That meant that Owen had never really existed at all. It meant that back in his own time, devastating changes would be taking place. He could only begin to guess at the smallest of these changes, and they assailed his confused mind like a lethal shower of bullets.
His room. There would only be one bed in the room. Owen’s bed would not be there, because Owen had never existed. Owen’s books would be gone, his college pennants, his fraternity mug, his desk and his graduation pictures.
Owen’s toothbrush would not hang on the rack in the bathroom. Owen’s old bicycle would no longer be in the basement. Chuck’s mother and father would have had only one son: Chuck.
The idea was staggering in its concept. It meant that all of Owen’s records, his school records, his employment records, everything automatically ceased to exist the moment Owen was killed. It meant that his mother and father, his friends, anyone who had ever been influenced by Owen, would automatically have a portion of their personalities changed-the portion Owen had influenced for good or for bad.
But Owen
He shook his head, his mental confusion almost a physical thing.
“What’s the trouble, Chuck?” a gentle voice asked.
He turned almost frantically. “My… my brother,” he blurted.
Arthur was standing beside him, and a puzzled look crossed his face. “I didn’t know you had one,” he said. “Is something wrong?”
The shock slapped into Chuck with the force of a trip hammer. He opened his mouth, trying to shape words. “But… Owen-my brother-Owen. You know him-Owen.” He gripped Arthur’s arms and looked up into his face. “You know him!” he practically screamed.
Arthur’s face grew more puzzled. “Owen?” He shook his head helplessly. “No, Chuck, I’m sorry. I never met him.”
Chuck’s fingers tightened on Arthur’s arm. “Don’t kid me,” he said tightly. “Please don’t kid me, Arthur.”
Arthur’s eyes clouded. “You know I wouldn’t Chuck,” he said softly.
Chuck whirled rapidly and ran to the fire. “Pete!” he called. “Pete!”
The cook looked up, his green eyes widening. “What is
“I… I… want to talk to you. In private.”
Pete’s features hovered between a smile and a frown. “Why, sure.”
He left the fire, and they walked a few feet away from the doctors and Masterson.
“I want to ask you something about… about my brother,” Chuck said.
“Your brother?”
“Owen. My brother.”
Pete shrugged. “Why sure, Chuck, if you think I can help you. I don’t see how…”
“You
“Who?”
“My brother. Owen.”
“No,” Pete said, “I don’t. But if you think I can help, anyway, I’ll be glad to.”
“Pete!” Chuck shouted. “You saw him killed by the brontosaurs! You condemned Masterson as a murderer. You…”
Pete’s face expressed concern. “Chuck, are you… do you feel all right?”
“Pete, please. Tell me the truth. Tell me what you saw. Tell me what happened when the brontosaurs charged us.”
“Well,” Pete paused and ran his hand through his bright red hair. “You led us toward the rocks and then you saw that the animals were following us, so…”
“I led you toward the rocks?
“Why, yes. Then, when you saw the animals behind us, you ran for the truck and started herding them away from us. Just about that time, you saw Masterson in the jeep and you drove toward him. You got him out of the jeep just in time. Then you came back to camp. You were pretty sore. You wouldn’t talk to Masterson, and then you went out alone to look at the jeep.”
“With a shovel!” Chuck said, swallowing hard. “I Went out to bury…”
“No, Chuck. You didn’t have a shovel with you.”
“Pete, this is the truth? You’re not kidding me?”
“No, Chuck, I’m not kidding you. Why? Has something… ?”
Chuck didn’t wait for the rest of the sentence. He went back to Arthur and asked, “Why’d you quit Masterson?”
Arthur shrugged. “I just had too much all of a sudden. When I saw how close he came to killing you both in that jeep, I figured I’d had enough.”
“And Owen-Owen-” Chuck shook his head, trying to clear it. He stumbled over to where Masterson sat with the two doctors.
“Mr. Masterson,” he said, “when you hired a guide for this expedition…”
“See here, Spencer,” Masterson said, “I hope you’re not going to start harping on that accident with the jeep again. We got out of it safe and sound.”
“When you hired a guide,” Chuck said slowly and evenly, “
“What? I don’t understand you.”
“Whom did you hire? Who was it?”
“Why, you, of course.” His brows pulled together into a deeply perplexed frown. “What’s the matter with you, Spencer?”
“Nothing. I… I…”
“I didn’t like the idea of such a young guide, but they said you knew the area well and-say, are you sure you’re all right?”