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– well, we’d lately made the first lunar landings, and we’d had
     atomic energy for, uh, twenty-five years—’
    ‘So. I see. Shortly before the Age of – no, I shouldn’t say. You might get back. Will, if I can help it. You’d not like to
     know what’s coming. I’m terribly sorry about this mess. Who’re your friends?’
    ‘The blond man’s early Russian, I think. The short man says he’s a Hun – I think. The woman here … I can’t figure her out.’
    ‘Hm. Yes. We can get – you can get – closer information after using the
mentatór.
The helmets are set for scan and imprint. Make sure which is which.
    ‘Listen, pick whoever’s from the most ancient period – looks like that’ll be her – make her supply your common language. Most
     useful one, you see? We’re only a short ways back in time and south in space from … the point … where themachine sucked in the last person. I’d nearly gotten it braked … by then.
    ‘Early model. S’posed to be insulated … against energy effects. Takes immense energy concentration to warp the continuum.
     For returning home … would’ve assembled the nuclear generator we carry … outside the vessel, of course, because the energy
     release’s in the megaton range. …’
    Sahir plucked at his robe. His head rolled, as did his eyes within their sockets. His voice was nearly inaudible, the momentary
     strength running out of him like wine from a broken cup; but he whispered in pathetic haste:
    ‘Warp fields … s’posed to be contained, controlled, not interact with matter en route … but defect here. Defect. Soon after
     we started, instruments mentated to us that we’d drawn a body along. I ordered a halt right away … but inertia – We c’lected
     higher animals only, men, horse,’ cause control, instrumentation, everything mentated…. And then we passed too close in spacetime
     to – to some monstrous energy release, I don’t know what, terrible catastrophe in this far past. Course was pre-set, y’ get
     me? We were s’posed to pass by – for a boost – but we were leaving the whole job to the computer. … Now, when we’d nearly
     stopped … faulty insulation, did I tell you? Interaction with our warp fields. Blew out our interior power cybernets. Radiation
     blast – s’prised I’m still alive – partner’s dead – knocked me out for a while – I came to, figured I’d go meet you, but—’
    Sahir tried to lift his hands. Reid took them. It was like holding smoldering parchment. ‘Listen,’ Sahir susurrated desperately.
     ‘That… blowup, crash, whatever it is … in this part of the world. Near future. Year or less. Listen. There aren’t … won’t
     be… many time expeditions. Ever. Energy cost too great … and … environment couldn’t stand much of that…. But anything this
     big, bound t’ be observers. Understand? You find ’em, identify yourself, get help – maybe for me too—’
    ‘How?’ Reid choked.
    ‘First… get me to vehicle. It’s wrecked, but… medical supplies. … They’ll come through time, to this day, bring help, surely—’
     Sahir jerked as if a lightning bolt coursed through him. ‘
Nia!
’ he screamed.
‘Fabór, Teo,
nia,
nia!’
    He crumpled. His eyeballs rolled back, his jaw dropped. Reid attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest massage. They
     were of no use.

CHAPTER FIVE
    Night brought cold air and brilliant stars. The sea glimmered vaguely. It was without surf or tides, but wavelets chuckled
     against the stones of the beach. The land reared and rolled southward, a blackness where hills stood humpbacked athwart the
     constellations and yelps resounded which Reid guessed were from jackals.
    He had considered gathering brush for a fire, after Sahir was laid in a gully and covered with clods and rocks for lack of
     grave-digging tools. His pipe lighter would kindle it. Uldin, assuming they must go through the laborious use of the flint
     and steel he carried,