"But that first time, when I came to him, scared and ready to cry-it had hurt, Theodore, and wasn't the thrill I had expected-that time Father just sighed and locked the door and had me get on his surgery table and examined me and assured me that I hadn't been damaged-and I felt much better!- and told me that I was as healthy a woman as he had ever examined and would have babies with no trouble-and that made me feel smug-and Father was right; I have babies easily and don't yell-or not much. Not the way Mother used to.

"After that, Father examined me from time to time. Doctors don't ordinarily treat their female relatives, not for female things. But Father was the only doctor I dared tell. So Father helped me with my problems and got me all over any shyness about being looked at there or anywhere. Not that I was ever too shy; he told me that sort of modesty was dadratted nonsense-when Mother was telling me the exact opposite. I believed him, didn't believe her.

"But I was telling you what Brian said to me in bed that night. Brian added, 'I want you to promise one thing, Pussycat. If you find that you haven't kept your legs crossed, will you keep it to yourself until this war is over? I will do the same if I have something to confess-and I might! Let's not worry each other more than we have to until the Kaiser is taken care of. Then when I come home, I'll take you to the Ozarks-leave the children home with someone; just us two- and. you won't see anything but the ceiling while we get caught up, and also catch up on anything we need to talk about. Is it a bargain, my darling?'

"I promised, Theodore. I didn't promise not to jump the fence; he wouldn't let me promise that. I promised to be careful-and to save any confessing until the war was won. I wanted to promise that much because he might not come back!"

Her voice had been steady up to the last. Then it broke, and he realized that she was crying. He started to remove his hand and to pull over to the side of the road. Mrs. Smith grabbed his hand, pushed it more firmly back between her thighs, and said, "No, no, do touch me and don't stop the car! Or I might rape you. I don't know why it makes me so passionate when I let myself remember that Brian might not come back from the war. But it does. I've been that way ever since the day we declared war...and always have to look serene and calm and unworried. For the children. For Brian. I haven't let Brian see me cry, Theodore. You have just now- I suddenly could not help it. But I would rather you told Brian that I tried to seduce you than have you tell him that I cried through fear that he might not come back!

"And now I'll stop it." Mrs. Smith took a kerchief from her purse, wiped her eyes, blew her nose. "Don't take me home yet; the children must not see me with my eyes red."

Lazarus decided to break cover. "I love you, Maureen."

"I love you, Theodore. In spite of my tears, you have made me happy. By letting me unburden myself-and I should not have; you are going to war, too. I feel almost married to you now, by telling you things I haven't been able to talk about with anyone else. If you had put me on the grass and had me-it would have been sweet and just what I planned. But this is even closer. And sweeter. A woman can open-her body to a man without opening her mind. I had two babies by Brian before I learned to open my mind to him the way I have to you tonight."

"Perhaps our minds are much alike, Maureen. Your father thinks we are cousins."

"No, he doesn't, darling; he thinks you're my half brother."

"Did he say that?"

"And I think so, too. By things Father did not say, dear Theodore. By how broken up he was when he misunderstood you about your intention to enlist. By the way he insisted that we must claim a service star for you. I feel sure he is right...and I want to believe it. Yes, that makes what I tried to do to you dreadfully sinful in some people's eyes, Incest. I did not care a whit. Since I'm pregnant, it could not possibly cause harm to a baby and that's the only thing that could make incest wrong."

(How to tell her? How much to tell her? But I must make her believe me.) "Your church would call it sinful."

"I don't give a fig for the church! Theodore, I'm not devout; I'm a freethinker, like Father. Church is a good atmosphere for children-and gives me a proper appearance as a respectable wife and mother-that's all! 'Sin' would not stop me; I don't believe in sin the way the church means it. Sex isn't sin, sex is never sin. What would stop me would he a chance of getting pregnant by someone other than Brian-but I am pregnant. That you ere my half brother didn't cause me a moment's fret; it just made me more anxious to tell you a warrior's good-bye."

"Maureen, I'm not your half brother."

"Are you sure? Even if you're not, you are still my warrior-I was as proud as Father when you volunteered."

"I'm your warrior, be sure of that. But I need to know something. This man Nancy may marry- Is he a Howard?"

"What did you say?"

"Is he on the approved list of the Ira Howard Foundation?"

He heard her catch her breath. "Where did you hear of the Foundation?"

'"Life is short-'"

"'But the years are long,' " she answered.

" 'Not "While the Evil Days Come Not."'"

"Goodness! I- I think I'm going to cry again!"

"Stop it. What is the young man's name?"

"Jonathan Weatheral."

"-of the Weatheral-Sperling line. Yes, I remember. Maureen, I am not 'Ted Bronson.' I am Lazarus Long of the Johnson Family. Your family. I am descended from you."

For several moments she seemed not to breathe. Then she said softly, "I think I am losing my mind."

"No, my gallant love, you have as strong and sane a mind as I have ever met. Let me explain because I must tell you something and you must believe me. Have you read a novel by Mr. Herbert George Wells called The Time Machine?"

"Why, yes. Father has a copy."

"That's me, Maureen. Captain Lazarus Long, Time Traveler."

"But that book- I thought it was just a...a-"

"Just a story. It is. But it won't stay that way. Oh, not quite the way Mr. Wells visualized it. But that's what I am, a visitor from a future time. I didn't intend to let anyone suspect this; that's why I claimed to be a foundling. Not only is it hard to prove, but any attempt would interfere with my purpose which is simply to visit this time and observe it. Might even get me locked up as crazy. So I've been careful to keep my mask on, as careful as-well, as you are. In talking to those Simpsons. In not letting your children see you cry. You and I do it the same way. Audacity...plus never telling lies we can be caught in."

"Theodore, I think you believe this."

"Meaning that I sound sincere but must be crazy."

"No, no, dear, I- Yes, that's what I meant. I'm sorry."

"No reason to be sorry; it does sound crazy. But I'm not afraid that you will have me sent to St. Joe; I'm as safe with you as you are with me. But I must find some way to convince you that I am telling the truth...because I am about to tell you something you must believe. Or I have dropped my mask to no point."

He stopped to think. How to prove it? Some prediction? It would have to be very short range to serve the only purpose he had in breaking cover. But he hadn't briefed himself on this year; he hadn't intended to arrive until 1919 and knew so little about the years before 1919 that he had even mixed up the date that the United States got into this war. Lazarus, damn your sloppy ways, the next time you make a time trip you're going to memorize everything about the era that Athene can give you-and a wide margin on both sides!

Woodie's memories were no help; Lazarus did not even recall having been taken to Electric Park by a sergeant in uniform. Self-centered brat! Electric Park he remembered; Woodie Smith had gone there many times. But no visit stood out in his mind.