Peter Luna brings five “time attempter” experts to his estate, hoping that he’ll be able to pass on his secret for getting over the time shoal that prevents them from exploring the past.
Michael Main
This was the message received by a dozen or so experts in the "time attempters" field:

"I have succeeded in establishing a creeping time-satellite or time-shuttle at my estate of Moonwick near Lunel in the Herault Department of the Peoples Republic of France. If you are really experts in your field, you will appreciate the importance of this. From this time-shuttle, which is just beyond the ‘shoal’ of all of you to whom I am sending this message, it will be possible for you to launch genuine time probes. I am sending this to a dozen or so and I hope for acceptance from at least five. I must have a matched set of at least five. Some soon. A very little bit after ‘soon’ will be too late for me to transmit the shuttle to you. Bring ideas only. Everything else for frugal and break-through living is provided. You will receive various transportation chits and enabling papers. Peter Luna.”

The World Courier Service (“No questions asked. Messages carried anywhere or anywhen in the world”) delivered these messages to the dozen or so persons who were experts in the time field. And some of the people gave assent and some didn’t. So, the next day, the Courier Service delivered airline tickets, train tickets, and International Taxi Coupons to five of the experts who had agreed to go to Moonwick.

Tags

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Variants

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  1. “Bank and Shoal of Time” by R. A. Lafferty, in A Spadeful of Spacetime, edited by Fred Saberhagen (Ace Books, February 1981).
  2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . written by R. A. Lafferty

Indexer Notes

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  1. Sent to the ITTDB via e-mail by Fred Galvin.