'So you think Joe was lying?' said Rick, attempting to sound disinterested.
'Of course. I just played dumb,' replied Con. 'Just like you are.' Rick turned to face Con. She looked him squarely in the eye and said, 'You knew he was lying, too.' Rick glanced away and remained silent as he tried to think of how to respond. Finally, he said weakly,
'How'd you know?'
'I could see it on your face. Back then, and just now,' she said.
'I'm not in on some conspiracy, if that's what you're thinking.'
'So, what are you hiding?'
Rick hesitated again, then sighed. 'Will you keep this to yourself?'
'Why should I?'
'I have a feeling that if it got out, there'd be trouble. I won't tell you anything unless you swear not to talk.'
'Okay, I promise.'
'I've stumbled onto some stuff. This place is more than a resort, but I'm not sure what.' Con looked disappointed. 'Is that all?'
'No. One more thing—one big thing—Green didn't build this resort or invent the time machine.' Con had stopped walking. 'Wow! Then who did?'
'Joe probably knows, but besides Green, I think he's the only one. He's not talking. He seems afraid of Green.'
'That's creepy.'
'Glad you asked now?'
'I wasn't expecting
'I don't know,' said Rick. 'Nothing, I guess. That's prob-ably the safest thing.'
'Safest?'
'If Joe's afraid of Green, he must have a reason. I think we should simply enjoy our stay and leave Green alone.'
Con gave Rick a dubious look, but said, 'Maybe you're right.'
'Come on, let's get to camp and find some litter bearers.'
BY THE TIME Con and Rick returned to the plane with Pandit and James, Joe had constructed a litter for the shell. The poles were as deftly cut and trimmed as if he had used a fine-toothed saw. The crosspieces of the litter were precisely notched and held in place by pegs.
'You should have been a carpenter, Joe,' said Rick.
'Once an engineer, always an engineer,' he replied.
'How'd you get the pegs in?'
'Just drilled a hole with the gun and popped in a piece of a branch. If you fool with the settings, these guns are precision instruments.'
'Joe did most of the work on the pavilion,' said James. 'He's very handy.' Rick was annoyed when Con took charge of the am-monite shell, automatically assuming it was hers. She had the men carry the shell back to camp and hide it near the pavilion. 'Don't tell anyone about it,' she told them. 'I want it to be a surprise.'
When he finished helping with the ammonite, Rick headed to the kitchen tent to help Pandit. James caught up with him. 'Capital job, Rick,' he said. 'I'm very pleased, and so, I'm sure, will be Mr. Green.'
'Thanks.'
'Why don't you relax until it's time to serve dinner?' Rick was happy for the break and pleased with his ap-parent
