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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..9e99c04 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61006 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61006) diff --git a/old/61006-8.txt b/old/61006-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 14e5328..0000000 --- a/old/61006-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1013 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Man from Elsewhen, by Sylvia Jacobs - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Young Man from Elsewhen - -Author: Sylvia Jacobs - -Release Date: December 23, 2019 [EBook #61006] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN - - By SYLVIA JACOBS - - _One thing the old man was sure - of--there were far fewer things in - heaven and earth than were dreamt - of in his philosophy--till today._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1961. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -A redcap was pushing a wheelchair through the station, under a ceiling -so lofty that the place seemed empty, though hundreds of people were -milling around, preparing to board the early trains. The old man in -the wheelchair had a blanket over his knees, in spite of July heat in -Los Angeles. Beside him walked a smartly dressed middle-aged woman, -slimmed by diet and with her steel-gray hair looking as if she'd -just stepped out of a beauty parlor. She kept up a steady stream of -admonitions. - -"Now, Papa," she was saying, "don't forget to take your medicine at -lunchtime. Keep your chair out of the aisle--people have to walk -there. And whatever you do, don't go to the club car for a drink--you -know it's bad for your arthritis. The doctor said not more than three -cigars a day. And if Edna isn't at the station to meet you, just wait, -do you hear? It's a long drive from her house and she may be late." - -"Hell's fire!" the old man protested. "I was taking trains before you -were born! How my boy Will stands--" - -He broke off to ogle a Mexican girl, a ripe sixteen, who was walking in -the same direction, ahead of them. - -"Papa! Act your age!" his daughter-in-law said under her breath. - -"Like they say, a woman's as old as she looks, but a man ain't old till -he quits looking," he replied absently. - -The redcap grinned. The little seņorita, not knowing who was watching -her but quite sure someone was, paused to put a dime in a Coke machine. -The wheelchair entourage passed her and the old man craned his neck, -looking backward, determined not to miss anything. The girl sat down on -a bench to drink her Coke. If I were only fifty years younger, the old -man thought, I'd buy a Coke, too, and sit down beside her.... - -"Papa!" his son's wife cried. "You'll fall out of your chair! Why do -you always have to embarrass me like this?" But the insistent voice -could not interrupt the old man's pleasant daydream of conquest. He had -turned off his hearing aid. - - * * * * * - -The redcap stopped alongside the third car of the San-Francisco-bound -streamliner and signaled another redcap who was unloading a baggage -truck. The other came over to help and two pairs of strong young arms -lifted the old man, wheelchair and all, smoothly onto the platform of -the car. - -His daughter-in-law did not board the train. She stood waving, calling -after the old man, "So long, Papa! Have a nice visit with Edna and -remember what I told you!" - -He waved back automatically, but he hadn't heard a word she said. He -didn't turn his hearing aid back on until he had been wheeled inside -the car. - -Most of the reclining seats were already filled. The redcap pushed -the wheelchair the full length of the aisle and parked it in a vacant -space beyond the last seat, across from the washroom. He turned it -crosswise, so it wouldn't roll when the train started moving, and with -its occupant facing the window. - -"Turn me around!" the old man commanded. "Like to see who I'm ridin' -with. If I want to look out, I always got the opposite window." - -The redcap complied, but the old man still wasn't satisfied. "Better -wheel me in the club car straight off," he decided. - -"Sorry, mister," the redcap said, "but you gotta ride in your own car -till the conductor takes the tickets. Then you can have your train -porter take you in there." That wasn't quite true. The conductor could -have picked up the old man's ticket in the club car, but this way the -redcap was not personally violating the orders of the lady who had -given him the tip. - -"Take myself in there, long as he opens the doors," the old man -grumbled. But for the time being, he stayed put. - -The train gave just one lurch, then picked up speed as the straggling -city, then trees and suburbs and finally fields flowed past the -opposite window. Now the old man felt free--for a day, at least, -until his daughter Edna would take over the job supervising his every -move--but at first the trip was lonely. Nobody talked to him and the -only diversion in the car was a baby, which started squalling. - -The old man found himself thinking how much friendlier the atmosphere -was in the pool hall on Figueroa, where he rolled himself almost every -day when he took his "walk" to watch the boys shoot pool. He could get -there alone from his son's house, for there were driveways he could -use to cross the streets, avoiding curbs. He was always welcome in -the pool hall and he saw to it that he remained welcome. Every month, -when his social security check came, he would buy a box of cigars and -a couple of bottles and take them to the pool room, where he poured -drinks for everybody until his money was used up. What else was money -good for but to have a good time? - - * * * * * - -He felt more at home in that dingy place, with the walls covered with -pinups, than he did in his son's modern ranch-style house. For all his -daughter-in-law's fussing over him, her efforts to keep him on the diet -and the medicines that were supposed to prolong his life, he knew she -was glad to get rid of him for the rest of the summer. He knew because -he'd heard what Jane said to her best friend, Sarah Tolliver. Jane kept -track of him by the squeaking of his wheelchair, and once he had bought -a can of oil at the drugstore, and oiled the wheels so they didn't make -a sound as he rolled up the inclined planks Will had laid over the -kitchen steps. - -Sarah and Jane had been in the dining area, having coffee, and the old -man turned up his hearing aid so he could hear what they were talking -about from the kitchen. They were talking about him. - -"You don't know how lucky you are," Sarah was saying, "that it was his -legs gave out on him--not his head. When I was working at the hospital, -I saw so many old folks who were just zombies, not knowing who they -were, where they were, or what time it was. I tell you, there's nothing -worse than that. But Will's dad? Why, he's sharp as a tack. Nobody puts -anything over on him." - -"He's sharp, all right," Jane agreed, "in some ways. But if he had the -use of his legs, he'd be chasing after women. And that pool hall he -hangs out in! When a man gets to be seventy-eight, you'd think he'd -spend his time in church, not in a dive like that." - -"What do you care where he goes?" Sarah asked. "At least it gives you -some time to yourself." - -That was it. The young folks wanted some time to themselves. It was -only natural. Well, Jane would have the house to herself, with no old -man underfoot for the next few months, while he was at Edna's. Edna was -his own flesh and blood; she would mix him a cocktail before dinner and -serve him steaks, not baby food. She would kid with him about what a -Casanova he was before her ma domesticated him, and light his cigars -instead of hiding the box and doling them out one by one. She would -call him George instead of Papa, but it would only be an act, just to -make her old father feel good because she didn't expect him to live -much longer. For all the time it would be understood that he was at -John and Edna's house for a visit, that the place he lived was with -Will and Jane. The truth was that neither of the girls would miss him -if he didn't wind up at either place. - -But what a way to waste a whole golden day he had to _himself_, with -neither daughter nor daughter-in-law to boss or kid him around. He had -looked forward to this day as a day of adventure, a day when anything -could happen, and now he was starting it off on the wrong foot, -wallowing in self-pity. What he needed was a good stiff drink. Yes, at -ten o'clock in the morning! - -When the conductor took his ticket, the old man demanded, "Where in -hell is the porter?" - - * * * * * - -It was a long train and she was hitting ninety now, and though you -would not realize it in the sound-insulated, air-conditioned coaches, -you did when the porter had to use his full weight to push the door -open against the wind, when you heard the clackety-clack of the wheels -on the rails, a fountain of noise rising up between cars, when the -wheelchair swayed precariously as it was pushed across the iron treads -over the couplings. - -The other coaches were filled with bored passengers in various -stages of somnolence, people to whom the trip was merely a means of -getting somewhere else. The club car was different; this was the -gathering-place of those to whom the trip was an end in itself. It -was filled with the smell of ginger ale, good whiskey and the perfume -emanating from two young women at one of the small tables, periodically -inspecting their makeup and hairdos in little mirrors, waiting for some -nice young men to arrive. - -Regretfully, the old man realized that he was not a candidate for the -honor. But a few drinks would dull the twinges in his crippled legs and -make him feel years younger. The white-coated waiter moved a chair, -pulled the wheelchair up next to another small table and placed a paper -napkin meticulously on it. The old man decided to start with a bottle -of beer. Plenty of time to work up to the stronger stuff, and this way -the minimum of pocket money his daughter-in-law had provided would last -longer, perhaps until some free spender started buying drinks. - -As it turned out, he caught his benefactor before the girls did. It was -a young man of perhaps thirty-five, a dead ringer for Marshal Wyatt -Earp. He went directly to the old man's table, as if he had picked him -out. As a matter of fact, he had. - -"May I sit here?" he asked. - -"Glad to have you," the old man said, and meant it. He inspected the -newcomer carefully. It would be almost too good to be true, to meet -one of those actor fellows on the train. No, he decided, the clothes -weren't casual enough for Hollywood; they didn't look like southern -California at all. More the way he imagined an English banker would -dress. Striped pants, cutaway, and a white silk scarf knotted at the -throat. But an Englishman, the old man figured, would order ale instead -of beer, and this one simply pointed to the old man's beer bottle when -the waiter came to take his order. - -"My name's George Murton," the old man said. "You can just call me -George." - -"Yes, indeed," the stranger agreed. "I see we shall get on famously. -Mine is Sandane." - -"Anybody ever tell you that you look like Wyatt Earp, Sandy?" the old -man asked. - -"Earp? I'm afraid I've never met the gentleman." - -"Should have known. You're the bookish type. Prob'ly never watch -television. Sure don't talk like a Westerner, either. You come from -California or elsewhere?" - -"I come from elsewhen." - - * * * * * - -Old George almost choked on a swallow of beer. Of course! That was why -Sandane dressed funny, talked funny; he'd just stepped out of a time -machine, like in the play last night on Channel Two. It all fitted in -with the old man's feeling that this was a day for adventure. But he -mustn't act too surprised; if he did, Sandane would take him for one of -those old codgers who think horse-and-buggy thoughts in the jet age. A -lot of younger folks, too, would say time travel was impossible, the -same ones who'd called artificial satellites impossible. But George -Murton had seen so many new developments in his lifetime that it was -not difficult for him to accept the idea that this young man came from -tomorrow. - -"How long you plan to be here?" he asked casually. "Or maybe I should -say--how long you plan to be here--now?" - -"Not long. Just until I can get a body." - -George found that remark a little confusing. It didn't belong in the -script about the time machine. He felt as if he'd switched channels in -the middle of the first act and tuned in on a murder mystery. - -He leaned across the table and said in a low tone, "If you're figurin' -on gettin' a hired gun to kill somebody, you'd better not talk about it -in here. Too public." - -"On the contrary, it would have to be a living body. But perhaps you're -right. We could talk more freely in my compartment. Would you care to -join me there, George? We could have some refreshment sent in." - -"Sure would. Got a lot of questions I'd like to ask you. You see, I'm -the curious type and I hang around mostly with a bunch of young punks -that don't know nothin' except about the fights and the World's Series. -Since my legs give out on me, I don't get around much. To tell you the -truth, this is the first time I ever met a fellow from--elsewhen." - -"Is it really?" Sandane said politely. "Well, then, you should find it -quite interesting. What shall we have to drink?" - -"Bourbon always suits me." - -"Bourbon? One of the royal families?" - -"Hell, no. You're in America, Sandy, the good old U.S.A. We don't have -no royal families. Bourbon is a drink. Whiskey, _spiritus frumenti_, -hard liquor." - -"Fine. We shall order two flagons of it." - -"Comes in fifths and you drink it in shot glasses, unless you want a -mix. Rather have mine straight, with a water chaser." - -"My error. I seem to have my periods mixed. Suppose you order, since -you know so much more than I about the customs of your time?" The old -man's happy smile suddenly faded and Sandane added hastily, "I shall -pay for it, of course. It's only fitting that you should be my guest, -because I believe you can be a great help to me." - -This time he had hit the jackpot, the old man reflected as he was -wheeled through the dining car to the first class section of the train, -with a porter pushing his chair, Sandane opening the doors, and a -bottle of good bourbon cradled cozily in his lap. Wait till the boys at -the pool hall heard about this trip! - - * * * * * - -The first shot of bourbon warmed his stomach in the good old familiar -way, and somehow that was confirmation that the rest of it was real, -too. - -"How come you talk the language so good?" he asked his host, after the -porter left them alone in the compartment. - -"Is that surprising?" Sandane asked. "It shouldn't be. I'm a student of -history, in your period on a research project. Naturally, I would have -to prepare myself by studying the language of the country and of the -period, in order to pass as one of you." - -"You do real good, Sandy, considering. But why do you want to act like -ordinary folks? Seems to me you ought to go on TV and tell everybody. -Bet some big news commentator would be proud to interview you." - -"Most people of your time would consider it a hoax." - -"Maybe. But as long as you told me this much, let's have the rest of -it. How does this time machine of yours work?" - -"Not a machine, George. A capacity of the human mind. Dormant in -your period, except for rare individuals. But in--elsewhen--we have -learned how to use it. Beyond that I can give you no details. If I gave -them, the method of tapping this talent would be discovered before it -actually was. That is why I can't really talk with anyone about it. So -I can only hint, as I did with you. If I encounter skepticism, I pass -it off as a joke. This time I was lucky--I found someone who would -accept it on faith. Have another?" - -"Don't mind if I do. But it strikes me I'm the lucky one." - -"Perhaps. You could be two thousand dollars richer as a result of -having met me." - -The old man paused with his shot glass halfway to his mouth and set -it down again. "Well, now! I'd be glad to give you any information -that would help you. I seen a lot in my life. But two thousand -dollars--ain't that a mite steep?" - -"Two thousand, give or take twenty--whatever I have left when we reach -San Francisco. Money of this period will be of no use to me if we -complete the transaction, so I may as well give you all of it. You see, -the body I'd like to buy is yours." - -"Hold on, now!" the old man exclaimed, propelling his chair toward the -door of the compartment and fumbling for the knob. "What am I supposed -to do with the money if you get my body?" - -"Please don't be alarmed! It would be an exchange. You'd get the body -I'm using and the money besides." - -"Why in the hell didn't you say so in the first place? For trade, -Sandy, you wouldn't owe me a dime. But I don't get it. Why should you -trade a young, healthy body like yours for this old crippled-up one? -I'd be getting all the best of it!" - -"You may not think so when I tell you that this body I'm using is due -to disintegrate into its component elements in about two weeks, give or -take a day or so." - -"Sandy, you're just going to have to do some explaining. I still might -take you up on the deal, but I got to understand what I'm getting -into." - -"You have a right to an explanation. And I can give it to you without -revealing the actual process of the time transfer. You see, the mind is -capable of an indefinite number of transfers. But a body can be used -for only one. Before we overcame that obstacle, we made some serious -mistakes." - -"What happened?" - - * * * * * - -"It was pretty bad during the experimental trials," said Sandane. "The -pioneers, who transferred in their own bodies, were stuck irrevocably -in the past. To overcome that, some transferred only mentally, which -meant they had to enter unbidden into a host body of the target period. -The more highly trained mind naturally had more strength--the host lost -his identity. What was worse, when the visitor transferred back he -sometimes entered an occupied body instead of his own. When two equally -strong minds contest for one body the result is insanity. And worst of -all, the former host body was left mindless--alive, but how shall I say -it--?" - -"Like a zombie?" the old man asked. "Somebody who don't know who he is, -where he is, or what time it is?" - -"Yea, that's a very good description. Of course, this had to be -stopped." - -"You didn't stop it soon enough," the old man said dryly. "Must be a -lot more of you fellows from elsewhen around than I figured." - -"I assure you we don't do it any more. We grow bodies for transfer -purposes in tanks. Like this one, for example." - -"Well, I do declare," the old man said. "Now, that's what I call -progress. According to that, when your old body wears out, you get a -new one." - -"We haven't achieved immortality yet. The mind has its own natural -span. It is true, however, that we have a greater life expectancy, -and as long as a person lives he can have a body of his choice. But -let's not get off the subject. The point is that I can't transfer back -without a body, or I might get into one that's occupied. And I can't -take this one with me. So I have to have one that is--well, if you'll -forgive me being so blunt, more or less useless to its occupant." - -"It's the truth, Sandy, and nobody knows it better than me. But the -part I don't understand is why the body you're using has to fall apart -in two weeks, if you leave it here." - -"It is actually good for several months after the transfer. I've used -up most of the time with my researches. But as to your question--surely -you see why we can't leave a lot of displaced bodies cluttering up -the past. The few pioneers who got stuck in previous periods were -bad enough. They lived longer than anyone else of the periods, but -they were taken as rare freaks of nature. If this happened on a larger -scale, it would excite comment. Medical men would examine these people -and find certain evolutionary developments--the secret would be out. -In order to avoid that, the bodies grown artificially for transfer -purposes have a built-in trigger mechanism. This also prevents anyone -from over-staying his allotted leave. If I don't find a body to -transfer back in within the next two weeks, I'll be dead." - -"And if you do, I'll be dead," the old man said. - -"I'm afraid so. Meanwhile, though, you'll have a young, healthy body -to do with as you please, and some money to spend. It will happen -suddenly; there will be no discomfort. I thought you looked like a -man who would appreciate that. You would be cheated out of a decent -funeral, however--there will be nothing resembling a body left to bury." - -"Funerals!" the old man snorted. "Them as got nothing else to look -forward to figure on fancy funerals. Me, I don't hanker after anything -I can't be around to enjoy." - -"I'm sorry I can't offer you more than two weeks, give or take a day. I -was unavoidably detained." - -"Can't be helped. I ain't likely to get a better offer, so I'm taking -you up on it. And I admire you for an honest man. You could just as -well of told me I'd have two years--or twenty. I'll do the right thing -by you, too. I won't let out your secret--long as I'm sober, that is." - - * * * * * - -The young man from elsewhen smiled. "I'm not worried about that," he -said, "Who would believe your unsupported statement?" - -"You got a point there," the old man admitted. "Don't hardly believe it -myself, till it happens. When do you do this switch business?" - -"Just before we reach San Francisco, if that suits you." - -"Suits me fine. But I got a daughter, name of Edna Bowers, meeting me -at the station there. How you figure on getting away from her?" - -"It won't be difficult. I will stay with her for a few days; then she -simply will not see me rolling that chair down the block. I will get to -the transfer point by cab and she will turn a report in to the police -that her father is missing. They will, of course, not find the missing -person." - -"You mean you can fix it so she looks right at my body, with you inside -it, and don't see anything?" - -"Certainly. I can control the mind of anyone of this period at will. -Anyone of my time could do so. It's easy." - -"You can? Well, then, why in the hell didn't you? Why should you ask me -my druthers when you could take over my body whether I liked it or not?" - -"That would be highly unethical." - -"Sure would. But to save your life, seems to me you wouldn't be so -squeamish. People nowadays would think like that, anyway. I can see -that they'd have to change a lot before they could be trusted with the -kind of powers you got in elsewhen." - -"They will," the young man from elsewhen assured him. "Human nature -is not immutable. But I take it we are agreed that we trade bodies -just before we reach our destination. Shall we have a toast to it?" He -filled the old man's shot glass so full it sloshed over in the moving -train. - -"Before we drink to it," old George objected, "hadn't you ought to give -me the money to bind the bargain?" - -"Why?" his host asked. "It's in my pocket, which will be yours when we -trade." - -"That's right!" the old man said. "I get the clothes, too, don't I? -Kind of a dignified getup. Sure would admire to be seen in that! Here's -to it!" They clicked glasses and downed the drinks. - -"Now, shall we have some lunch?" Sandane asked. - -"You bet. Say, on the train, I'm tempted to order all the things -that ain't good for me. If I do, my arthritis will be giving me hell -tomorrow. I'm used to that, but as long as you'll be the one to suffer, -maybe I should stick to my diet." - -"Order what you like. I can control the pain for you easily enough." - -"Can you teach me to do that?" the old man asked eagerly. "Wouldn't -want you to be giving out any secrets you ain't supposed to, but surely -that couldn't do any harm." - -"It wouldn't do you any good, either," Sandane replied. "This body -won't give you a bit of trouble as long as it lasts. I absolutely -guarantee that." - -"Not even a headache the morning after?" - -"Not even a headache. Not even fatigue." - -"Think of it! No hangovers in elsewhen. Must be a wonderful age to live -in." - -"You'd be surprised how many people want to get away from it," Sandane -remarked. "Shall we have something sent in or go to the diner?" - -"Let's go to the diner," old George decided. "I want to look over some -of the chicks on this train. Could be one of them is a stranger in San -Francisco, needs somebody to show her the town." - -"Could be," Sandane agreed. - - * * * * * - -After a hearty lunch, without a look at the right side of the menu, the -old man started drinking again. He kept pleasantly tipsy all afternoon, -trying to submerge the recurrent thought that this couldn't really be -going to happen. Sandane continued to act the affable host, but made no -move to put his plan into operation. They were in Sandane's compartment -when the loudspeakers announced that passengers who were leaving the -train at Oakland should get ready. The waiting was getting on the old -man's nerves. - -"All right," he told Sandane, "if this is all a gag, the joke's -finished." - -"It's not a joke," Sandane protested. - -"Then put up or shut up." - -"Very well," Sandane said. "Close your eyes and relax. You will go to -sleep for a few moments." - -The old man was determined to stay awake to see what went on. But in -spite of himself, his eyes closed, his head drooped forward. He dreamed -a long and involved dream about cities of the future, where all the -people had miraculous powers. It seemed to go on for days, yet when he -awoke, with a start, the train still had not reached Oakland. - -He stood up abruptly as he realized that he was alone in the -compartment. Where was Sandane? Next he realized that he was standing, -that he _was_ Sandane, or at least in Sandane's body. He took two -steps to the mirror and stared at it. Cutaway, striped pants, face the -spitting image of Wyatt Earp. It was the old man in the wheelchair who -had left the compartment. - -When he disembarked at San Francisco, he scanned the crowd for the -wheelchair and soon spotted it. Edna had spotted it first--she was -pushing it herself while a redcap followed, carrying the blanket and -the old battered valise that the occupant of the chair had insisted on -taking into his own coach. George tipped his derby to Edna. - -"Mrs. Bowers, I presume? Your father was telling me many nice things -about you on the train." - -Edna laughed. "So you're the gentleman he was with! I guessed from his -breath he'd had company!" - -"Now, Edna," a cracked old voice complained, "ain't no harm in buying a -few drinks for an old man." - - * * * * * - -George looked at the man in the chair in amazement. Was that the way he -had sounded? Somehow, through the hearing aid, his own voice had seemed -louder, less faltering. - -"Only too happy to do it, sir," George said. "The pleasure was all -mine." He wanted to add that Sandane was acting his part superbly, but -didn't know just how to say it before Edna. - -"We could give you a lift to your hotel," Edna suggested. - -"Thank you, madam, but I don't believe I shall check into a hotel as -yet. I shall leave my bags here until later in the evening." George was -surprised how quickly he had assumed the manner of speaking that went -with his clothes. - -"Well, take a couple of drinks for me," the old voice interjected. "Say -hello to them pretty girls for me, too. So long, Sandy, and good luck." - -"So long, George," George replied, his voice choking up with pity for -an old man who could not do what he wanted to do on this beautiful -evening, in this beautiful city. - -When they had gone, he walked out of the station, enjoying every step -of the vigorous young legs, feeling every muscle of the vigorous -young body, glowing with life. Outside, he paused for a moment on the -sidewalk before calling a cab. - -Two weeks, give or take a day or so, would be long enough to do the -town. And two thousand dollars, give or take twenty, would be enough to -do it on. The young-old man from elsewhen and the present was going to -have one hell of a good time. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Young Man from Elsewhen, by Sylvia Jacobs - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - -***** This file should be named 61006-8.txt or 61006-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/0/0/61006/ - -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 print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Young Man from Elsewhen - -Author: Sylvia Jacobs - -Release Date: December 23, 2019 [EBook #61006] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - - - - -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="347" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN</h1> - -<h2>By SYLVIA JACOBS</h2> - -<p class="ph1"><i>One thing the old man was sure<br /> -of—there were far fewer things in<br /> -heaven and earth than were dreamt<br /> -of in his philosophy—till today.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1961.<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>A redcap was pushing a wheelchair through the station, under a ceiling -so lofty that the place seemed empty, though hundreds of people were -milling around, preparing to board the early trains. The old man in -the wheelchair had a blanket over his knees, in spite of July heat in -Los Angeles. Beside him walked a smartly dressed middle-aged woman, -slimmed by diet and with her steel-gray hair looking as if she'd -just stepped out of a beauty parlor. She kept up a steady stream of -admonitions.</p> - -<p>"Now, Papa," she was saying, "don't forget to take your medicine at -lunchtime. Keep your chair out of the aisle—people have to walk -there. And whatever you do, don't go to the club car for a drink—you -know it's bad for your arthritis. The doctor said not more than three -cigars a day. And if Edna isn't at the station to meet you, just wait, -do you hear? It's a long drive from her house and she may be late."</p> - -<p>"Hell's fire!" the old man protested. "I was taking trains before you -were born! How my boy Will stands—"</p> - -<p>He broke off to ogle a Mexican girl, a ripe sixteen, who was walking in -the same direction, ahead of them.</p> - -<p>"Papa! Act your age!" his daughter-in-law said under her breath.</p> - -<p>"Like they say, a woman's as old as she looks, but a man ain't old till -he quits looking," he replied absently.</p> - -<p>The redcap grinned. The little seņorita, not knowing who was watching -her but quite sure someone was, paused to put a dime in a Coke machine. -The wheelchair entourage passed her and the old man craned his neck, -looking backward, determined not to miss anything. The girl sat down on -a bench to drink her Coke. If I were only fifty years younger, the old -man thought, I'd buy a Coke, too, and sit down beside her....</p> - -<p>"Papa!" his son's wife cried. "You'll fall out of your chair! Why do -you always have to embarrass me like this?" But the insistent voice -could not interrupt the old man's pleasant daydream of conquest. He had -turned off his hearing aid.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The redcap stopped alongside the third car of the San-Francisco-bound -streamliner and signaled another redcap who was unloading a baggage -truck. The other came over to help and two pairs of strong young arms -lifted the old man, wheelchair and all, smoothly onto the platform of -the car.</p> - -<p>His daughter-in-law did not board the train. She stood waving, calling -after the old man, "So long, Papa! Have a nice visit with Edna and -remember what I told you!"</p> - -<p>He waved back automatically, but he hadn't heard a word she said. He -didn't turn his hearing aid back on until he had been wheeled inside -the car.</p> - -<p>Most of the reclining seats were already filled. The redcap pushed -the wheelchair the full length of the aisle and parked it in a vacant -space beyond the last seat, across from the washroom. He turned it -crosswise, so it wouldn't roll when the train started moving, and with -its occupant facing the window.</p> - -<p>"Turn me around!" the old man commanded. "Like to see who I'm ridin' -with. If I want to look out, I always got the opposite window."</p> - -<p>The redcap complied, but the old man still wasn't satisfied. "Better -wheel me in the club car straight off," he decided.</p> - -<p>"Sorry, mister," the redcap said, "but you gotta ride in your own car -till the conductor takes the tickets. Then you can have your train -porter take you in there." That wasn't quite true. The conductor could -have picked up the old man's ticket in the club car, but this way the -redcap was not personally violating the orders of the lady who had -given him the tip.</p> - -<p>"Take myself in there, long as he opens the doors," the old man -grumbled. But for the time being, he stayed put.</p> - -<p>The train gave just one lurch, then picked up speed as the straggling -city, then trees and suburbs and finally fields flowed past the -opposite window. Now the old man felt free—for a day, at least, -until his daughter Edna would take over the job supervising his every -move—but at first the trip was lonely. Nobody talked to him and the -only diversion in the car was a baby, which started squalling.</p> - -<p>The old man found himself thinking how much friendlier the atmosphere -was in the pool hall on Figueroa, where he rolled himself almost every -day when he took his "walk" to watch the boys shoot pool. He could get -there alone from his son's house, for there were driveways he could -use to cross the streets, avoiding curbs. He was always welcome in -the pool hall and he saw to it that he remained welcome. Every month, -when his social security check came, he would buy a box of cigars and -a couple of bottles and take them to the pool room, where he poured -drinks for everybody until his money was used up. What else was money -good for but to have a good time?</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He felt more at home in that dingy place, with the walls covered with -pinups, than he did in his son's modern ranch-style house. For all his -daughter-in-law's fussing over him, her efforts to keep him on the diet -and the medicines that were supposed to prolong his life, he knew she -was glad to get rid of him for the rest of the summer. He knew because -he'd heard what Jane said to her best friend, Sarah Tolliver. Jane kept -track of him by the squeaking of his wheelchair, and once he had bought -a can of oil at the drugstore, and oiled the wheels so they didn't make -a sound as he rolled up the inclined planks Will had laid over the -kitchen steps.</p> - -<p>Sarah and Jane had been in the dining area, having coffee, and the old -man turned up his hearing aid so he could hear what they were talking -about from the kitchen. They were talking about him.</p> - -<p>"You don't know how lucky you are," Sarah was saying, "that it was his -legs gave out on him—not his head. When I was working at the hospital, -I saw so many old folks who were just zombies, not knowing who they -were, where they were, or what time it was. I tell you, there's nothing -worse than that. But Will's dad? Why, he's sharp as a tack. Nobody puts -anything over on him."</p> - -<p>"He's sharp, all right," Jane agreed, "in some ways. But if he had the -use of his legs, he'd be chasing after women. And that pool hall he -hangs out in! When a man gets to be seventy-eight, you'd think he'd -spend his time in church, not in a dive like that."</p> - -<p>"What do you care where he goes?" Sarah asked. "At least it gives you -some time to yourself."</p> - -<p>That was it. The young folks wanted some time to themselves. It was -only natural. Well, Jane would have the house to herself, with no old -man underfoot for the next few months, while he was at Edna's. Edna was -his own flesh and blood; she would mix him a cocktail before dinner and -serve him steaks, not baby food. She would kid with him about what a -Casanova he was before her ma domesticated him, and light his cigars -instead of hiding the box and doling them out one by one. She would -call him George instead of Papa, but it would only be an act, just to -make her old father feel good because she didn't expect him to live -much longer. For all the time it would be understood that he was at -John and Edna's house for a visit, that the place he lived was with -Will and Jane. The truth was that neither of the girls would miss him -if he didn't wind up at either place.</p> - -<p>But what a way to waste a whole golden day he had to <i>himself</i>, with -neither daughter nor daughter-in-law to boss or kid him around. He had -looked forward to this day as a day of adventure, a day when anything -could happen, and now he was starting it off on the wrong foot, -wallowing in self-pity. What he needed was a good stiff drink. Yes, at -ten o'clock in the morning!</p> - -<p>When the conductor took his ticket, the old man demanded, "Where in -hell is the porter?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was a long train and she was hitting ninety now, and though you -would not realize it in the sound-insulated, air-conditioned coaches, -you did when the porter had to use his full weight to push the door -open against the wind, when you heard the clackety-clack of the wheels -on the rails, a fountain of noise rising up between cars, when the -wheelchair swayed precariously as it was pushed across the iron treads -over the couplings.</p> - -<p>The other coaches were filled with bored passengers in various -stages of somnolence, people to whom the trip was merely a means of -getting somewhere else. The club car was different; this was the -gathering-place of those to whom the trip was an end in itself. It -was filled with the smell of ginger ale, good whiskey and the perfume -emanating from two young women at one of the small tables, periodically -inspecting their makeup and hairdos in little mirrors, waiting for some -nice young men to arrive.</p> - -<p>Regretfully, the old man realized that he was not a candidate for the -honor. But a few drinks would dull the twinges in his crippled legs and -make him feel years younger. The white-coated waiter moved a chair, -pulled the wheelchair up next to another small table and placed a paper -napkin meticulously on it. The old man decided to start with a bottle -of beer. Plenty of time to work up to the stronger stuff, and this way -the minimum of pocket money his daughter-in-law had provided would last -longer, perhaps until some free spender started buying drinks.</p> - -<p>As it turned out, he caught his benefactor before the girls did. It was -a young man of perhaps thirty-five, a dead ringer for Marshal Wyatt -Earp. He went directly to the old man's table, as if he had picked him -out. As a matter of fact, he had.</p> - -<p>"May I sit here?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Glad to have you," the old man said, and meant it. He inspected the -newcomer carefully. It would be almost too good to be true, to meet -one of those actor fellows on the train. No, he decided, the clothes -weren't casual enough for Hollywood; they didn't look like southern -California at all. More the way he imagined an English banker would -dress. Striped pants, cutaway, and a white silk scarf knotted at the -throat. But an Englishman, the old man figured, would order ale instead -of beer, and this one simply pointed to the old man's beer bottle when -the waiter came to take his order.</p> - -<p>"My name's George Murton," the old man said. "You can just call me -George."</p> - -<p>"Yes, indeed," the stranger agreed. "I see we shall get on famously. -Mine is Sandane."</p> - -<p>"Anybody ever tell you that you look like Wyatt Earp, Sandy?" the old -man asked.</p> - -<p>"Earp? I'm afraid I've never met the gentleman."</p> - -<p>"Should have known. You're the bookish type. Prob'ly never watch -television. Sure don't talk like a Westerner, either. You come from -California or elsewhere?"</p> - -<p>"I come from elsewhen."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Old George almost choked on a swallow of beer. Of course! That was why -Sandane dressed funny, talked funny; he'd just stepped out of a time -machine, like in the play last night on Channel Two. It all fitted in -with the old man's feeling that this was a day for adventure. But he -mustn't act too surprised; if he did, Sandane would take him for one of -those old codgers who think horse-and-buggy thoughts in the jet age. A -lot of younger folks, too, would say time travel was impossible, the -same ones who'd called artificial satellites impossible. But George -Murton had seen so many new developments in his lifetime that it was -not difficult for him to accept the idea that this young man came from -tomorrow.</p> - -<p>"How long you plan to be here?" he asked casually. "Or maybe I should -say—how long you plan to be here—now?"</p> - -<p>"Not long. Just until I can get a body."</p> - -<p>George found that remark a little confusing. It didn't belong in the -script about the time machine. He felt as if he'd switched channels in -the middle of the first act and tuned in on a murder mystery.</p> - -<p>He leaned across the table and said in a low tone, "If you're figurin' -on gettin' a hired gun to kill somebody, you'd better not talk about it -in here. Too public."</p> - -<p>"On the contrary, it would have to be a living body. But perhaps you're -right. We could talk more freely in my compartment. Would you care to -join me there, George? We could have some refreshment sent in."</p> - -<p>"Sure would. Got a lot of questions I'd like to ask you. You see, I'm -the curious type and I hang around mostly with a bunch of young punks -that don't know nothin' except about the fights and the World's Series. -Since my legs give out on me, I don't get around much. To tell you the -truth, this is the first time I ever met a fellow from—elsewhen."</p> - -<p>"Is it really?" Sandane said politely. "Well, then, you should find it -quite interesting. What shall we have to drink?"</p> - -<p>"Bourbon always suits me."</p> - -<p>"Bourbon? One of the royal families?"</p> - -<p>"Hell, no. You're in America, Sandy, the good old U.S.A. We don't have -no royal families. Bourbon is a drink. Whiskey, <i>spiritus frumenti</i>, -hard liquor."</p> - -<p>"Fine. We shall order two flagons of it."</p> - -<p>"Comes in fifths and you drink it in shot glasses, unless you want a -mix. Rather have mine straight, with a water chaser."</p> - -<p>"My error. I seem to have my periods mixed. Suppose you order, since -you know so much more than I about the customs of your time?" The old -man's happy smile suddenly faded and Sandane added hastily, "I shall -pay for it, of course. It's only fitting that you should be my guest, -because I believe you can be a great help to me."</p> - -<p>This time he had hit the jackpot, the old man reflected as he was -wheeled through the dining car to the first class section of the train, -with a porter pushing his chair, Sandane opening the doors, and a -bottle of good bourbon cradled cozily in his lap. Wait till the boys at -the pool hall heard about this trip!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The first shot of bourbon warmed his stomach in the good old familiar -way, and somehow that was confirmation that the rest of it was real, -too.</p> - -<p>"How come you talk the language so good?" he asked his host, after the -porter left them alone in the compartment.</p> - -<p>"Is that surprising?" Sandane asked. "It shouldn't be. I'm a student of -history, in your period on a research project. Naturally, I would have -to prepare myself by studying the language of the country and of the -period, in order to pass as one of you."</p> - -<p>"You do real good, Sandy, considering. But why do you want to act like -ordinary folks? Seems to me you ought to go on TV and tell everybody. -Bet some big news commentator would be proud to interview you."</p> - -<p>"Most people of your time would consider it a hoax."</p> - -<p>"Maybe. But as long as you told me this much, let's have the rest of -it. How does this time machine of yours work?"</p> - -<p>"Not a machine, George. A capacity of the human mind. Dormant in -your period, except for rare individuals. But in—elsewhen—we have -learned how to use it. Beyond that I can give you no details. If I gave -them, the method of tapping this talent would be discovered before it -actually was. That is why I can't really talk with anyone about it. So -I can only hint, as I did with you. If I encounter skepticism, I pass -it off as a joke. This time I was lucky—I found someone who would -accept it on faith. Have another?"</p> - -<p>"Don't mind if I do. But it strikes me I'm the lucky one."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps. You could be two thousand dollars richer as a result of -having met me."</p> - -<p>The old man paused with his shot glass halfway to his mouth and set -it down again. "Well, now! I'd be glad to give you any information -that would help you. I seen a lot in my life. But two thousand -dollars—ain't that a mite steep?"</p> - -<p>"Two thousand, give or take twenty—whatever I have left when we reach -San Francisco. Money of this period will be of no use to me if we -complete the transaction, so I may as well give you all of it. You see, -the body I'd like to buy is yours."</p> - -<p>"Hold on, now!" the old man exclaimed, propelling his chair toward the -door of the compartment and fumbling for the knob. "What am I supposed -to do with the money if you get my body?"</p> - -<p>"Please don't be alarmed! It would be an exchange. You'd get the body -I'm using and the money besides."</p> - -<p>"Why in the hell didn't you say so in the first place? For trade, -Sandy, you wouldn't owe me a dime. But I don't get it. Why should you -trade a young, healthy body like yours for this old crippled-up one? -I'd be getting all the best of it!"</p> - -<p>"You may not think so when I tell you that this body I'm using is due -to disintegrate into its component elements in about two weeks, give or -take a day or so."</p> - -<p>"Sandy, you're just going to have to do some explaining. I still might -take you up on the deal, but I got to understand what I'm getting -into."</p> - -<p>"You have a right to an explanation. And I can give it to you without -revealing the actual process of the time transfer. You see, the mind is -capable of an indefinite number of transfers. But a body can be used -for only one. Before we overcame that obstacle, we made some serious -mistakes."</p> - -<p>"What happened?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"It was pretty bad during the experimental trials," said Sandane. "The -pioneers, who transferred in their own bodies, were stuck irrevocably -in the past. To overcome that, some transferred only mentally, which -meant they had to enter unbidden into a host body of the target period. -The more highly trained mind naturally had more strength—the host lost -his identity. What was worse, when the visitor transferred back he -sometimes entered an occupied body instead of his own. When two equally -strong minds contest for one body the result is insanity. And worst of -all, the former host body was left mindless—alive, but how shall I say -it—?"</p> - -<p>"Like a zombie?" the old man asked. "Somebody who don't know who he is, -where he is, or what time it is?"</p> - -<p>"Yea, that's a very good description. Of course, this had to be -stopped."</p> - -<p>"You didn't stop it soon enough," the old man said dryly. "Must be a -lot more of you fellows from elsewhen around than I figured."</p> - -<p>"I assure you we don't do it any more. We grow bodies for transfer -purposes in tanks. Like this one, for example."</p> - -<p>"Well, I do declare," the old man said. "Now, that's what I call -progress. According to that, when your old body wears out, you get a -new one."</p> - -<p>"We haven't achieved immortality yet. The mind has its own natural -span. It is true, however, that we have a greater life expectancy, -and as long as a person lives he can have a body of his choice. But -let's not get off the subject. The point is that I can't transfer back -without a body, or I might get into one that's occupied. And I can't -take this one with me. So I have to have one that is—well, if you'll -forgive me being so blunt, more or less useless to its occupant."</p> - -<p>"It's the truth, Sandy, and nobody knows it better than me. But the -part I don't understand is why the body you're using has to fall apart -in two weeks, if you leave it here."</p> - -<p>"It is actually good for several months after the transfer. I've used -up most of the time with my researches. But as to your question—surely -you see why we can't leave a lot of displaced bodies cluttering up -the past. The few pioneers who got stuck in previous periods were -bad enough. They lived longer than anyone else of the periods, but -they were taken as rare freaks of nature. If this happened on a larger -scale, it would excite comment. Medical men would examine these people -and find certain evolutionary developments—the secret would be out. -In order to avoid that, the bodies grown artificially for transfer -purposes have a built-in trigger mechanism. This also prevents anyone -from over-staying his allotted leave. If I don't find a body to -transfer back in within the next two weeks, I'll be dead."</p> - -<p>"And if you do, I'll be dead," the old man said.</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid so. Meanwhile, though, you'll have a young, healthy body -to do with as you please, and some money to spend. It will happen -suddenly; there will be no discomfort. I thought you looked like a -man who would appreciate that. You would be cheated out of a decent -funeral, however—there will be nothing resembling a body left to bury."</p> - -<p>"Funerals!" the old man snorted. "Them as got nothing else to look -forward to figure on fancy funerals. Me, I don't hanker after anything -I can't be around to enjoy."</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry I can't offer you more than two weeks, give or take a day. I -was unavoidably detained."</p> - -<p>"Can't be helped. I ain't likely to get a better offer, so I'm taking -you up on it. And I admire you for an honest man. You could just as -well of told me I'd have two years—or twenty. I'll do the right thing -by you, too. I won't let out your secret—long as I'm sober, that is."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The young man from elsewhen smiled. "I'm not worried about that," he -said, "Who would believe your unsupported statement?"</p> - -<p>"You got a point there," the old man admitted. "Don't hardly believe it -myself, till it happens. When do you do this switch business?"</p> - -<p>"Just before we reach San Francisco, if that suits you."</p> - -<p>"Suits me fine. But I got a daughter, name of Edna Bowers, meeting me -at the station there. How you figure on getting away from her?"</p> - -<p>"It won't be difficult. I will stay with her for a few days; then she -simply will not see me rolling that chair down the block. I will get to -the transfer point by cab and she will turn a report in to the police -that her father is missing. They will, of course, not find the missing -person."</p> - -<p>"You mean you can fix it so she looks right at my body, with you inside -it, and don't see anything?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. I can control the mind of anyone of this period at will. -Anyone of my time could do so. It's easy."</p> - -<p>"You can? Well, then, why in the hell didn't you? Why should you ask me -my druthers when you could take over my body whether I liked it or not?"</p> - -<p>"That would be highly unethical."</p> - -<p>"Sure would. But to save your life, seems to me you wouldn't be so -squeamish. People nowadays would think like that, anyway. I can see -that they'd have to change a lot before they could be trusted with the -kind of powers you got in elsewhen."</p> - -<p>"They will," the young man from elsewhen assured him. "Human nature -is not immutable. But I take it we are agreed that we trade bodies -just before we reach our destination. Shall we have a toast to it?" He -filled the old man's shot glass so full it sloshed over in the moving -train.</p> - -<p>"Before we drink to it," old George objected, "hadn't you ought to give -me the money to bind the bargain?"</p> - -<p>"Why?" his host asked. "It's in my pocket, which will be yours when we -trade."</p> - -<p>"That's right!" the old man said. "I get the clothes, too, don't I? -Kind of a dignified getup. Sure would admire to be seen in that! Here's -to it!" They clicked glasses and downed the drinks.</p> - -<p>"Now, shall we have some lunch?" Sandane asked.</p> - -<p>"You bet. Say, on the train, I'm tempted to order all the things -that ain't good for me. If I do, my arthritis will be giving me hell -tomorrow. I'm used to that, but as long as you'll be the one to suffer, -maybe I should stick to my diet."</p> - -<p>"Order what you like. I can control the pain for you easily enough."</p> - -<p>"Can you teach me to do that?" the old man asked eagerly. "Wouldn't -want you to be giving out any secrets you ain't supposed to, but surely -that couldn't do any harm."</p> - -<p>"It wouldn't do you any good, either," Sandane replied. "This body -won't give you a bit of trouble as long as it lasts. I absolutely -guarantee that."</p> - -<p>"Not even a headache the morning after?"</p> - -<p>"Not even a headache. Not even fatigue."</p> - -<p>"Think of it! No hangovers in elsewhen. Must be a wonderful age to live -in."</p> - -<p>"You'd be surprised how many people want to get away from it," Sandane -remarked. "Shall we have something sent in or go to the diner?"</p> - -<p>"Let's go to the diner," old George decided. "I want to look over some -of the chicks on this train. Could be one of them is a stranger in San -Francisco, needs somebody to show her the town."</p> - -<p>"Could be," Sandane agreed.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>After a hearty lunch, without a look at the right side of the menu, the -old man started drinking again. He kept pleasantly tipsy all afternoon, -trying to submerge the recurrent thought that this couldn't really be -going to happen. Sandane continued to act the affable host, but made no -move to put his plan into operation. They were in Sandane's compartment -when the loudspeakers announced that passengers who were leaving the -train at Oakland should get ready. The waiting was getting on the old -man's nerves.</p> - -<p>"All right," he told Sandane, "if this is all a gag, the joke's -finished."</p> - -<p>"It's not a joke," Sandane protested.</p> - -<p>"Then put up or shut up."</p> - -<p>"Very well," Sandane said. "Close your eyes and relax. You will go to -sleep for a few moments."</p> - -<p>The old man was determined to stay awake to see what went on. But in -spite of himself, his eyes closed, his head drooped forward. He dreamed -a long and involved dream about cities of the future, where all the -people had miraculous powers. It seemed to go on for days, yet when he -awoke, with a start, the train still had not reached Oakland.</p> - -<p>He stood up abruptly as he realized that he was alone in the -compartment. Where was Sandane? Next he realized that he was standing, -that he <i>was</i> Sandane, or at least in Sandane's body. He took two -steps to the mirror and stared at it. Cutaway, striped pants, face the -spitting image of Wyatt Earp. It was the old man in the wheelchair who -had left the compartment.</p> - -<p>When he disembarked at San Francisco, he scanned the crowd for the -wheelchair and soon spotted it. Edna had spotted it first—she was -pushing it herself while a redcap followed, carrying the blanket and -the old battered valise that the occupant of the chair had insisted on -taking into his own coach. George tipped his derby to Edna.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Bowers, I presume? Your father was telling me many nice things -about you on the train."</p> - -<p>Edna laughed. "So you're the gentleman he was with! I guessed from his -breath he'd had company!"</p> - -<p>"Now, Edna," a cracked old voice complained, "ain't no harm in buying a -few drinks for an old man."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>George looked at the man in the chair in amazement. Was that the way he -had sounded? Somehow, through the hearing aid, his own voice had seemed -louder, less faltering.</p> - -<p>"Only too happy to do it, sir," George said. "The pleasure was all -mine." He wanted to add that Sandane was acting his part superbly, but -didn't know just how to say it before Edna.</p> - -<p>"We could give you a lift to your hotel," Edna suggested.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, madam, but I don't believe I shall check into a hotel as -yet. I shall leave my bags here until later in the evening." George was -surprised how quickly he had assumed the manner of speaking that went -with his clothes.</p> - -<p>"Well, take a couple of drinks for me," the old voice interjected. "Say -hello to them pretty girls for me, too. So long, Sandy, and good luck."</p> - -<p>"So long, George," George replied, his voice choking up with pity for -an old man who could not do what he wanted to do on this beautiful -evening, in this beautiful city.</p> - -<p>When they had gone, he walked out of the station, enjoying every step -of the vigorous young legs, feeling every muscle of the vigorous -young body, glowing with life. Outside, he paused for a moment on the -sidewalk before calling a cab.</p> - -<p>Two weeks, give or take a day or so, would be long enough to do the -town. And two thousand dollars, give or take twenty, would be enough to -do it on. The young-old man from elsewhen and the present was going to -have one hell of a good time.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Young Man from Elsewhen, by Sylvia Jacobs - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - -***** This file should be named 61006-h.htm or 61006-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/0/0/61006/ - -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 print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Young Man from Elsewhen - -Author: Sylvia Jacobs - -Release Date: December 23, 2019 [EBook #61006] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN - - By SYLVIA JACOBS - - _One thing the old man was sure - of--there were far fewer things in - heaven and earth than were dreamt - of in his philosophy--till today._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1961. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -A redcap was pushing a wheelchair through the station, under a ceiling -so lofty that the place seemed empty, though hundreds of people were -milling around, preparing to board the early trains. The old man in -the wheelchair had a blanket over his knees, in spite of July heat in -Los Angeles. Beside him walked a smartly dressed middle-aged woman, -slimmed by diet and with her steel-gray hair looking as if she'd -just stepped out of a beauty parlor. She kept up a steady stream of -admonitions. - -"Now, Papa," she was saying, "don't forget to take your medicine at -lunchtime. Keep your chair out of the aisle--people have to walk -there. And whatever you do, don't go to the club car for a drink--you -know it's bad for your arthritis. The doctor said not more than three -cigars a day. And if Edna isn't at the station to meet you, just wait, -do you hear? It's a long drive from her house and she may be late." - -"Hell's fire!" the old man protested. "I was taking trains before you -were born! How my boy Will stands--" - -He broke off to ogle a Mexican girl, a ripe sixteen, who was walking in -the same direction, ahead of them. - -"Papa! Act your age!" his daughter-in-law said under her breath. - -"Like they say, a woman's as old as she looks, but a man ain't old till -he quits looking," he replied absently. - -The redcap grinned. The little senorita, not knowing who was watching -her but quite sure someone was, paused to put a dime in a Coke machine. -The wheelchair entourage passed her and the old man craned his neck, -looking backward, determined not to miss anything. The girl sat down on -a bench to drink her Coke. If I were only fifty years younger, the old -man thought, I'd buy a Coke, too, and sit down beside her.... - -"Papa!" his son's wife cried. "You'll fall out of your chair! Why do -you always have to embarrass me like this?" But the insistent voice -could not interrupt the old man's pleasant daydream of conquest. He had -turned off his hearing aid. - - * * * * * - -The redcap stopped alongside the third car of the San-Francisco-bound -streamliner and signaled another redcap who was unloading a baggage -truck. The other came over to help and two pairs of strong young arms -lifted the old man, wheelchair and all, smoothly onto the platform of -the car. - -His daughter-in-law did not board the train. She stood waving, calling -after the old man, "So long, Papa! Have a nice visit with Edna and -remember what I told you!" - -He waved back automatically, but he hadn't heard a word she said. He -didn't turn his hearing aid back on until he had been wheeled inside -the car. - -Most of the reclining seats were already filled. The redcap pushed -the wheelchair the full length of the aisle and parked it in a vacant -space beyond the last seat, across from the washroom. He turned it -crosswise, so it wouldn't roll when the train started moving, and with -its occupant facing the window. - -"Turn me around!" the old man commanded. "Like to see who I'm ridin' -with. If I want to look out, I always got the opposite window." - -The redcap complied, but the old man still wasn't satisfied. "Better -wheel me in the club car straight off," he decided. - -"Sorry, mister," the redcap said, "but you gotta ride in your own car -till the conductor takes the tickets. Then you can have your train -porter take you in there." That wasn't quite true. The conductor could -have picked up the old man's ticket in the club car, but this way the -redcap was not personally violating the orders of the lady who had -given him the tip. - -"Take myself in there, long as he opens the doors," the old man -grumbled. But for the time being, he stayed put. - -The train gave just one lurch, then picked up speed as the straggling -city, then trees and suburbs and finally fields flowed past the -opposite window. Now the old man felt free--for a day, at least, -until his daughter Edna would take over the job supervising his every -move--but at first the trip was lonely. Nobody talked to him and the -only diversion in the car was a baby, which started squalling. - -The old man found himself thinking how much friendlier the atmosphere -was in the pool hall on Figueroa, where he rolled himself almost every -day when he took his "walk" to watch the boys shoot pool. He could get -there alone from his son's house, for there were driveways he could -use to cross the streets, avoiding curbs. He was always welcome in -the pool hall and he saw to it that he remained welcome. Every month, -when his social security check came, he would buy a box of cigars and -a couple of bottles and take them to the pool room, where he poured -drinks for everybody until his money was used up. What else was money -good for but to have a good time? - - * * * * * - -He felt more at home in that dingy place, with the walls covered with -pinups, than he did in his son's modern ranch-style house. For all his -daughter-in-law's fussing over him, her efforts to keep him on the diet -and the medicines that were supposed to prolong his life, he knew she -was glad to get rid of him for the rest of the summer. He knew because -he'd heard what Jane said to her best friend, Sarah Tolliver. Jane kept -track of him by the squeaking of his wheelchair, and once he had bought -a can of oil at the drugstore, and oiled the wheels so they didn't make -a sound as he rolled up the inclined planks Will had laid over the -kitchen steps. - -Sarah and Jane had been in the dining area, having coffee, and the old -man turned up his hearing aid so he could hear what they were talking -about from the kitchen. They were talking about him. - -"You don't know how lucky you are," Sarah was saying, "that it was his -legs gave out on him--not his head. When I was working at the hospital, -I saw so many old folks who were just zombies, not knowing who they -were, where they were, or what time it was. I tell you, there's nothing -worse than that. But Will's dad? Why, he's sharp as a tack. Nobody puts -anything over on him." - -"He's sharp, all right," Jane agreed, "in some ways. But if he had the -use of his legs, he'd be chasing after women. And that pool hall he -hangs out in! When a man gets to be seventy-eight, you'd think he'd -spend his time in church, not in a dive like that." - -"What do you care where he goes?" Sarah asked. "At least it gives you -some time to yourself." - -That was it. The young folks wanted some time to themselves. It was -only natural. Well, Jane would have the house to herself, with no old -man underfoot for the next few months, while he was at Edna's. Edna was -his own flesh and blood; she would mix him a cocktail before dinner and -serve him steaks, not baby food. She would kid with him about what a -Casanova he was before her ma domesticated him, and light his cigars -instead of hiding the box and doling them out one by one. She would -call him George instead of Papa, but it would only be an act, just to -make her old father feel good because she didn't expect him to live -much longer. For all the time it would be understood that he was at -John and Edna's house for a visit, that the place he lived was with -Will and Jane. The truth was that neither of the girls would miss him -if he didn't wind up at either place. - -But what a way to waste a whole golden day he had to _himself_, with -neither daughter nor daughter-in-law to boss or kid him around. He had -looked forward to this day as a day of adventure, a day when anything -could happen, and now he was starting it off on the wrong foot, -wallowing in self-pity. What he needed was a good stiff drink. Yes, at -ten o'clock in the morning! - -When the conductor took his ticket, the old man demanded, "Where in -hell is the porter?" - - * * * * * - -It was a long train and she was hitting ninety now, and though you -would not realize it in the sound-insulated, air-conditioned coaches, -you did when the porter had to use his full weight to push the door -open against the wind, when you heard the clackety-clack of the wheels -on the rails, a fountain of noise rising up between cars, when the -wheelchair swayed precariously as it was pushed across the iron treads -over the couplings. - -The other coaches were filled with bored passengers in various -stages of somnolence, people to whom the trip was merely a means of -getting somewhere else. The club car was different; this was the -gathering-place of those to whom the trip was an end in itself. It -was filled with the smell of ginger ale, good whiskey and the perfume -emanating from two young women at one of the small tables, periodically -inspecting their makeup and hairdos in little mirrors, waiting for some -nice young men to arrive. - -Regretfully, the old man realized that he was not a candidate for the -honor. But a few drinks would dull the twinges in his crippled legs and -make him feel years younger. The white-coated waiter moved a chair, -pulled the wheelchair up next to another small table and placed a paper -napkin meticulously on it. The old man decided to start with a bottle -of beer. Plenty of time to work up to the stronger stuff, and this way -the minimum of pocket money his daughter-in-law had provided would last -longer, perhaps until some free spender started buying drinks. - -As it turned out, he caught his benefactor before the girls did. It was -a young man of perhaps thirty-five, a dead ringer for Marshal Wyatt -Earp. He went directly to the old man's table, as if he had picked him -out. As a matter of fact, he had. - -"May I sit here?" he asked. - -"Glad to have you," the old man said, and meant it. He inspected the -newcomer carefully. It would be almost too good to be true, to meet -one of those actor fellows on the train. No, he decided, the clothes -weren't casual enough for Hollywood; they didn't look like southern -California at all. More the way he imagined an English banker would -dress. Striped pants, cutaway, and a white silk scarf knotted at the -throat. But an Englishman, the old man figured, would order ale instead -of beer, and this one simply pointed to the old man's beer bottle when -the waiter came to take his order. - -"My name's George Murton," the old man said. "You can just call me -George." - -"Yes, indeed," the stranger agreed. "I see we shall get on famously. -Mine is Sandane." - -"Anybody ever tell you that you look like Wyatt Earp, Sandy?" the old -man asked. - -"Earp? I'm afraid I've never met the gentleman." - -"Should have known. You're the bookish type. Prob'ly never watch -television. Sure don't talk like a Westerner, either. You come from -California or elsewhere?" - -"I come from elsewhen." - - * * * * * - -Old George almost choked on a swallow of beer. Of course! That was why -Sandane dressed funny, talked funny; he'd just stepped out of a time -machine, like in the play last night on Channel Two. It all fitted in -with the old man's feeling that this was a day for adventure. But he -mustn't act too surprised; if he did, Sandane would take him for one of -those old codgers who think horse-and-buggy thoughts in the jet age. A -lot of younger folks, too, would say time travel was impossible, the -same ones who'd called artificial satellites impossible. But George -Murton had seen so many new developments in his lifetime that it was -not difficult for him to accept the idea that this young man came from -tomorrow. - -"How long you plan to be here?" he asked casually. "Or maybe I should -say--how long you plan to be here--now?" - -"Not long. Just until I can get a body." - -George found that remark a little confusing. It didn't belong in the -script about the time machine. He felt as if he'd switched channels in -the middle of the first act and tuned in on a murder mystery. - -He leaned across the table and said in a low tone, "If you're figurin' -on gettin' a hired gun to kill somebody, you'd better not talk about it -in here. Too public." - -"On the contrary, it would have to be a living body. But perhaps you're -right. We could talk more freely in my compartment. Would you care to -join me there, George? We could have some refreshment sent in." - -"Sure would. Got a lot of questions I'd like to ask you. You see, I'm -the curious type and I hang around mostly with a bunch of young punks -that don't know nothin' except about the fights and the World's Series. -Since my legs give out on me, I don't get around much. To tell you the -truth, this is the first time I ever met a fellow from--elsewhen." - -"Is it really?" Sandane said politely. "Well, then, you should find it -quite interesting. What shall we have to drink?" - -"Bourbon always suits me." - -"Bourbon? One of the royal families?" - -"Hell, no. You're in America, Sandy, the good old U.S.A. We don't have -no royal families. Bourbon is a drink. Whiskey, _spiritus frumenti_, -hard liquor." - -"Fine. We shall order two flagons of it." - -"Comes in fifths and you drink it in shot glasses, unless you want a -mix. Rather have mine straight, with a water chaser." - -"My error. I seem to have my periods mixed. Suppose you order, since -you know so much more than I about the customs of your time?" The old -man's happy smile suddenly faded and Sandane added hastily, "I shall -pay for it, of course. It's only fitting that you should be my guest, -because I believe you can be a great help to me." - -This time he had hit the jackpot, the old man reflected as he was -wheeled through the dining car to the first class section of the train, -with a porter pushing his chair, Sandane opening the doors, and a -bottle of good bourbon cradled cozily in his lap. Wait till the boys at -the pool hall heard about this trip! - - * * * * * - -The first shot of bourbon warmed his stomach in the good old familiar -way, and somehow that was confirmation that the rest of it was real, -too. - -"How come you talk the language so good?" he asked his host, after the -porter left them alone in the compartment. - -"Is that surprising?" Sandane asked. "It shouldn't be. I'm a student of -history, in your period on a research project. Naturally, I would have -to prepare myself by studying the language of the country and of the -period, in order to pass as one of you." - -"You do real good, Sandy, considering. But why do you want to act like -ordinary folks? Seems to me you ought to go on TV and tell everybody. -Bet some big news commentator would be proud to interview you." - -"Most people of your time would consider it a hoax." - -"Maybe. But as long as you told me this much, let's have the rest of -it. How does this time machine of yours work?" - -"Not a machine, George. A capacity of the human mind. Dormant in -your period, except for rare individuals. But in--elsewhen--we have -learned how to use it. Beyond that I can give you no details. If I gave -them, the method of tapping this talent would be discovered before it -actually was. That is why I can't really talk with anyone about it. So -I can only hint, as I did with you. If I encounter skepticism, I pass -it off as a joke. This time I was lucky--I found someone who would -accept it on faith. Have another?" - -"Don't mind if I do. But it strikes me I'm the lucky one." - -"Perhaps. You could be two thousand dollars richer as a result of -having met me." - -The old man paused with his shot glass halfway to his mouth and set -it down again. "Well, now! I'd be glad to give you any information -that would help you. I seen a lot in my life. But two thousand -dollars--ain't that a mite steep?" - -"Two thousand, give or take twenty--whatever I have left when we reach -San Francisco. Money of this period will be of no use to me if we -complete the transaction, so I may as well give you all of it. You see, -the body I'd like to buy is yours." - -"Hold on, now!" the old man exclaimed, propelling his chair toward the -door of the compartment and fumbling for the knob. "What am I supposed -to do with the money if you get my body?" - -"Please don't be alarmed! It would be an exchange. You'd get the body -I'm using and the money besides." - -"Why in the hell didn't you say so in the first place? For trade, -Sandy, you wouldn't owe me a dime. But I don't get it. Why should you -trade a young, healthy body like yours for this old crippled-up one? -I'd be getting all the best of it!" - -"You may not think so when I tell you that this body I'm using is due -to disintegrate into its component elements in about two weeks, give or -take a day or so." - -"Sandy, you're just going to have to do some explaining. I still might -take you up on the deal, but I got to understand what I'm getting -into." - -"You have a right to an explanation. And I can give it to you without -revealing the actual process of the time transfer. You see, the mind is -capable of an indefinite number of transfers. But a body can be used -for only one. Before we overcame that obstacle, we made some serious -mistakes." - -"What happened?" - - * * * * * - -"It was pretty bad during the experimental trials," said Sandane. "The -pioneers, who transferred in their own bodies, were stuck irrevocably -in the past. To overcome that, some transferred only mentally, which -meant they had to enter unbidden into a host body of the target period. -The more highly trained mind naturally had more strength--the host lost -his identity. What was worse, when the visitor transferred back he -sometimes entered an occupied body instead of his own. When two equally -strong minds contest for one body the result is insanity. And worst of -all, the former host body was left mindless--alive, but how shall I say -it--?" - -"Like a zombie?" the old man asked. "Somebody who don't know who he is, -where he is, or what time it is?" - -"Yea, that's a very good description. Of course, this had to be -stopped." - -"You didn't stop it soon enough," the old man said dryly. "Must be a -lot more of you fellows from elsewhen around than I figured." - -"I assure you we don't do it any more. We grow bodies for transfer -purposes in tanks. Like this one, for example." - -"Well, I do declare," the old man said. "Now, that's what I call -progress. According to that, when your old body wears out, you get a -new one." - -"We haven't achieved immortality yet. The mind has its own natural -span. It is true, however, that we have a greater life expectancy, -and as long as a person lives he can have a body of his choice. But -let's not get off the subject. The point is that I can't transfer back -without a body, or I might get into one that's occupied. And I can't -take this one with me. So I have to have one that is--well, if you'll -forgive me being so blunt, more or less useless to its occupant." - -"It's the truth, Sandy, and nobody knows it better than me. But the -part I don't understand is why the body you're using has to fall apart -in two weeks, if you leave it here." - -"It is actually good for several months after the transfer. I've used -up most of the time with my researches. But as to your question--surely -you see why we can't leave a lot of displaced bodies cluttering up -the past. The few pioneers who got stuck in previous periods were -bad enough. They lived longer than anyone else of the periods, but -they were taken as rare freaks of nature. If this happened on a larger -scale, it would excite comment. Medical men would examine these people -and find certain evolutionary developments--the secret would be out. -In order to avoid that, the bodies grown artificially for transfer -purposes have a built-in trigger mechanism. This also prevents anyone -from over-staying his allotted leave. If I don't find a body to -transfer back in within the next two weeks, I'll be dead." - -"And if you do, I'll be dead," the old man said. - -"I'm afraid so. Meanwhile, though, you'll have a young, healthy body -to do with as you please, and some money to spend. It will happen -suddenly; there will be no discomfort. I thought you looked like a -man who would appreciate that. You would be cheated out of a decent -funeral, however--there will be nothing resembling a body left to bury." - -"Funerals!" the old man snorted. "Them as got nothing else to look -forward to figure on fancy funerals. Me, I don't hanker after anything -I can't be around to enjoy." - -"I'm sorry I can't offer you more than two weeks, give or take a day. I -was unavoidably detained." - -"Can't be helped. I ain't likely to get a better offer, so I'm taking -you up on it. And I admire you for an honest man. You could just as -well of told me I'd have two years--or twenty. I'll do the right thing -by you, too. I won't let out your secret--long as I'm sober, that is." - - * * * * * - -The young man from elsewhen smiled. "I'm not worried about that," he -said, "Who would believe your unsupported statement?" - -"You got a point there," the old man admitted. "Don't hardly believe it -myself, till it happens. When do you do this switch business?" - -"Just before we reach San Francisco, if that suits you." - -"Suits me fine. But I got a daughter, name of Edna Bowers, meeting me -at the station there. How you figure on getting away from her?" - -"It won't be difficult. I will stay with her for a few days; then she -simply will not see me rolling that chair down the block. I will get to -the transfer point by cab and she will turn a report in to the police -that her father is missing. They will, of course, not find the missing -person." - -"You mean you can fix it so she looks right at my body, with you inside -it, and don't see anything?" - -"Certainly. I can control the mind of anyone of this period at will. -Anyone of my time could do so. It's easy." - -"You can? Well, then, why in the hell didn't you? Why should you ask me -my druthers when you could take over my body whether I liked it or not?" - -"That would be highly unethical." - -"Sure would. But to save your life, seems to me you wouldn't be so -squeamish. People nowadays would think like that, anyway. I can see -that they'd have to change a lot before they could be trusted with the -kind of powers you got in elsewhen." - -"They will," the young man from elsewhen assured him. "Human nature -is not immutable. But I take it we are agreed that we trade bodies -just before we reach our destination. Shall we have a toast to it?" He -filled the old man's shot glass so full it sloshed over in the moving -train. - -"Before we drink to it," old George objected, "hadn't you ought to give -me the money to bind the bargain?" - -"Why?" his host asked. "It's in my pocket, which will be yours when we -trade." - -"That's right!" the old man said. "I get the clothes, too, don't I? -Kind of a dignified getup. Sure would admire to be seen in that! Here's -to it!" They clicked glasses and downed the drinks. - -"Now, shall we have some lunch?" Sandane asked. - -"You bet. Say, on the train, I'm tempted to order all the things -that ain't good for me. If I do, my arthritis will be giving me hell -tomorrow. I'm used to that, but as long as you'll be the one to suffer, -maybe I should stick to my diet." - -"Order what you like. I can control the pain for you easily enough." - -"Can you teach me to do that?" the old man asked eagerly. "Wouldn't -want you to be giving out any secrets you ain't supposed to, but surely -that couldn't do any harm." - -"It wouldn't do you any good, either," Sandane replied. "This body -won't give you a bit of trouble as long as it lasts. I absolutely -guarantee that." - -"Not even a headache the morning after?" - -"Not even a headache. Not even fatigue." - -"Think of it! No hangovers in elsewhen. Must be a wonderful age to live -in." - -"You'd be surprised how many people want to get away from it," Sandane -remarked. "Shall we have something sent in or go to the diner?" - -"Let's go to the diner," old George decided. "I want to look over some -of the chicks on this train. Could be one of them is a stranger in San -Francisco, needs somebody to show her the town." - -"Could be," Sandane agreed. - - * * * * * - -After a hearty lunch, without a look at the right side of the menu, the -old man started drinking again. He kept pleasantly tipsy all afternoon, -trying to submerge the recurrent thought that this couldn't really be -going to happen. Sandane continued to act the affable host, but made no -move to put his plan into operation. They were in Sandane's compartment -when the loudspeakers announced that passengers who were leaving the -train at Oakland should get ready. The waiting was getting on the old -man's nerves. - -"All right," he told Sandane, "if this is all a gag, the joke's -finished." - -"It's not a joke," Sandane protested. - -"Then put up or shut up." - -"Very well," Sandane said. "Close your eyes and relax. You will go to -sleep for a few moments." - -The old man was determined to stay awake to see what went on. But in -spite of himself, his eyes closed, his head drooped forward. He dreamed -a long and involved dream about cities of the future, where all the -people had miraculous powers. It seemed to go on for days, yet when he -awoke, with a start, the train still had not reached Oakland. - -He stood up abruptly as he realized that he was alone in the -compartment. Where was Sandane? Next he realized that he was standing, -that he _was_ Sandane, or at least in Sandane's body. He took two -steps to the mirror and stared at it. Cutaway, striped pants, face the -spitting image of Wyatt Earp. It was the old man in the wheelchair who -had left the compartment. - -When he disembarked at San Francisco, he scanned the crowd for the -wheelchair and soon spotted it. Edna had spotted it first--she was -pushing it herself while a redcap followed, carrying the blanket and -the old battered valise that the occupant of the chair had insisted on -taking into his own coach. George tipped his derby to Edna. - -"Mrs. Bowers, I presume? Your father was telling me many nice things -about you on the train." - -Edna laughed. "So you're the gentleman he was with! I guessed from his -breath he'd had company!" - -"Now, Edna," a cracked old voice complained, "ain't no harm in buying a -few drinks for an old man." - - * * * * * - -George looked at the man in the chair in amazement. Was that the way he -had sounded? Somehow, through the hearing aid, his own voice had seemed -louder, less faltering. - -"Only too happy to do it, sir," George said. "The pleasure was all -mine." He wanted to add that Sandane was acting his part superbly, but -didn't know just how to say it before Edna. - -"We could give you a lift to your hotel," Edna suggested. - -"Thank you, madam, but I don't believe I shall check into a hotel as -yet. I shall leave my bags here until later in the evening." George was -surprised how quickly he had assumed the manner of speaking that went -with his clothes. - -"Well, take a couple of drinks for me," the old voice interjected. "Say -hello to them pretty girls for me, too. So long, Sandy, and good luck." - -"So long, George," George replied, his voice choking up with pity for -an old man who could not do what he wanted to do on this beautiful -evening, in this beautiful city. - -When they had gone, he walked out of the station, enjoying every step -of the vigorous young legs, feeling every muscle of the vigorous -young body, glowing with life. Outside, he paused for a moment on the -sidewalk before calling a cab. - -Two weeks, give or take a day or so, would be long enough to do the -town. And two thousand dollars, give or take twenty, would be enough to -do it on. The young-old man from elsewhen and the present was going to -have one hell of a good time. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Young Man from Elsewhen, by Sylvia Jacobs - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG MAN FROM ELSEWHEN *** - -***** This file should be named 61006.txt or 61006.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/0/0/61006/ - -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 print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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