_Feb. 22, 2631_: Dear Diary: Congratulate me! I knew my chance would come. Late last night I sneaked into the physics building. That fool of a Myers hadn't even had the sense to lock the door of his laboratory. I opened it and went in, pulled down the shade, turned on the light, and was able to work in complete security. Luckily, I had already played on his credulity to the extent of representing myself as overawed by the mechanical mind, and so induced him to give me a rough idea of how he operated the time-grapple (this over the lunch table in the Faculty Club) so, with a little experimenting, and--I will admit it--some luck, I was able to carry off my plans without a hitch. I bagged sixteen young males from the period of Nero's reign--along somewhere in the last years. By great good luck they happened to be Christians taken prisoner and destined for the Roman Games. Consequently the guards had them all huddled together in a tiny cell. That's why the time-grapple was able to pick up so many at one grab. They came along quite docilely, and I have quartered them in the basement of my house where they seem to be quite comfortable and I can study them at my leisure. Wait until the Sociomatics department here at the University sees the paper I'll write on this! * * * * * _Feb. 23, 65_: MEMO TO CAPTAIN OF POLICE: Where are my Christians? Don't think you can gyp me out of my villa and then not deliver. (signed) Lictus, CAPTAIN OF ARENA * * * * * _Feb. 23, 65_: MEMO TO CAPTAIN OF THE ARENA: You got your Christians. I saw them delivered myself. Third cell on the right, beneath the stands. (signed) Papirius, CAPTAIN OF POLICE * * * * * _Feb. 24, 65_: MEMO TO CAPTAIN OF POLICE: I tell you they're not there. (signed) Lictus, CAPTAIN OF THE ARENA * * * * * _Feb. 24, 65_: MEMO TO CAPTAIN OF ARENA: And I tell you they are: (signed) Papirius, CAPTAIN OF POLICE P.S. Are you calling me a liar? * * * * * _Feb. 25, 65_: MEMO TO CAPTAIN OF POLICE: I tell you THEY'RE NOT THERE. Come on over and look for yourself if you don't believe me. (signed) Lictus, CAPTAIN OF THE ARENA * * * * * _Feb. 25, 65_: Listen, Lictus: I don't know what kind of a game you think you're playing, but I haven't time to bother with it right now. Whether you know it or not, the Games load a lot of extra work on the police. I'm up to my ears in details connected with them, and I won't put up with having you on my neck, too. I've got the receipt signed by your jailer, on delivery. Any more noise from your direction and I'll turn it, together with your recent memos, over to the Emperor himself and you can straighten it out with him. Papirius * * * * *