Duel by Richard Matheson Page A

he asked vaguely, looking around.
    â€œPersonal force, personal force,” bumbled the man. “At the moment it leaves your re-formed body, it will return to the moment you originally—uh—died. In your case that would be—when?”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    The man shrugged. “No matter, no matter. Take my word for it. You’ll soon be back in your own time.”
    â€œWhat about the machine lab?” Wade asked again.
    â€œNext stop,” said the man.
    â€œCan we go there, I mean?”
    â€œOh,” grumbled the man, “I suppose I could drop in and take a look at it. Think they’d let me know. Never any cooperation with the military. Invariably—” His voice trailed off. “No,” he resumed. “On second thought, I’m in a hurry.”
    Wade watched the man lower his weapon. He clenched his teeth and braced himself to lunge.
    â€œWell,” said the man, “on third thought …”
    Closing his eyes, Wade slumped back and exhaled a long shuddering breath through his pale lips.
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    It was still intact, its gleaming metal reflecting the tiers of bright overhead lights—and the circular door was open.
    There was only one student in the lab. He was sitting at a bench. He looked up as they entered.
    â€œCan I help you, Commander?” he asked.
    â€œNo need. No need,” said the officer in an annoyed voice. “The re-form and myself are here to see the time-chamber.” He waved toward the platform. “That it?”
    â€œYes, that’s it,” said the student, looking at Wade. Wade averted his face. He couldn’t tell whether the student was one of the four who had been there before. They all looked alike. The student went back to his work.
    Wade and the Commander stepped up on the platform. The Commander peered into the interior of the sphere.
    â€œWell,” he mused, “who brought it here, I’d like to know.”
    â€œI don’t know,” Wade answered. “I’ve never seen one.”
    â€œAnd you thought you could use it!” The Commander laughed.
    Wade glanced around nervously to make sure the student wasn’t watching. Turning back, he scanned the sphere rapidly and saw that it wasn’t fastened in any way. He started as a loud buzzer sounded and looking around quickly, saw the student push a button on the wall. He tightened in fear.
    On a small teleview screen built into the wall, Clemolk’s face had appeared. Wade couldn’t hear the historian’s voice but his face showed excitement at last.
    Wade spun back, facing the chamber, and asked, “Think I could see what it’s like inside?”
    â€œNo, no,” said the commander. “You’ll play tricks.”
    â€œI won’t,” he said, “I’ll just—”
    â€œCommander!” cried the student.
    The Commander turned. Wade gave him a shove, and the corpulent officer staggered forward, his arms flailing the air for balance, and a look of astonished outrage on his face.

    Wade dove into the time chamber, cracking his knees on the metal deck, and scrambled around.
    The student rushed toward the sphere, pointing one of those dull black tubes ahead of him.
    Wade grabbed the heavy door and with a grunt of effort pulled it shut. The heavy circle of metal grated into place, cutting off a flash of blue flame that was directed at him. Wade spun the wheel around feverishly until the door was securely fixed.
    They would be cutting the chamber open any moment.
    His eyes swept over the dials as his fingers worked on the strap buckles. He saw that the main dial was still set at five hundred years and reaching over, flipped it to reverse position.
    Everything seemed ready. He had to take a chance that it was. There was no time to check. Already a deadly cutting flame might be directed at the metal globe.
    The straps were fastened. Wade braced himself and threw the main