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"A better question? What do you mean?" Lea
noticed that Hector had become very still.
"How does he get home?" said the Professor.
He looked very serious. "If we don't know how I
got him here, how do I get him back home?"
Hector gazed glumly at the last cookie. The only sound
in the room was the light patter of the raindrops on
the window. This was a light rain, not at all like the
fierce downpours of the previous days. It was the sort
of rain that fell, reassuringly, by natural means.
"I don't think it's wise to carry on with the
experiments, at least for the next few days," Michael
said. "Lea and I noticed you. It looks like someone
else noticed and told the police. Or the Police could
have noticed by themselves but that doesn't sound very
likely. If you carry on with the experiments you're
asking for trouble."
"I have to?" The Professor struggled for
Michael's name again.
"Michael," said Michael, helpfully. He pointed
at them individually. "Hector, Lea, Michael,"
he said with a gentle smile.
"That won't help," said the Professor. "Remembering
one of 'em at a time is hard enough." He shook
his head sadly. "I have to keep experimenting.
Otherwise he'll be stuck here for good."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Michael
asked.
"Well, not that I can think of. I'll keep the
offer in mind. I suppose you could help look after?."
His words trailed off.
"Hector! Yes," Lea agreed. "We could
get him some clothes and show him around. Would you
like that?" Hector nodded.
"There's a guest room here," offered the
Professor. "You can stay until we can figure out
how to send you back."
"Hey," Hector replied, with a broad, grateful
smile.
Michael saw the Professor's puzzled frown. "Think
that means 'yes'," he translated.
Lea glanced at her watch. I have to get home soon.
"Come along, Hector. Let's see what we can find
in the kitchen. What year is it back home?"
"2034," he answered.
"So you're nineteen?"
"Yeah. And you?"
"Sixteen," she answered.
He paused in the doorway, looking at her appraisingly
from her face all the way down to her ankles, and then
back again. He considered this new datum.
"That's old enough." He set off towards the
kitchen.
Stunned, Lea turned to Michael. "What did he just
say!?" She stared down the corridor after Hector
and then set off in pursuit. "What did you just
say? You come back here!"
Michael found himself alone with the Professor.
"What's that?" The Professor was back to
his gruff, abrupt self. He was pointing at the radio
clipped to Michael's belt. Michael had a feeling that
the Professor was unsure how to deal with Michael just
as Michael was uncertain how to deal with the Professor.
"It's a two-way radio. Lea has one as well."
"Can I see it?"
Michael handed the device over and the Professor turned
it in his hands, holding it carefully, almost reverentially.
He lifted his glasses, perching them on his forehead,
and brought the device close to his eyes to read the
tiny lettering on the label on the back.
"This isn't legal," he announced.
"That's right," admitted Michael. "I
got it from America. The range is only a couple of miles.
It never disturbs anyone."
"No," replied the Professor, thoughtfully.
"It wouldn't."
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