Чужак в чужой стране

           Atlasthemanagedtoanswer,explosively,profanely,andquiteincoherently.Harshawlistened,thensaidtestily,"Allright,allright,butpipedown.YoucanmakeanyarrangementswithMikeyoulike.IthoughtIwasdoingyouafavor."Harshawturnedandbentovertheprojector."Iwanttoseethesepictures.Stickaround,ifyouwantto,untilI’mthrough.Prob’lysafer.Damn!"headded."Thepeskythingsavagedme."

           "Youtriedtoforceit.Here-"DukecompletedtheadjustmentHarshawhadmuffed,thenwentaheadandinsertedthefirstfilmcartridge.Neitherofthemre-openedthequestionofwhetherDukewas,orwasnot,stillworkingforJubal.ThecameraswereMitchellservos;theprojectorwasaYashinontabletoptank,withanadaptertopermitittoreceiveLandSolid-Sight-Sound4mm.film.Shortlytheywerelisteningtoandwatchingtheeventsleadinguptothedisappearanceoftheemptybrandycase.

           Jubalwatchedtheboxbeingthrownathishead,sawitwinkoutinmidair."That’senough,"hesaid."Annewillbepleasedtoknowthatthecamerasbackherup.Duke,let’srepeatthatlastbitinslowmotion."

           "Okay."Dukespooledback,thenannounced,"Thisisten-to-one."

           Thescenewasthesamebuttheslowed-downsoundwasuseless;Dukeswitcheditoff.TheboxfloatedslowlyfromJill’shandstowardJubal’shead,thenquitesuddenlyceasedtobe.Butitdidnotsimplywinkout;underslow-motionprojectionitcouldbeseenshrinking,smallerandsmalleruntilitwasnolongerthere.

           Jubalnoddedthoughtfully.