I blinked. I blinked again. It was Da Campo all right, but that newspaper! What the Hell was it?

I made my way over to him, and tapped him on the shoulder, “Say, Da Campo, how the deuce do I—”“Good Tilburr all mighty!” he squawked, his eyes bugging, the newspaper falling to the floor. “How the—dwid olu—did you follow—Weiler!” He went off in a burst of that strange gibberish, gasped, and finally got out,“What are you doing here, for God’s sake, man?”

“Look, Da Campo, I got lost in the subway. Took a wrong turn or something. All I want is out of here.Where’s this train’s next stop?”

“Drexwill, you damned fool!”

“Is that anywhere near Westchester?”

“It’s so far away your best telescopes don’t even know it exists!” He was getting red in the face.

“What?”

“The planet Drexwill, you idiot! What the Hell are you doing here?”

I felt suddenly choked, hemmed in, like a fist was tightening around the outside of my head, squeezing it.“Look, Da Campo, this isn’t funny. I’ve got an appointment this morning, imd the office is waiting for meto—”

“Understand this, Weiler!” he snapped, pointing a finger that seemed to fill the universe for me. “You’llnever make that appointment!”

“But why? I can get off at the next sta—”

“You’ll never make another appointment back there.” His eyes flicked back toward the rear of the car and Ifound my own drawn in that direction. The fear was crawling around in me like a live thing.

He seemed to be grinding inside. His face was screwed up in an expression of distaste, disbelief and pity.“Why? Why? Why didn’t you leave well enough alone? Why couldn’t you believe what I told you and not followme?” His hands made futile gestures, and I saw the people near us suddenly come alive with the same expressions asour conversation reached them.