"Why do you say that, Diana? Don't you believe me?" His hurt showed plainly in his face.
"Oh, no, no. I believe that you are telling the literal truth—insofar as you know it. But think, Perry. The head that was photographed to take this picture has—if this newspaper account is true—been dust for more than a century."
Perry stared at her and a look of horror crept into his eyes. He closed his eyes and clasped his head between his palms. He remained thus, face averted and body tensed for several minutes until he felt a gentle touch on his hair. Diana bent over him, pity and compassion in her eyes. "Perry, please. Listen to me. I didn't mean to distress you. I wouldn't hurt you intentionally. I want to be your friend if you will let me."
Gently she removed his hands from his temples. "It is a strange and marvelous thing that has happened to you, Perry, and I don't understand it at all. In some ways it is horrible and certainly terrifying. But it could be much worse—much worse. This is not a bad world in which you have landed. I think it is a rather kindly world. I like it and I am sure it must be better than being crushed and broken at the foot of the palisades. Please, Perry, I'd like to help you."
He patted her hand. "You're a good kid, Dian', I'll be all right. It's the shock more than anything. The realization that all that world I know is dead and gone. I knew it of course when you told me what year it was, but I didn't realize it until you pointed out to me that I'm dead, too—or at least that my body died." He jumped to his feet. "But say!—if my body is dead, where in God's name did I get this!"—and he slapped his side.
"I don't know, Perry, but I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Not just yet. But we can start a little action toward finding out. Come with me." She opened out the drawer containing the communication instrument, and pushed one button. A pretty red-headed girl appeared on the screen and smiled. Diana spoke. "Reno, please relay Washington, Bureau of records, Identification Sector."
"Check, Diana." The red head faded out.
"Does she know you?"
"Probably recognized me. You will understand."
Shortly another face appeared, that of an iron grey studious man. Diana spoke. "Identification requested."
"Which one of you?"
"Him."
"Check. Take position." The face turned away and a camera-like apparatus appeared.
"Put up your right hand, Perry," whispered Diana. Perry did so. The grey haired man re-appeared.
"Listen, how can I analyze if you don't hold position? Haven't you ever used a phone before?"
"I—I guess not." Perry looked confused.
The slight irritation vanished from the man's voice. "What's the trouble, friend? Lost your continuity?"
"I guess you'd call it that."
"That's different. I'll fix you up in no time. Then you'll probably have no trouble to orient. Now do just as I tell you. Right hand, palm toward me about twenty centimeters from the screen. Down a little. Now just a hair closer. Your palm is tilted. Get it parallel to the screen. There. Hold it steady." A soft shirring and a click. "That's all. Do you want a full dossier or just name and number?"
Diana cut in. "Brief of dossier, please, with last entry in full.
Televuestat Reno station, tube delivery G610L-400-48, expedited rate."
"Charge to him when I get his number?"
"No, to me, Diana, 160-398-400-48A."
"Oooh! I thought I recognized you."
"This is private action." Diana's voice was cool and crisp.
The man looked indignant, then his face became impassive. "Madam, I am an official clerk of the Bureau of Records. I thoroughly understand the spheres of public and private action, and my oath and charge."
Diana melted at once. "I'm sorry. I truly am. Please forgive me."
He relaxed and smiled. "Of course, Miss Diana. You probably have to insist on the spheres. But, if you will permit, it would be an honor to provide this service for you."
"No, please, make the routine charge. But may I do you some service?" She inclined her head. The clerk bowed in return. "A picture perhaps?"
"If madam permits."
"My latest stereo. Face or full?"
He bowed without speaking.
"I'll send both. They shall cross your brief in the tubes."
"You are very kind."
"Thank you. Clearing." The screen went blank. "Well, Perry, we'll know soon. But I must get the poor chap his pictures. I didn't mean to offend him, but he was too touchy." She returned in a moment with two thin sheets and started to roll them up. Noticing Perry's interest, she paused. "Would you care to see them?"
"Yes, of course." The first picture was Diana's face in natural colors with a half smile warming it. But Perry was startled almost into dropping it. For the portrait was completely stereoscopic. It was as if he were looking through a window of cellophane at Diana herself posed stationary three feet back of the frame.
"How in the world are these done?"
"I'm neither an optics student nor a photographer, but I know the picture really does have some depth to it. It's a colloid about a half centimeter thick. It is done with two cameras, so it works only on one axis. Turn it around sideways." He did so. The picture went perfectly flat although remaining a fine photograph. "Now tilt it about forty-five degrees." He did so and had the upsetting sensation of watching Diana's beautiful features melt and run until no picture was visible, but just an iridescense like oil on water. "You have to look at it along the right axis and within a narrow view angle, but when you do the two images blend in the stereo illusion. The brain interprets the confused double image given by two separated eyes as depth and by duplicating that confusion, they achieve the illusion."
Perry stared at the picture a moment more and tilted and twisted it. Diana watched with interest and sympathetic amusement. "May I see the other picture?"
"Here it is." Perry glanced at it, then swallowed. He had grown accustomed to Diana's nudity, more or less, and had been too much occupied mentally to think much about it, but nevertheless he had been aware of it in one corner of his mind all the time. Still, he was startled to discover that the second picture portrayed all of Diana in her own sweet simplicity, nothing more, and that it was as amazingly lifelike as the first, real enough to pinch. He swallowed again.
"You intend to send this, er—uh, these pictures to a man you've just met on the phone."
"Oh, yes, he wants them and I can afford it. And I was a bit rude. Of course some people would think it a bit brash for me to give him anything as intimate as a facial portrait but I don't mind."
"But,—uh—"
"Yes, Perry?"
"Oh, well, nothing I guess. Never mind."
III
Later while Diana monkeyed with the gadgets in the Demeter niche, the green light and gong note announced a tube delivery. "Get it, will you, Perry?" she called. "I've got both hands full." Perry puzzled with the controls, then found a small lever that opened the receptacle. He brought over the roll to Diana. "Read it aloud, Perry, while I finish dinner." He unrolled it and first noticed a picture of a young man who resembled his own memory of himself. He commenced to read. "Gordon 932-016-755-82A, Genes class JM, born 2057 July 7. Qualified and matriculated Arlington Health School 2075, transferred (approved) Adler Memorial Institute of Psychology 2077. Selected for research when Extra-sensory station was established by Master Fifield in 2080. Author ofAStudy of Deviant Data in Extra-Sensory Perception. Co-author (with Pandit Kalimohan Chandra Roy) ofProteus: a History of the Ego. Address Sanctuary (F-2), California. Unofficially reported in voluntary corporal abdication in 2083 August and transferred at the request of Sanctuary Council to inactive status 2085 August, body to remain in Sanctuary. Credit account on transfer to inactive $11,018.32 less depreciation $9,803.09, credit account re-entered with service deduction $9802.09 less $500 credit convenience book $9,302.09 (enclosed)."