Everyone looked around, and finally all shook their heads.
"That is, if you don't count a damaged ego and a completely wrecked
peace of mind," added Blake Garnet. "Now what, for heaven's sake?"
"May as well look around," suggested Randall. "I see some kind of
buildings across the field."
The others followed the Agent's gesture; saw several dozen low, domed
structures squatting in even rows a few hundred yards away.
Randall started toward them, the others following cautiously. When they
were within a dozen yards of the structures, a door in the first one
opened and a man stepped out.
He was a magnificent figure of a man. And his splendid body was a
fitting support for the god-like head, broad of brow, features finely
chiseled.
"Wel-come," he said in queer blurred accents. "Wel-come to the Time
Tribe."
He advanced toward them, extending his hand. "I am Zor Ala, a 40B-7
type from the 43rd Century, according to the ancient reckoning of Anno
Domini. And you--?"
Randall spoke for the group, his mind fumbling for the meaning of the
man's words. "We're a group of passengers who were somehow snatched
from our passage through the Earth-Tube. But what--"
"Oh, yes," interrupted Zor Ala reminiscently. "That strange and useless
hole through the Earth that finally collapsed around 3000 A.D. We have
a number of other Earth-Tube passengers here with us. But from what
period did you come?"