The barn turned out to be a spaceship in disguise, andthat was only the beginning. Before his strange adventureended, young Paul Asher found himself going around incircles—very peculiar circles indeed!
DOUBLE TAKE
By Richard Wilson
Illustrated by Paul Orban
Paul Asher, 27, men's furnishingsbuyer, leaned back andlet the cloth band be fastened acrosshis chest, just under his armpits. Headjusted his heavy spectacles, closedhis eyes for a moment, breatheddeeply, and was off.
The semi-darkness was dispelledas he shot out of a tunnel into dazzlingsunlight. The high-poweredvehicle he was driving purredsmoothly as it took the long, risingcurve. The road climbed steadilytoward the mountaintop city ahead.He looked around to satisfy himselfthat he was alone in the car.
He wasn't.
The girl was a pretty one. He'dseen her somewhere before, hethought. She was looking insolentlyat him, her wide red mouth in ahalf smile. Her dark hair stirred inthe breeze coming through the window,next to her, which was openjust a slit.
She said: "Just keep going,Sweetheart, as fast as you can."And she patted the oversizedpocketbook that lay in her lap.
He pressed down on the acceleratorand the car responded with aflow of power. The countryside fellaway from the road on either side.Far below he could see a river,winding broadly to the far-off sea.The summer day sent its heat-shimmersacross the miniature landscape.
The road curved again. Theirswas the only car he had seen sincehe'd come out of the tunnel. Butnow, far ahead, he saw another. Itwas standing at the side of the road,next to a gate that came down inthe manner of one at a railroadcrossing. But he knew by its blackand white diagonals and by the littlesentry hut half hidden behindthe other car that it marked thefrontier. A man with a rifle on hisshoulder stood there. They drewup to it fast, but his foot automaticallyeased up on the floorboardpedal until the girl spoke sharply.
"Right through it, Sweetheart."
In the rear-view mirror he sawher leaning forward, her face tense.
In a moment it would be time tostop, if he were going to.
Paul Asher hesitated a moment.Then he too leaned forward, theband pressing into his chest. Hewas breathing heavily. There wasan almost inaudible click.
He trod on the accelerator. Hehad a glimpse of the guard unslinginghis rifle from his shoulder andof another man running toward theparked car as his vehicle smashedinto the flimsy gate and sent it,cracked and splintered, to the sideof the road. He fought the slightwrench of the wheel and sped on.He thought he heard a shot.
"Nice work," the girl said. Sheseemed to be appraising him as shelooked at him. "My name, incidentally,is Naomi."
"Hello," he heard himself sayingas he whipped the car around acurve that hid the frontier behinda hill. "You seem to know who Iam."
"That I do," she said.
"Then why don't you call me bymy name, instead of 'Sweetheart'?"
"That's because I like you,Sweetheart." She was looking outthe rear window. "Now just stepon the gas, because we've got company."
The car that had been parkednear the sentry hut was whippinginto view around the curve. It waslighter than his, but it was fast, too.He stepped on it.
Now the road had becomenarrow and twisting. Thegrade was steep but the surface wasgood. Abrupt