She stood for a long while looking down at the bed. The sunlight drifted from the pillow onto the covers and finally spilled off the foot of the bed onto the floor and the room was a shade darker. She was a stone, but a stone whose blood gurgled and stomach rumbled and heart beat and pulse pounded, so loudly she could hear nothing else. Her legs gave way and she crumpled to the bed and she was silent at last. The breathing came from the direction of the window. She spoke into the covers. "Vassi, why didn't you answer me?" "You tempt me and I have so much to do, so much ground to cover." "You can come back." "We haven't got enough of these time centers. There's quite a lineup to use them. If I go now, there's no telling how long it'll take me to get back." Julia got up and went to the window. "Am I facing you?" "Yes." "You're my only hope, wild as it seems. Vassi, wouldn't it be helpful to your research to have a real live person from my time to study?" * * * * * Vassi spoke slowly. "You mean you would be willing to have us--study you?" "Within limits.... No, not within limits." "They'll be very angry if I come back without my research project." "Are people that cold in your time?" asked Julia. "Cold?" Vassi repeated in bewilderment. "Heartless?" "Heartless? I hardly think so." "I mean callous, without pity, without compassion." "I've been very busy. I haven't thought about it." "Do men and women marry in your time?" "Yes, they do." "Are you married?" "No, you see, I'm not very--presentable. Besides, I have my research." "To me you're the most beautiful man in the world." "You can't see me. If you saw me, you wouldn't think so." "I can hear you. That's all I need." Julia turned from the window and walked back to the couch. When she sat down she could feel herself trembling. Never, never in her life had she spoken to a man like that. Maybe, if she could see him, his eyes would be mocking her. She said, "If you take me back with you, then later when I'm well I could come back with you and show you everything you would want to see. Then I could be your guide." He was standing in front of her. She could hear him breathing again. There was excitement in his breathing; she was sure of it. He said, "I wish I could touch you. You're very beautiful." "Vassi, in my own time I'm ugly. Perhaps I belong in your time." Then the excitement that was in his breathing was in his voice. "All right. All right. I'll see what I can do. You wait right here. It may take me several years to get back. But I'll do it if I can...." "Several years! Vassi, I can't wait that long!" She was very near despair. "No, no, you don't understand. In your time it'll only be a matter of minutes. The controls would be set to right now, however long it may take to have the project approved in my time."