"I was afraid you wouldn't."
"In the last five thousand years," said Adams, "we have conquered the galaxy…"
" 'Conquer' is not the right word, Mr. Adams."
"Well, taken over, then. Moved in. However you may wish it. And we have found strange things. Stranger things than we ever dreamed. But never time travel."
He waved his hand at the stars.
"In all that space out there," he said, "no one had time travel. No one."
"You have it now," the stranger said. "Since two weeks ago. Michaelson went into time, one second into time. A start. That is all that's needed."
"All right, then," said Adams. "Let us say you are the man who in a hundred years or so will take my place. Let's pretend you traveled back in time. What about it?"
"To tell you that Sutton will return."
"I would know it when he came," said Adams. "Why must I know now?"