Марсианские хроники
April 2000: The Third Expedition
"Everyoneknows,"shesaid,"thistownwasbuiltin1868.Isthisagame?"
"No,notagame!"criedthecaptain."We’refromEarth."
"Outoftheground,doyoumean?"shewondered.
"No,wecamefromthethirdplanet,Earth,inaship.Andwe’velandedhereonthefourthplanet,Mars—"
"This,"explainedthewoman,asifshewereaddressingachild,"isGreenBluff,Illinois,onthecontinentofAmerica,surroundedbytheAtlanticandPacificoceans,onaplacecalledtheworld,or,sometimes,theEarth.Goawaynow.Goodby."
Shetrotteddownthehall,runningherfingersthroughthebeadedcurtains.
Thethreemenlookedatoneanother.
"Let’sknockthescreendoorin,"saidLustig.
"Wecan’tdothat.Thisisprivateproperty.GoodGod!"
Theywenttositdownontheporchstep.
"Diditeverstrikeyou,Hinkston,thatperhapswegotourselvessomehow,insomeway,offtrack,andbyaccidentcamebackandlandedonEarth?"
"Howcouldwehavedonethat?"
"Idon’tknow,Idon’tknow.OhGod,letmethink."
Hinkstonsaid,"Butwecheckedeverymileoftheway.Ourchronometerssaidsomanymiles.WewentpasttheMoonandoutintospace,andhereweare.I’mpositivewe’reonMars."
Lustigsaid,"Butsuppose,byaccident,inspace,intime,wegotlostinthedimensionsandlandedonanEarththatisthirtyorfortyyearsago."
