 How does Conrad go back in time?
By EVELYN E. SMITH Illustrated by DILLON [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] No one, least of all Martin, could dispute that a man's life should be guarded by his kin—but by those who hadn't been born yet? Nobody in the neighborhood was surprised when Martin's mother disappeared and Ninian came to take care of him. Mothers had a way of disappearing around those parts and the kids were often better off without them. As for his father, Martin had never had one. He'd been a war baby, born of one of the tides of soldiers—enemies and allies, both—that had engulfed the country in successive waves and bought or taken the women. Obviously that story about her coming from the future was just a gag. Besides, if she really was his great-great-grand-daughter, as she said, why would she tell him to call her " Aunt Ninian "? Maybe he was only eleven, but he'd been around and he knew just what the score was. "But I can't understand," he would say, keeping his face straight. "He's dissatisfied with the current social order and killing you is part of an elaborate plan he's formulated to change it. What's it all about in straight gas?" It wasn't that she cared what these people thought of her, for she made no secret of regarding them as little better than animals, but she was shy of attracting attention. When it became clear that his mother was never going to show up again, Ninian bought one of those smallish, almost identical houses that mushroom on the fringes of a city after every war, particularly where intensive bombing has created a number of desirable building sites. "This is a much better neighborhood for a boy to grow up in," she declared. Martin was told to call him Uncle Raymond. From time to time, there were other visitors—Uncles Ives and Bartholomew and Olaf, Aunts Ottillie and Grania and Lalage, and many more—all cousins to one another, he was told, all descendants of his. The adults obviously figured that if a one-car family hired private tutors for their kid, there must be something pretty wrong with him. She was grown up; she was supposed to know better than he did. He had food to eat that he'd never dreamed of before, warm clothes that no one had ever worn before him.
 Conrad built a time transmitter using a copy of Professor Farkas' plans.
 Conrad stole Professor Farkas' time transmitter to send himself back in time.  Professor Farkas sent him back in time with the time transmitter.  Conrad built a time transmitter using a copy of Professor Farkas' plans.  Professor Farkas' assistant sent Conrad back in time using the time transmitter after Conrad gave him a bribe.