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LinetoTomorrow

byHenryKuttner

Acknowledging.Theinitialstepshavebeenaccomplished.Iamnowfitted

satisfactorilyintothebasicsociologicalpattern.

Good.Thecontactisestablished.Fromtimetotimedirectionsand

guidancewillbeissued,Korys-

Thetelephonerang.Fletcherkepthiseyesshutandpretendednottohear

it.Hetriedtorecapturearatherpleasantdream,buttheinsistentshrilling

wouldnotstop.Histime-sensewassufficientlywarpedbyhalf-sleepso

thattheintervalsbetweentheringsseemedtostretchpleasantlyinto

interminableminutes.Thentr-r-r-ranggg!

nd

mutteredaninarticulatesomething.

Korys,avoicesaid.Isthatyou?

Wrongnumber,Fletchergrowled,butbeforehecouldreplacethereceiver,

thevoicewenton.

Good.ForawhileIcouldntmakecontact.Therewasatemporalstorm-at

least,wethinkthatwasit-thoughitmighthavebeenthecreebsshifting.

Youknowhowdifficultitistomaintainacircuitlikethis-whattookyouso

longtoanswer?

Therewasalongpauseofdeadsilence.Fletcher,drunkwithsleep,swayed

onhisfeet,toodrowsytotakethereceiverfromhisear.

Thevoicesaid,Couldnthearme?Thatsodd.Butyoucannow,eh?Well,

youdbetterstartmakingnotesforyourthesis.Heresaninstruction:Buy

Transsteelnow,sellintwodays.Thatwillgiveyoucurrencyforyour

needs.

Silence.Then-

Yes.Butremembertobeunobtrusive.Anddontfelkthesorkins,ifyoucan

avoidit.

Thesilencelengthened.Fletcher,murmuringsomethingaboutpractical

jokes,hungupandwentbacktobed,wherehemanagedtodreamabout

felkedsorkins.Theylookedratherlikepicklesdressedingayredjackets,

buttheireyeswereblue.Bythetimethecreebsshifted-spiderycreatures

theywere,rushinglikelemmingsdownthebeaches-Fletcherwokeupwitha

headacheandamildhangover.Silentlycursinghisownimagin