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heavens alone knew what; or what the complexities would be of skipping from one line to another. On
the other hand, everything might be predetermined. That was precisely what the experiments currently in
progress were designed to find out. Also, double passes through the process within too short a span of
time caused disorientation of the central nervous system, and what the effects might be on somebody in
Gorfmann s already unbalanced condition was anybody s guess.
Agreed, Osternak One said. Which took care of the hours they could have spent debating things like
that.
I suggest that we play it safe until we re out of this wretched loop that Gorfmann has initiated,
Osternak Two said. Having two maniacs around is more than I know how to handle. So I say, let s play
everything as it happened until the time that Gorfmann transferred back the first time to commit the
murder. After that version of him goes back, there will only be one of him left, which will be a much
simpler situation. We can worry about what to do next at that point.
What time was that when he went back? Osternak One asked.
I don t know. I m not even sure when he arrived. But since there have been people working in the
transfer dome all day, I suspect he s already here somewhere. My guess is that he arrived last night or
early this morning, and is holed up somewhere until the time he has picked.
Osternak One nodded slowly. Ah, I see . . . which will no doubt coincide with the time his other self is
publicly visible at the banquet in Innsbruck.
Exactly, Osternak Two said.
Hmm. Osternak rubbed his chin. Which one of us is going to get murdered? he asked
uncomfortably.
Well, I ve already been who you are right now, so it will have to be you.
Oh. Osternak One didn t sound overthrilled. Then his expression changed as the implication struck
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him. Wait a minute, Osbert. If you were me, and you re not dead, then you can t have been killed.
Yes, I know you feel slightly stupid for having taken so long to see it, for I felt the same thing myself at
this moment. So don t worry about it. The next question is, how are you going to stop him doing it?
You could tell me, of course.
Which is what I said, too, when I was you, of course. But I also know that you realized while you were
saying it that it wouldn t do. It has to be your idea, to keep things the way they happened. We can
experiment later with what happens when you deliberately change things but let s get out of this
situation first. Which I remember is what you are thinking yourself at this moment, anyway.
Well, if he is hiding in the building somewhere, we could search the place and . . . No, that wouldn t
work, would it? That can t have happened with you.
You re catching on.
Why? Did you start to say the same thing?
Yes.
But I assume I must come up with something, since you evidently did.
I hope so. If not, God alone knows what happens.
Osternak One ran his fingers through his halo of white hair. Well, the only think I can think of is that
we I, that is, must fake it. Where do I get shot? Nothing gruesome, I hope.
Twice, in the chest.
Whose gun does he use?
Yours, from the desk. He makes it look as if an intruder was disturbed.
Osternak One thought for a moment, and then his expression lightened. Ah, yes, well, in that case I
could reload it with blanks. The sticky red solvent they use in the plating shop should make a passable
blood substitute. . . . Er, does this happen in good light?
Osternak Two beamed and nodded approvingly. No, right here in the office. He lures you up to
Hoetzer s lab for a few minutes with a bogus phone call, and when you get back he has fixed the lights.
Complete darkness, apart from the light from the corridor.
So a handful of the stuff carried in and smacked to the chest when he fires? . . .
Splendid, splendid! Osternak Two said. He had a painful bruise on his hip from where he had fallen
over the chair, but saw no need to say anything about that. Now, you have to stay here to take the
phone call, which will come at about eight-thirty. Before then, I will have left a jar of red solvent from the
plating shop on the table by the graphics printer in Hoetzer s office you ll find out why when Gorfmann
phones you. Also, I intend to install a hidden camera in the transfer-chamber room, running off a timer, to
record when Gorfmann makes his first transfer back. Once that has occurred, we shall be out of the
loop.
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