Then Iapologized. "It isn't your fault," I told him. "I'm sorry. I didn'tmean that. I just--well, I wanted to make good on this job."
High-Pockets was very thoughtful. "I feel kind of sorry for you," hesaid.
"Oh, you don't need to. I earned it; I've got it coming. I was just alittle too ambitious, that's all. I didn't know a man could be _too_ambitious."
High-Pockets looked at me. His deep eyes were thoughtful. I could almostsee the neurons buzzing around in his head.
"If I could get this job out for you on time, would that save the day?"
"Probably." I laughed--or tried to. "But it is now a physicalimpossibility. There isn't enough time."
High-Pockets said sharply, "Call a truck," and wheeled out of theoffice.
I called the delivery truck before I realized what I had done. Well, itdidn't make any difference. They could start hauling out the machinery.
I finished cleaning out my desk and took a wastebasket full of papers tothe back shop.
And there, I give you my word, three High-Pocketses were busy carryinggalleys from the type-dump to the proof-press. And as fast as they couldcarry a galley of type from the dump, another galley would justmaterialize there. I stood and stared. Galleys of type were coming outof thin air at the rate of about four galleys a minute.
I went over to where High-Pockets--the original High-Pockets, Isuppose--was sitting at his machine. "Would you please tell me what isgoing on?" I asked.
"Well," said High-Pockets, "it isn't so complicated. I just sent theother five back in time to set this job, that's all. They've gone backabout twelve weeks; and of course there isn't much time, so I had tomake them double up. I've got them split up into shifts, along with adouble of the chairman there, to cover the six machines. It's a littlehard to explain, whether they are split up in time, or the time-splitones are split up in place, or just what."
"It's insane," I said weakly.
"Well, at any rate, you see you have the equivalent of twelve nightshifts running at once, plus twelve graveyard shifts. That's twenty-fourtimes six--you have six machines--times twelve--that's the number ofgalleys a day for each machine. I think it comes out to seventeenhundred for a day's work."
* * * * *
I grabbed hold of the vise-locking screw to keep my knees from doublingunder me. It was incredible--and yet it was true.
High-Pockets also had organized the proofreaders and copyholders, andthey were reading in the past also, and sending us proofs in thepresent. If anybody ever tells you they can't get seventeen hundredgalleys of type a day out of six linecasting machines--well, they justdon't know High-Pockets Jones.
"Of course," he said apologetically, "they'll want to be paid."
I was practically hysterical by that time. "I'll see that they getovertime for every hour they put in."
High-Pockets looked at me with his deep eyes. "Me, too," he said. Ilaughed when I thought how there were nine of him working in twelveplaces at once--or was it twenty-four--or maybe forty-eight. I was toodizzy by that time to figure out anything. I only knew the job was goingto be delivered. The truckers were going in a steady stream through theback door.
Maybe the receivers would close up the place; maybe they wouldn't. Atleast the job was being delivered.
About four-thirty, the galleys suddenly quit coming; the job wasfinished. Half an hour later it was out of the shop, and I had enteredit on the books.
I had hardly laid down the pen when the three receivers came in. Theysmoked a little and talked and I held my breath while they looked at thebooks. I couldn't figure out what they were going to do.
One of them whistled when he saw the Legal Printing Company figures."Well," he said, "business _has_ been good."
"Fair," I said modestly.
The door to the shop opened and High-Pockets Jones walked in. I gulped;eight High-Pockets Joneses walked in behind him.
The three receivers stared. Their eyes stuck out until it was ludicrous.But it wasn't funny; I knew something was going to happen now.
By the time the last High-Pockets got in, the first receiver had seenwhat was going on and was trying to get out, but nine High-Pocketses inone room are a lot. For a minute it looked like a basketball game.
The elder lawyer looked at me suspiciously. "Please explain this."
I was too weak. "See for yourself," I said.
One High-Pockets spoke to me. "Sorry, Mr. Shane. Just came in to saygood-bye. Never realized--"
"That's okay," I said. "You've done your part; I can't squawk."
The attorney spoke up. "Mr. Shane," he said, "I think the affairs ofthe Imperial Printing Company are in perilous circumstances. I do notknow what is the meaning of this, but certainly there is something herewithout precedent." And if you know lawyers, you know that anythingwithout precedent is very unholy.
I told what we had done, but he was interested in only one thing. "Thinkwhat a combined suit by these nine-er-twins here would do."
"Nontuplets," suggested one High-Pockets.
"Why"--the lawyer seemed to be overwhelmed by the enormity of thedamages he was visualizing--"that could amount to millions."
I was desperate for an idea, but it wasn't any use. They were taking itout of my hands. I saw the righteous light in the eyes of those men, andI knew it was all over.
But High-Pockets--or one of him--spoke up. "Is it your intention," heasked me, "to keep the time-machine and the extender?"
"No," I said. "I rather thought I'd get rid of the whole business; it'smuch too complicated. Anyway, you boys out there came through withsuperhuman efforts this afternoon. I don't think I'd ask you to be intwo places at once again."
High-Pockets turned to the lawyer. "If the receivers agree to let theplant operate as long as it shows a profit," he said, "we'll all go backtogether and then you can break up the extender and there won't be anymore trouble. If you don't agree to that"--he paused--"we'll stay innine bodies and sue you every time we get a chance."
The lawyer winced. The receivers went into conference. Finally theysaid, a little anxiously, "If the Messiers High-Pockets will be goodenough to go back together, and if Mr. Shane will destroy the machine,we are agreeable to the plant's continuance as a printing office."
"Hooray!" I said, and nine High-Pocketses yelled hooray.
I was exultant. I shook hands with each one of the High-Pocketses asthey filed into the extender. When there was only one left; he shookhands with me.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Nothing at all," said High-Pockets Jones. "Just got a call this morningfrom a print-shop where they're trying to make the men wearroller-skates so they can move faster. Guess they need me down there. Solong, boss."
"So long," I said. I was sorry to see him go. I locked up the shop--butfirst I cut off all the power and got a pig and smashed up Dr. Hudson'scoils and transformers. I wanted to come down in the morning withoutseeing double.
Nine Men in Time Page 4
