Well, to h.e.l.l with the paradox issue. He'd go back and try again, but this time he wouldn't wait around. When Shel arrived, the other Shel, he'd walk right up to him, and when his father opened the door, they'd both both be standing there. Hi, Dad. be standing there. Hi, Dad. You didn't come back the second time either. You didn't come back the second time either.

[image]

HE set the converter for 10:59 P.M. He glanced over at the hedge on Parvin Street, which, when he arrived, would be shielding a third Adrian Shelborne. He took a deep breath and pressed the black b.u.t.ton. set the converter for 10:59 P.M. He glanced over at the hedge on Parvin Street, which, when he arrived, would be shielding a third Adrian Shelborne. He took a deep breath and pressed the black b.u.t.ton.

The trees and the driveway began to fade. In a moment, he knew, they would come back and only the time would have changed. But the vaguely churning mix of concrete and vegetation hung on. The driveway hung on. Faded out. Came back. Then everything went dark.

He was having trouble breathing.

He tried to step out, get clear, but there was nothing solid underfoot. He sucked in water. Began choking.

The world filled with water.

Panic seized him. He kicked and headed up.

His lungs screamed for air.

Then he broke out into the night, gasping and coughing. It was dark, no moon, no stars, nothing. He rode up the side of a wave and down the other. Water flowed over him, and he went under again.

He got to the surface and saw ocean. Fighting panic, he felt desperately at his pockets. Yes! The converter was still there. He dragged it out and hit the black b.u.t.ton. If nothing else, it should put him back in his own town house.

More water washed over him.

The converter was dark. No response. No power. d.a.m.ned thing. It had gotten wet. He tried to jam it back into a pocket and missed. It slipped away.

Not that it mattered.

He rode up the side of a wave and back down. Ahead, a light moved slowly from right to left. But it looked a thousand miles away. He turned, looked back, and almost screamed with pleasure: An endless band of lights cast their glow into the sky. A sh.o.r.eline.

Thank G.o.d.

He got out of his shoes, salvaged the wallet from his jacket, and let the jacket float away. Forty-five minutes later, the current carried him in. He stumbled half-f rozen onto a beach.

Piers extended into the ocean on either side. An illuminated boardwalk ran along the edge of the sh.o.r.e. He staggered through the sand, found some wooden steps, stumbled up them, and collapsed.

THE doctors p.r.o.nounced him okay, except for a touch of hypothermia. He looked around and saw two of them, and a couple of cops, both women. He was in a hospital room. The police wanted to know what he'd been doing in the ocean. "My boat sank," he said. doctors p.r.o.nounced him okay, except for a touch of hypothermia. He looked around and saw two of them, and a couple of cops, both women. He was in a hospital room. The police wanted to know what he'd been doing in the ocean. "My boat sank," he said.

"We didn't have any emergency calls tonight. Didn't you have a radio?" The cop couldn't believe anybody could be so dumb. She was a young woman, not especially attractive, but okay. Brown hair cut military style. If she could have smiled, she'd have looked a lot better.

"It wasn't working."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Happens all the time. "Is anybody else out there? Were you alone?"

"I was alone."

She was examining his driver's license. "Where are you staying?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Where are you staying? You are staying in Atlantic City, right?"

"Um. One of the hotels."

"Which one?"

"I forget."

She turned back to the doctor. "You going to keep him here tonight?"

"We thought it would be a good idea. Until we're sure he's okay."

She took the doctor aside and spoke quietly to him. He nodded a couple of times. If he gives you any trouble, Doc, let us know, okay? Then they both walked out.

IN the morning, he called Dave. "I could use some help." the morning, he called Dave. "I could use some help."

"Sure. What's the problem, Shel?"

"I seem to have had another one of those incidents."

"Are you okay?"

"More or less."

"What happened? Where are you now?"

"Atlantic City."

"You going to tell me you don't know how you got there?"

"Pretty much."

"It was the converter, right?"

"I'll tell you about it later. Can you pick me up?"

"Sure." He didn't sound happy. He didn't sound happy.

"I wound up in the ocean this time."

"Really? How'd you manage that?"

"I don't know."

SHEL was still in a state of near shock when his ride arrived at the hospital. was still in a state of near shock when his ride arrived at the hospital.

Dave tried to turn it into a joke, and they both laughed. But Shel's heart wasn't in it. They got into the car. "So how'd it happen?" Dave asked.

Shel told him.

"Where's the converter?"

"In the ocean."

"Probably the best place for it." It was a cloudy, cold morning. "Am I taking you home? Or to your father's place?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "My father's place, I guess. That's where the car is."

He pulled out of his parking place and eased onto Pacific Street. But Shel was searching his pockets.

"What's wrong, Shel?"

"I think the key was still in my jacket when I got rid of it."

"What key?"

"The key to my dad's house. I'm going to have to break the window again." He grunted. "Looks like my my keys went, too." keys went, too."

They drove in silence for a while. Finally, Dave sighed. "How many converters do you have?"

"Now? I've two left."

"Do you have any way of checking them? To make sure they don't malfunction, too? I mean, suppose the thing had dumped you out in the middle of the Atlantic instead of close to sh.o.r.e?"

"I don't think it was a malfunction."

"What do you mean?"

"I think it was the cardiac principle."

Dave took a long time to answer: "It's hard to believe."

"I can take a hint."

"So what are you going to do about your father?"

SINCE Shel had no keys, Dave delivered him instead to the town house. It was shortly after noon when they arrived. By then, Shel had been grumbling for an hour. "Going to have to figure out where he went. Find him Shel had no keys, Dave delivered him instead to the town house. It was shortly after noon when they arrived. By then, Shel had been grumbling for an hour. "Going to have to figure out where he went. Find him after after he left." He got out of the car, glanced toward the front door, and led the way around back. he left." He got out of the car, glanced toward the front door, and led the way around back.

"You don't have a spare key stashed anywhere, do you?" asked Dave. "Maybe in a flowerpot, or something?"

"No. My other set of keys is inside." Shel picked up a rock and was about to break a windowpane when Dave raised a hand to stop him. "Hold on," he said.

"Why?"

"I have an idea."

"We could use one."

Dave grinned. "You didn't try the front door."

"I always lock the front door."

"Try it anyhow."

"Okay," he said. "Whatever you say."

The front door was mostly chiseled gla.s.s with an angled frame. Shel turned the k.n.o.b. And the door opened. "I'll be d.a.m.ned." He stared at Dave. "This is the second time this was supposed to be locked."

"How about that?" said Dave.

"Good day to play the horses."

"Shel, I need you to get me one of the converters. Preferably the one I had in New York and Italy, that I know works okay."

"Why?"

"Just do it for me, please. And I'll show you something."

They went into Shel's den. He retrieved a key from a cup that had the Phillies logo and used it to unlock his desk. Then he opened the bottom drawer and removed a converter. "What are you going to do?"

"Will you set it for me?"

"Okay."

"You don't think it'll drop me in the ocean?"

"We'll have to see."

Dave looked at his watch. "It's a quarter after twelve. I want to go back fifteen minutes."

"Where? Here?" And a light went on for Shel. "My G.o.d. And it actually worked?"

"Apparently."

"Brilliant, Dave."

"Thank you."

"I'll take it from here."

"Okay."