Now the Grandmaster was introducing Crookback, Bump-arch's master, and as late as the previous Day of the Candidate, Snubnose's master as well. Snubnose looked at the old man more affectionately than he had while in his service. But he blamed Crookback for permitting Bump-arch to go ahead with his impossible demonstration. He was puzzled, as usual, by the motives of the old master physicist, born with a bent body and a clever, enigmatic mind. A few formal words, a brief joke, and a couple of compliments--and Crookback presented the Candidate. Bump-arch unwound his legs and stood before them. "Elder ones," he began traditionally, and Snubnose thought he caught a quick, impudent look. Bump-arch was young--the three of them were young together in their city and their time--but he was two years older than Snubnose and a year older than Proudwalk. He had started his apprenticeship a little later than was usual. "I will say the thing. I will attempt the thing. Yours, elder ones, to judge whether the thing is done, whether I am worthy to sit among you." These too were traditional phrases. "I will construct a chamber," he said casually, "in which I will go irreversibly from today, 155th-1712 DRC, to a day in the future, 155th-1717 DRC. I would be proud to claim this demonstration as my own discovery, but it is not; it is a restored experiment. I follow the directions I copied, while still a boy, from an ancient inscription in a vault outside the walls. The vault was afterward buried by the earthquake." "And very conveniently too," Snubnose added to himself. Bump-arch had not admitted it, even to him, but Snubnose was convinced that the chamber was his friend's own invention. "Reverence, elder ones," Bump-arch said and walked to the arched door of the meeting room. "Time," said the Grandmaster. Snubnose, rising, heard a conversation behind him, as two master chemists shuffled to their feet. "Do you think the youngster will do it?" one asked. "Well, there's a tradition about it," the other said. "Yes, and there's a tradition about the elixir of life and a hundred texts as well, and you remember what happened to the young fellow who tried to make it." There was a chuckle. "I remember, and he's not so young any more, and he's the best apprentice I have for washing glassware. Most experience." Proudwalk had heard the conversation also, and her face turned red. She raised her delicate nose--quite unlike her brother's snub--and sniffed loudly. "I think I smell hydrogen sulfide," she said. * * * * * Carrying his copper staff the Grandmaster paced to the arched doorway, followed by Crookback. Bump-arch bowed as they preceded him through the door; and he had to bend his head again to pass through, for Bump-arch was partly of Bowman stock and tall for a man of the City.