Private investigator Simon and his assistant Betty are hired by a curious old man to hunt up some time travelers at Oktoberfest. Betty is game, but Simon, sporting a major hangover, is uncharacteristically reticent.
“Time travel is impossible.”

“Why?”

Betty looked to her boss for assistance. None was forthcoming. There ought to be some very quick, positive, definite answer. She said, “Well, for one thing, paradox. Suppose you had a time machine and traveled back a hundred years or so and killed your own great-grandfather. Then how could you ever be born?”

“Confound it if I know,” the little fellow growled. “How?”
translate “Why?” <br><img src='ic/s.gif'>

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  1. “Unborn Tomorrow” by Mack Reynolds, Astounding, June 1959.
    2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . written by Mack Reynolds