Kathy and his decision. She would still be mad at -him after the fight they had had when Charles arrived. Funny, now he -couldn't even remember what they had been quarreling about! It seemed -that any little thing could start them off these days.</p> - -<p>But it wasn't too late—he was sure of that now. The situation could -still be repaired. There was still time.</p> - -<p>With a quick, determined gesture, he flung the cigarette away from him, -and with a new spring in his stride, he set off down the hill.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Somewhere in the infinite universe, among the myriad worlds and -possibilities, was a world born of a decision. In this world, Charles -Mead stood on top of Hobson's Hill dismantling his apparatus. He was -finished with it and was going to destroy it as soon as he got home. -Chuck had been right; he was a fool to think of leaving Estelle for a -mad dream.</p> - -<p>Strange, he thought, the way he had neglected her all these years. -A girl like Estelle needed warmth and gayety and affection, not the -boorish neglect of an idiot who wished he was in another world. He was -lucky, he realized, that she was still there to go home to.</p> - -<p>With the act of making his decision, he felt a new peace of mind he had -not experienced in years. At least he was about to tackle a problem -within his grasp, not some ridiculous and impossible hunt through an -infinity of alien worlds.</p> - -<p>He shook his head, genuinely puzzled. How on Earth could he have ever -considered such an absurd notion, he wondered as he shouldered his -equipment and set off down the hill.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In yet another world, also born of a decision, Charles and Chuck Mead -emerged on top of Hobson's Hill. They looked about them eagerly, -pointing out the landmarks in the town below.</p> - -<p>"This one's <i>really</i> different!" Charles said excitedly. "Look, there's -no lumberyard and not even any railroad tracks. And that tall gray -building downtown is new, too!"</p> - -<p>"Let's go," Chuck urged. "Let's take a look."</p> - -<p>"Take it easy," Charles cautioned, his hand on Chuck's arm. "We'll have -to be careful about this. Remember, we're looking for the best—the -perfect—world!"</p> - -<p>"Okay," Chuck said. "Even if it takes a lifetime, we settle for nothing -but the best."</p> - -<p>And together, like two wise men off to seek Truth itself and, at the -same time, like two schoolboys on some youthful adventure, they set off -down the hill.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Nothing But the Best, by Alan Cogan - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTHING BUT THE BEST *** - -***** This file should be named 51136-h.htm or 51136-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/1/3/51136/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Nothing But the Best - -Author: Alan Cogan - -Release Date: February 6, 2016 [EBook #51136] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTHING BUT THE BEST *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Nothing But the Best - - By ALAN COGAN - - Illustrated by CAL - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Galaxy Science Fiction September 1956. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - If he took the high road--and also the low - road--he'd be in the same place afore himself! - - -Charles Mead stood on top of Hobson's Hill and stared at the -town below, as though trying to imprint a permanent impression -of the view on his memory. He paid particular attention to a -wood-and-corrugated-iron construction at the bottom of the hill by the -railroad tracks, which bore the sign, FINLAY'S LUMBER CO. - -Well concealed in the bushes behind him and humming mutely were four -black metal boxes forming a small square. Antennae sprouted from -each box, curving inward to form an arch in which the light seemed to -vibrate and shimmer. Charles Mead made an adjustment on one of the -boxes and then stepped quickly into the shimmering arch. - -Darkness smothered him immediately. There was a sudden terrifying -sensation of weightlessness, of falling. He kept pushing and pushing, -although there seemed to be nothing to push against except swirling, -spinning blackness. - -Then, suddenly, he was standing on another Hobson's Hill. - -The four black boxes had gone, but the blurred arch of light was -still there. He fell to his knees, clutching in terror at the grass, -trembling and breathless: the switch from one world to another was -always unnerving. Immediately between worlds, the sensation of being in -_no_ world, of stepping into a bottomless abyss, always left him ragged -with panic. He had not made the trip many times before, but he doubted -if he would ever get used to it. - - * * * * * - -The town looked substantially the same as the one he had just left, -though he was pleased to note that Finlay's Lumber Co. was no longer in -sight. It was proof that he had made the switch successfully. For some -reason, Finlay never seemed to have established his business anywhere -but in Charles Mead's world. There were similar changes in every -world--some large changes, some small--but at least Hobson's Hill was -always there, which was why he chose it as his jumping-off point. - -Charles Mead set off down the hill and along the highway into town. In -a telephone booth, he searched the directory and then began walking -again with a new eagerness in his step. - -Ten minutes later, he turned onto the front porch of a small, neat -brick bungalow. He was about to press the bell button when he paused, -listening. From inside the house, he heard voices yelling--a man and a -woman--strident with anger. - -Charles Mead smiled faintly and rather smugly and put his finger to the -button. The voices stopped yelling as the bell jangled somewhere in the -house. A moment later, the front door opened and, at the same time, he -heard a woman's high heels stamping through to the back of the house. -Then a door slammed. - -The man in the doorway wore moccasins, jeans and a red plaid shirt. -Except for the general sloppiness of his dress compared with the -unwrinkled neatness of Charles Mead's expensive gray slacks and -sports jacket, the pair could have been twins. Both were slim and tall -with the slightly stooped appearance of tall men. Their short, sandy -hair and wide blue eyes gave them both a boyish look. - -"Chuck Mead?" Charles Mead asked. This one was sure to be called Chuck, -he thought. - -The man nodded, frowning slightly. - -"Good," said Charles. "That's my name, too. May I come in?" - -He pushed his way past the bewildered Chuck Mead, went into the living -room and sat down. - - * * * * * - -He began the speech he had prepared. It was the first time he had said -it aloud to anyone and, as he talked, he became painfully aware of how -foolish it sounded. He knew that Chuck Mead was smiling behind the hand -he so casually cupped over his chin and mouth. In the tiny living room -with its fading furnishings, its old mahogany piano and the new TV, -its old wedding pictures on the newly redecorated walls, talk of other -worlds than this was hopelessly out of place. - -"Look, I'm wasting my time trying to explain," Charles Mead said. "I -want you to come with me. Don't ask questions. What I have to show you -will save hours of explanation." - -"What are you going to show me?" Chuck asked. - -"Just come with me," Charles persisted. He knew it was only a matter of -time. The bewildering similarity between them had definitely aroused -the other's curiosity. He noticed that although Chuck Mead still -smiled, it was an uneasy smile. - -"Okay," Chuck said. "Anything for a laugh. Where do we go?" - -"Hobson's Hill. I suppose you call it that in this world, too?" - -"That's what we call it," Chuck said, suppressing another grin. "In -this world." - -"Let's go, then," Charles urged, relieved that the toughest part was -over. "There's nothing to worry about--you'll be completely safe." - -"Who's worrying?" challenged his counterpart pugnaciously. - - * * * * * - -Charles pulled Chuck Mead, fighting and struggling all the way, into -his own world and together they stood on Hobson's Hill, overlooking -the town. "Scares me silly every time I make that crossing," Charles -confessed breathlessly. - -Chuck's fingers still clutched his arm, digging painfully into the -flesh as though he expected the ground to crumble away at any moment. - -"You're okay now," Charles reassured him. He pressed the switches -on the square of black boxes and the humming noise ceased. The arch -collapsed. "Just look around you and see if this isn't a different -world. You'll notice we have a Finlay's Lumber Company here, which you -don't have in your world. That's only one minor difference. Come on -home with me and I'll give you all the proof you could want." - -Charles Mead's home was a spacious villa set well back from the road -in pleasant handsomely kept grounds. They went inside and Charles led -the way upstairs to the den, a bright, paneled room at the back of the -house. - -"Nice place," Chuck said, awed. - -"I suppose it is," Charles agreed. "Sit down. We've got a lot to talk -about." - -He poured drinks from a well-stocked cabinet and settled in an easy -chair. "Now, then, I want to know if you're really convinced of this -business of other worlds." - -"Sure," Chuck said, "unless you've got me doped or hypnotized or I'm -dreaming or something. It all _seems_ real enough." - -"It _is_ real." Ice cubes clicked as Charles tilted his glass and -drank. "Now let's get down to business. Just listen to what I have to -say and don't interrupt. I want you to think for a moment about those -times in your life when you've had to make a decision or choose between -two alternative courses of action which would affect your whole life. -Have you ever wondered, when you've made your choice, what would have -happened if you had chosen the other alternative? For instance, if you -arrived at a situation where two jobs were available and you chose one, -wouldn't you sometimes wonder how things would have been if you had -chosen the other job? - -"I think I can show you," he continued, "that when we reach such -situations and finally select a course of action, _we also take the -other course at the same time_. I'm going to try to prove to you that -an alternative world somehow comes into existence in which you live -your other life. As a matter of fact, you and I sprang from one of -these decisive moments. I'm pretty sure I know which one, too." - - * * * * * - -He cut short his guest's protests with a quick wave of his hand. -"You really can't argue with me about it. You've seen _two_ worlds -already--surely you don't think it ends there? After all, we live in an -infinite universe; why shouldn't we be infinite creatures living out -the infinite possibilities of our lives? Still, to return to you and -me--your wife's name is Kathy, isn't it?" - -"Yeah. Is yours?" - -"My wife is called Estelle. Does that mean anything to you?" - -Chuck put down his drink and straightened suddenly. "You mean Estelle -Defoe?" - -"That's right. If you want to make sure we're talking about the same -girl, go look out the window." - -Chuck stood up and leaned over the sill. Outside, surrounded by the -close-trimmed green lawn, was a swimming pool. Beside the pool, a -shapely blonde was stretched out face down on a red towel like some -bright, beautiful calendar girl. She wore the bottom half of a green -striped bikini; the top half lay on the grass beside her. - -"My God! That's Estelle, all right!" Chuck exclaimed. "I'd know her -anywhere. Still got that terrific figure, too!" - -"I suppose she is hard to forget after--how long? Just over seven -years, isn't it? Isn't that how long you've been married?" - -"How did you know?" - -"Can't you guess? Remember, seven or eight years ago, how you tortured -yourself choosing between two girls--Estelle or Kathy? Remember how -hard it was arriving at a decision?" - -"It wasn't too difficult. I chose Kathy." - -"I know," Charles said, smiling. "I was left with Estelle. Or perhaps -it was the other way round. Don't you see: _I am you and you are me!_ -If there's any difference between us, it's only what the last seven -years have done to us. It was one of those decisions I spoke of, when -one of us followed one path, leaving the other to explore the other -path." - -"That's crazy! I happen to know Estelle married a major in the Army -years ago and went out West to live." - -"In your world, maybe," Charles said, "but the one in this world -married me." - - * * * * * - -Chuck looked enviously out of the window. "Lucky you." He made a -gesture that took in the room, the girl, the magnificent house, the -beautiful garden. "Did Estelle make you rich, too?" - -"Not the way you seem to be figuring. Her father gave me a job in his -electronics business and I did some profitable research for him. Now -I'm a partner in the firm. We have a big plant on the other side of -town. As a matter of fact, it was while I was in the lab out there that -I stumbled on these alternate worlds. By sheer accident, I crossed into -another world and almost scared myself to death. - -"By the way," he went on, "what happened to you after you married -Kathy? I often wondered what it would have been like being married to -her." - -"It's all right, I guess," Chuck said. "We got married and bought a -house. A couple of years ago, I went into business on my own--Hi-Fi and -TV repairs. Business isn't too bad." He flashed another look at the -golden girl sunning herself by the pool. "Estelle hasn't changed much -in all these years," he said nostalgically. "She's still as beautiful -as ever." - -Then he banged his glass down hard on the window sill. "You must be -trying to put something over on me! What's the gag?" - -"There's no gag," Charles assured him. "Besides, there's more to come." - -"Like what?" - -"I mentioned earlier about this being an infinite universe. There -_must_ be more than just the world you live in and the world I live in. -Think it over--millions of everybody making decisions all the time, -following one path and discarding another--there must be millions of -worlds! An infinite number of them!" - -Chuck drained his glass and went back to the cabinet to help himself. - -"It's not just a theory," Charles insisted. "I _know_ there's more than -just our two worlds. I've seen a couple of them. I could even take you -to them. And every time anyone makes a decision, new ones spring into -existence. Do you follow me?" - -"I guess so," Chuck said. "As much as anyone can follow a thing like -that." - -"I'm still not finished--" - -"Hold it," Chuck cut in abruptly. "Before we get tangled up any -further, what am _I_ doing here?" - - * * * * * - -"I had to tell someone," Charles said. "I couldn't keep a thing like -this to myself, yet who could I tell? I thought it over and said -nothing to anyone in this world, because it suddenly occurred to me -that the best person to confide in was one of my hundreds of selves." - -"Quit it," Chuck begged. "You'll drive me nuts--you and your hundreds -of selves!" - -"You're one of them," Charles reminded him. "The others all exist -somewhere. I just happened to reach _you_ by accident. When I started -down Hobson's Hill, I didn't know which Charles Mead would be in the -town. After all, I've made dozens of big decisions in the past few -years. There must be plenty of other Charles Meads in existence." - -"That still doesn't explain why you brought _me_ here. Don't tell me -you intend to round up all the different versions of yourself. If so, -count me out!" - -"You're getting warm," Charles said. "If you'll bear with me a little -longer, I'll stretch your imagination again." - -Chuck groaned and settled down resignedly in the armchair. - -"If there really are all these worlds," Charles began, "and I can't see -why there shouldn't be, then a world must exist where there's a Charles -Mead who never made a wrong decision! A Charles Mead who did everything -right, who never made a wrong move in his life! Of course there must -also be one of us who never made a _right_ decision--to say nothing -of all the endless varieties between the two extreme cases. But, of -course, I'm not concerned with them." - -Chuck stood watching the sleeping girl by the ornamental pool, looking -back, thinking back over seven years. Then he went over to the cabinet -and poured himself another drink--a strong one. "So what if there is a -perfect Charles Mead somewhere? What about him?" - -"I'd like to see him," Charles said. "I'd like to see such a world. -Wouldn't you?" - -"In your place? Not a chance! What's wrong with the world you're in -now? It looks good to me. A lot better than mine--beautiful wife, big -house, big shot in the company...." - -"It's a matter of what you're used to," Charles said dryly. "I hope -you don't mind me saying this--we are brothers, more rather than -less--when I called on you, I'm sure I heard you fighting with Kathy. -Do you fight often?" - -"I guess we do," Chuck said, "from time to time." - -"Estelle and I fight all the time. I still regret marrying her, even -though I got rich because of it. Anyway, we don't get along. We don't -even try to manage. There were plenty of times when I regretted not -marrying Kathy. She seemed to me to be a nice homy, comfortable sort of -kid." - -"I hope you're not going to suggest we trade places," Chuck said. - -"Of course not. I told you--I'm searching for the _perfect_ world. -Charles Mead's Utopia!" He raised his glass in a mock toast. "Want to -come along?" - - * * * * * - -Chuck Mead was silent, looking out of the window on to the lawn. The -girl by the pool stirred briefly in her sunny slumber. "Weren't you -ever happy with Estelle?" he asked. - -Charles shrugged. "I suppose I was at first. But we soon grew tired of -each other. I was tied up with the business and Estelle wanted a good -time." - -"It's funny," Chuck said wistfully, "but when Kathy and I started to -drift apart, I began to have Estelle on my mind all the time. I used -to imagine how much better things would have been if I'd married her -instead." - -"I guess we both made a poor choice. Probably the perfect Charles Mead -didn't choose either girl." - -"If _I_ failed with Kathy and _you_ failed with Estelle, I wouldn't be -surprised if the Charles Mead who--ah--got away didn't fail in some -other world. Kathy and Estelle were a couple of nice kids. Maybe it -wasn't their fault entirely. Maybe it was the fault of Charles and -Chuck Mead." - -"Possibly," said Charles a little wearily. "But that sort of argument -gets us nowhere. You still can't disprove that there isn't a perfect -Charles Mead somewhere." - -"I doubt if he's perfect," Chuck said. "Making the correct decisions -all the time doesn't necessarily make him perfect. Besides, even if you -did meet him, it wouldn't alter _you_ in any way. You'd be the same -person you are now." - -"I'd still like to find him." - -"I'll bet you wouldn't know him if you saw him. And you might waste a -whole lifetime looking. Then, if you did find him, what makes you think -he'd want _you_ hanging around?" - -"At least, if he did kick me out, I'd know he'd made the absolutely -correct decision," Charles said, smiling. - -"Well, don't count me in on your search. If you take my advice, you'll -smash your invention or whatever it is and stay in your own world. -There's nothing to be gained by exploring the paths you _might_ have -followed." - -"What's to be gained by not going?" - -"That's up to you. You can stay and make the best of your own world." - -"You're a fine one to talk. Are you going back to your own life--to -Kathy? Even though you don't get along with her?" - - * * * * * - -Nodding emphatically, Chuck said, "Of course. Your Utopia is as remote -to me as Heaven or Hell. The important thing is not the hundreds of -lives you could have led or all the possibilities that occur in your -lifetime. The thing that counts is what you do with the one lifetime -that's given to you. You're not happy with Estelle so you blame -Estelle, thinking you'd be happier with Kathy or someone else. I felt -the same way about Kathy and thought I'd be happier with Estelle. Now -that you've given us both the opportunity to see ourselves ruining -_both_ lives, we can see that it's probably us at fault. If you -want to find the perfect Charles Mead, you have to find him inside -yourself--not in some untouchable otherworld." - -"You should have been a minister," Charles told him. "You preach a good -sermon." - -Chuck's boyish face reddened suddenly. "It still goes, anyway. Perhaps -I've spent more time than you lately wondering why my marriage was -breaking up. Maybe I have the answer now." - -"So you're going back to the little woman, filled with love and kisses -and a heart full of hope!" - -"Forget it," Chuck said. "Forget I said anything at all." - -"Don't worry about it. No hard feelings. You're perfectly free to do or -say what you like." He suddenly smiled and then began to laugh aloud. - -"What's funny?" Chuck asked. - -"Plenty," said Charles. "I just realized we both made decisions a few -minutes ago. We both chose between two alternatives. You decided to -go home to Kathy instead of going with me. I decided to go on with my -quest instead of going back to Estelle." - -"What about it?" - -"Remember what I told you? Every time you choose one of two alternative -courses of action, _another world comes into existence in which you -follow the other course of action_! Don't you see what that means?" - - * * * * * - -Charles Mead said good-by to Chuck as they stood on top of Hobson's -Hill. Then, when Chuck had vanished, he switched off his equipment and -set about camouflaging the black boxes in the bushes. It was too late -in the day to make a second attempt at crossing into another world and -he decided to wait until tomorrow. When a man was seeking perfection, -he told himself, it paid to be patient and cautious and not to rush -headlong into things. - -Presently, when he was satisfied with his work of concealing the -apparatus, he set off down the hill. - - * * * * * - -Chuck Mead came through the harrowing experience of crossing worlds -and stood once more on the top of Hobson's Hill in his own world. He -glanced all around him, nervously reassuring himself that he _was_ in -his own world again. Then he took a crumpled cigarette from his shirt -pocket and inhaled hungrily while he waited for his heart to stop its -frantic hammering. - -Had he really been in another world, he wondered, and had he really -seen Estelle? Presently, as he recalled events, his train of thought -brought him around to Kathy and his decision. She would still be mad at -him after the fight they had had when Charles arrived. Funny, now he -couldn't even remember what they had been quarreling about! It seemed -that any little thing could start them off these days. - -But it wasn't too late--he was sure of that now. The situation could -still be repaired. There was still time. - -With a quick, determined gesture, he flung the cigarette away from him, -and with a new spring in his stride, he set off down the hill. - - * * * * * - -Somewhere in the infinite universe, among the myriad worlds and -possibilities, was a world born of a decision. In this world, Charles -Mead stood on top of Hobson's Hill dismantling his apparatus. He was -finished with it and was going to destroy it as soon as he got home. -Chuck had been right; he was a fool to think of leaving Estelle for a -mad dream. - -Strange, he thought, the way he had neglected her all these years. -A girl like Estelle needed warmth and gayety and affection, not the -boorish neglect of an idiot who wished he was in another world. He was -lucky, he realized, that she was still there to go home to. - -With the act of making his decision, he felt a new peace of mind he had -not experienced in years. At least he was about to tackle a problem -within his grasp, not some ridiculous and impossible hunt through an -infinity of alien worlds. - -He shook his head, genuinely puzzled. How on Earth could he have ever -considered such an absurd notion, he wondered as he shouldered his -equipment and set off down the hill. - - * * * * * - -In yet another world, also born of a decision, Charles and Chuck Mead -emerged on top of Hobson's Hill. They looked about them eagerly, -pointing out the landmarks in the town below. - -"This one's _really_ different!" Charles said excitedly. "Look, there's -no lumberyard and not even any railroad tracks. And that tall gray -building downtown is new, too!" - -"Let's go," Chuck urged. "Let's take a look." - -"Take it easy," Charles cautioned, his hand on Chuck's arm. "We'll have -to be careful about this. Remember, we're looking for the best--the -perfect--world!" - -"Okay," Chuck said. "Even if it takes a lifetime, we settle for nothing -but the best." - -And together, like two wise men off to seek Truth itself and, at the -same time, like two schoolboys on some youthful adventure, they set off -down the hill. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Nothing But the Best, by Alan Cogan - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTHING BUT THE BEST *** - -***** This file should be named 51136.txt or 51136.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/1/3/51136/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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