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t his pool…hall 'chess club。' How did you do it？ Private detectives？ I doubt that our church or that pool hall can be looked up in the Foundation records。〃
〃Something like that。 Yes； gentle ancestress； I looked for an acceptable way to meet you。 I would have spent years on it had it been necessary 。 。 because I couldn't twist your doorbell and say； 'Hi there！ I'm descended from you。 May I e in？' You would have called the police。〃
〃I hope I would not have； darling…but thank you for finding a gentler way。 Oh； Lazarus； I love you so！…and believe every word and I'm no longer worried about Brian； I know he'll e back to me！ Uh 。 。 I'm feeling very brazen again and more passionate than ever and I want to know something。 About your family。〃
〃I'm delighted to talk about them。 I love them；〃
〃I was most flattered to be pared with your wife Tamara。 Darling； you don't… have to tell me this： Does it ever happen that two husbands sleep with one wife？〃 …
〃Oh； certainly。 But it's more likely to be one husband…
Galahad…another of your descendants； Grandmother…Galahad an& twp of our wives； 'Galahad is the original tireless tomcat。〃 …
〃That sounds 1…ike fun； but it's the other bination that intrigued me。 Beloved； my idea of heaven would be to take both you and Brian to bed at once…and do my best to make you both happy。 Not that I ever can。 But I can dream about it 。 。 and will。〃
〃Why not out in the woods and strip down for both of us； just to your 'French postcard' costume？ As long as you're dreaming。〃'
〃Ooooh！ Yes； I'll put that into my dream…and now rm
about to go off like a firecracker！〃…
〃I'd better take you home。〃…
〃I think you ~had better。 I'm terribly happy and quite unworried…and will stay so…and very passionate。 For you。 For Brian。 For … being a French postcard in the woods。 In daylight。〃
〃Maureen； if you can sell the idea to Brian 。 … well； I'll be around until the second of August； 1926。〃
〃Well 。 。 we'll see。 I want to！〃 She added； 〃Am I permitted to tell him？ Who you are and where you're from…the future…and your prediction that he won't be hurt？〃
〃Maureen； tell anyone you wish。 But you won't be believed。〃
She sighed。 〃I suppose so。 Besides； if Brian did believe it and thereby believed that he had a charmed life…it might make him careless。 I'm proud that he is going to fight for us
but I don't want him to take unnecessary risks。〃
〃I think you're right； Maureen。〃
〃Theodore 。 。 my mind has been so busy with all these strange things that I missed something。 Now that I know who you are… This isn't your country； and it's nOt your war…so why did you volunteer？〃
Lazarus hesitated； then told the truth：
〃I wanted you to be proud of me。〃…
〃Oh！〃
〃No； I don't belong here and it's not my war。 But it's your war； Maureen。 Others are fighting for other reasons…I'll be fighting for Maureen。 Not 'to make the world safe for democracy'…this war won't acplish that； even though the Allies are going to win。 For Maureen。〃
… 〃Oh！ Oh！ I'm crying again…I can't help it。〃
〃Stop it at once。〃
〃Yes； my warrior。 Lazarus？ You … will e back？ You must have some way to know。〃
〃Huh？ Dear； don't worry about me。 People have tried to kill me in all sorts of ways…I've outlived them all。 I'm the wary old cat who always has a tree within reach。〃
〃You didn't answer me。〃
He sighed。 〃Maureen； I know Brian will e home； it's In the Foundation's records。 He will live to a ripe old age and don't ask how long as I won't answer。 And so will you； and I won't answer that either； it is not good to know too much about the future。 But me？ I can't know my future。 It is not in the records。 How could it be？ I haven't finished it yet。 But I can tell you this： This is not my first war； but about the fifteenth。 They didn't get me in the others； and they'll have to … move fast to kill me in this one。 Beloved； I am your warrior…but to kill Hues for you； not for them to kill me。 I'll do my duty； but I'm not going to try some crazy 。stulit to win a medal… not old Lazarus。〃
〃Then…you don't know。〃
〃No； I don't But I promise you this： I won't stick my head up when I don't need to。 I won't go into a German dugout without tossing a grenade in ahead of me。 I won't assume that a German is dead because he appears to be…I'll make sure he's dead； I don't mind wasting a bullet on a corpse。 Especially one who is playing 'possutn。 I'm an old soldier； and that's how one gets to be an old soldier…by being a pessimist。 I know all the tricks。 Darling； having quieted your worries about Brian； it would be silly to get you worried about me。 Don't！〃
She sighed。 〃I'll try not to。 If you turn down this street； we can pick up Prospect； then across Linwood to Benton。〃
〃I'll get you home。 Let's talk about ？ove； not war。 Our girl Nancy…Is the Foundation now using a pregnancy rule？ For first marriages？〃 …
〃Goodness！ You do know all about it〃
〃No need to tell me。 Nancy's business。 If Jonathan does go to war…I don't know…I can assure you that he won't get his balls shot off； even if he loses an arm or a leg。 I did look up the breeding records on all your children even though I didn't bother with their birthdays。 Jonathan and Nancy are going to have many babies。 Which means he es back…or maybe gets turned down and won't go。〃
〃That's forting。 How many babies？〃
〃Nosy little girl。 You're going to have quite a number yet
c~ I
yourself； Grandmother； and I won't answer that； … either。 I withdraw the。question about the pregnancy rule。〃 …
〃Secret； Lazarus…〃…
〃Better start calling me 'Theodore。' We'll be home soon。〃 …
〃Yes； sir； Staff Sergeant Theodore Bronson； your lecherous old great…great…great…grandmother will be careful。 How many 'greats' should there be in that？〃
〃Sweetheart； do you want that answered？ If it had not been necessary to calm your fears about Brian； I would have stayed 'Ted Bronson。' I like being your 'Theodore。' Fm not sure that being a mysterious man from the future is going to be as fortable。 Especially if you think of me as some remote descendant I'm here beside you； not in some far future。〃
〃Beside me。 Touching me。 And yet you're not even born yet…are you？ And… in your time … … I'm long dead。 You even know when I will die。 You said so。 You just won't tell me when。〃
〃Oh； confound it； Maureen； that's wrong all the way through！ That's what es of admittmg that I've time…traveled。 But I had to。 For you。〃 …
〃I'm sorry； Laz… Theodore my warrior。 I won't ask any more… questions。〃
〃Sweetheart； the fact that I am here means that you're no：
dead。 And I certainly was born； pinch me and find out。 All 'flows' are equal； that is the basic theorem of time travel。 They don't disappear； both 'past' and 'future' are mathematical abstractions； the 'now' is always all there is。 As for knowing the day you died…or will die； it