shaded the city was！ How gently bucolic！
He recalled another time he… had visited his old hometown
…what century？…sometime early in the Diaspora； he thou~ht
…when a citizen venturing out into its filthy canyon streecs wore a steel helmet simulating a wig； a bulletproof vest and codpiece； spectacles that were armor； gloves that covered brass knucks； and other concealed and illegal weapons…but rarely went out into the streets； it was more discreet to stick to transportation pods and go outdoors only in the guarded suburbsespecially after dark。 …
But here and now guns were legal…and no one wore them。
…He got off the streetcar at McGee； found the Y。M。C。A。 by asking a policeman。 There； for half a dollar； he was given a key to a small cubicle； a towel； and a small bar of soap。
*
After wallowing in a shower； Lazarus returned to the lobby； having noted both Bell and Home telephones at the desk； with
a notice 〃Local Calls 5 cents…pay the Desk Clerk。〃 He asked to use the telephone books； found it in the Bell System book：
〃Chapman； Bowles； & Finnegan； attys at law〃…R。 A。 Long Building； yes； that made sense。 He searched again； found 〃Chapman Arthur J。 atty；〃 with a Paseo address。
Wait till tomorrow？ No harm in seeing if Justin had the'correct answers。 He slid a nickel to the desk clerk； asked for the Bell telephone。
〃Number； please！〃
〃Central； please give the Atwater one…two…two…four。〃
458〃Hello？ …Is this the home of Mr。 Arthur J。 Chapman； the attorney？〃 …
〃This is he。〃
〃Mr。 Ira Howard told me to call you； Counselor。〃
〃Interesting。 Who are you？〃…
〃'Life is short。'〃
〃'But the years are long；'〃 the lawyer answered。
〃'Not 〃While the Evil Days e not。〃'〃 …
…〃Very well。 What can I do for you； sir？ Trouble？〃
〃No；… sir。 Will you accept an envelope to be delivered to the secretary of the Foundation？〃
〃Yes。 Can you bring it to my office？〃
〃Tomorrow morning； sir？〃
〃Say about nine thirty。 I must be in court by ten。〃
〃Thank you； sir； I'll be there。 Good night。〃
〃You are wele。 Good night to you； sir。〃
There was a writing desk in the lobby； with another notice to see the desk clerk； along with a homily： 〃Have you Written to Your Mother This Week？〃 Lazarus asked for a sheet of paper and an envelope； saying （truthfully） that he wanted to write home。 The clerk gave them to him。 〃That's what we like to hear； Mr~ Jenkins。 Sure one sheet is enough？〃
〃If not； I'll ask for another。 Thanks。〃 …
After breakfast （coffee and a doughnut； five cents） Lazarus located a stationery shop on Grand Avenue and invested fifteen cents in five envelopes that would nest in series； went back to the Y and prepared them； then delivered them by hand to Mr。 Chapman…despite pursed…lip disapproval of Mr。 Chapman's secretary。
The outer envelope read： Secretary of the Ira Howard Foundation。
The next one read： To the Secretary of ~the Howard Families' Association as of the year 2100 A。D。
The next one read： Please hold in the Families' Archises for One Thousand Years。 Inert atmosphere remended。
The fourth read： To ？e opened by the Chief Archivist in Office in Gregorian year 4291。
The fifth envelope read： Please deliver on request to Lazarus Long or to any member of his Tertius Colony family。 …
Inside this envelope was the envelope from the Y。M。C。A。 enclosing the note Lazarus had written the night before； the envelope had on it all the names of his Boondock family； with
… Lapis Lazuli and Lorelei Lee heading the list：
〃4 August 1916 Greg。459〃Darlings；
〃I goofed。 I arrived two days ago…three years early！ But I still want you to pick me up exactly ten T…years after you dropped me； at the impact crater； i。e。 2 August 1926 Gregorian。
〃Please assure Dora that this is not her fault。 It is either mine； or Andy's…or perhaps the instruments we had available then were not sufficiently accurate。 If Dora wants to recalibrate （not necessary； as exactly ten T…years from drop remains the rendezvous）； tell her to get eclipses of Sol by Luna for this ten years from Athene… I haven't had time to look them up as I have just reached Kansas City。
〃Everything is absolutely all right。 I am in good health； have enough money； and am perfectly safe。 I'll write other and longer letters…better preserved； no time to have this one etched…using all the mail drops Justin suggested。
〃Kiss everyone for me。 Long letter follows。
〃My undying love；
…〃01' Buddy Boy
〃P。S。 I hope it's a boy and a girl…wouldn't that be fun！〃
DA CAPO
II
The End of an Era … 25 September 1916 Greg。
Dear Laz…Lor；
This is the second of many letters I will attempt to send； using all the Delay Mail drops Justin suggested…three law firms； Chase National Bank； a time capsule to be for…
warded with instructions to a Dr。 Gordon Hardy via
W。W。 Smith via a safe…deposit box （unreliable coot； that Smith； he'll probably open it and thereby destroy it
…although I don't recall it； either way）； and all…the other dodges I memorized。 If I can get just one into the Archives just before the Diaspora； it should be delivered when you ask for it； late in Greg。 4291 by the schedule we worked out。
With luck； you will receive dozens of letters all at the same time。 Arranged by dates； they should constitute a record of the next ten years。 There may be gaps in the account （letters that failed to get through）…if so； I'll fill those gaps （after you pick me up） by dictating to Athene； to keep my promise to Justin and to Galahad for a full report。 Me； I'll be satisfied if just one gets through…and tell Athene to keep working on that notion of timecapsule…cum…Delay…Mail for still earlier centuries； there ought to be some way to make it foolproof。
I'll be using a wide variety of addressees…plus a wrinkle I thought up。 I'm going to send a letter in the usual multiple covers to the Executive puter； Secundus； Year 2000 Diaspora； to be opened by and read by the puter （untouched by human hands！） with a program to hold the message and deliver it to the Colony Leader； Tertius； the day after we left。 …
I don't believe in paradoxes。 Either Minerva got that message before you were born； and filed it in dead storage； and passed it on to Athene； and now （your now） Ira has it and has passed it to you two…or it
460
461railed to get through at all。 No anomaly； no paradox… either total success or total failure。 I got the idea from the fact that the executive puter opens and reads and acts on endless written messages without referring them to the Chairman Pro Tern or to any human unless necessary。
Basic Message： （This was …in my first note and will be in every letter。） I made an error in calibration and arrived
three years early。 This is not Dora's … fault； and be