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time-space fabric.” And he thought there might be an inflexibility in the quantum mechanical world that eliminated multiple possibilities. That the uncertainty principle was an illusion. “There is no such thing as free will,” he’d once told a gathering of the Lincoln Architects Association. I’m sure they invited him back.
    When I reached him, he was having dinner with guests. There was a lot of noise and laughter in the background while I identified myself. I told him Alex wanted to talk with him when he had a few minutes.
    “Can’t at the moment,” he said. “I’m entertaining friends, but I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.”
    He was in his skimmer an hour or so later when he called. Alex was out of the building. “What did he want, Chase? Do you know?”
    “He had some questions. About Sunset Tuttle.”
    “What did he want to know?”
    “You’ve always been interested in Tuttle.”
    “Yes. I think I qualify as something of an expert.” He tried to sound modest, as though being an expert on Tuttle was a major achievement.
    “Jerry, do you know of any indication, any rumor , that Tuttle might have found what he was looking for?”
    “You mean aliens?”
    “Yes.”
    He exploded with laughter. “Listen, Chase, if he’d found anything out there, it wouldn’t be necessary to ask about it. He’d have organized a parade. Ridden down Market Street with an alien mayor.”
    “Can you imagine any set of circumstances that might have led him to keep quiet about it?”
    “No. None.”
    “Nothing at all?”
    “Well, there was a story that got around at one point, but conspiracy theorists are always with us.”
    “What’s the story?”
    “That he found something so terrible he didn’t dare reveal it. Except to a few people high in the government. So now, the theory goes, there’s an area out there that they keep absolutely secret. Where nobody’s allowed. It’s never been made official, and, naturally, the government denies everything. If you submit a flight plan that takes you anywhere close, they’ll find a reason to deny permission. Impending supernova or something.”
    “Where is this area?”
    “Oh, nobody knows, of course. If people knew, you wouldn’t be able to keep them out.”
    “You don’t think there’s any truth to it? None at all?”
    He broke into a wide grin. “Chase, I know you’re not serious.”
    “No. Of course not. Just kidding.”
    “Unless you guys know something I don’t.” I heard the lander set down. “Have you—?”
    “No.” I tried to sound amused. “I’m just thinking what a great story it would make.”
    The skimmer door opened. “Yes, it certainly would.”
    “Jerry, thanks. We’re just doing some historical research and trying to get a handle on the folklore that surrounds this guy.”
    “Oh, yeah. He’s a legendary character, okay. Sometimes I think it’s the failure that makes him so interesting. I mean, he just wouldn’t quit. You have to love him. I’m sorry I never got to meet him.”
    “Well, thanks, Jerry.”
    But Jerry wasn’t finished. “There are others out there. Have to be. The thing is, intelligence is an aberration. But the galaxy is big. Instead of talking as if there’s nobody here except us and the Mutes, we should recognize that the fact there are Mutes shows it’s possible. And with all those worlds, there are going to be others. We’ve become too set in our ways. We have access to the entire galaxy, but we talk as if we have it all to ourselves. Eventually we’re going to run into somebody, and we better damned well be ready so we don’t screw it up the way we did last time.”
    “You mean by shooting at them.”
    “That, too. I suppose the real loss is the lack of imagination. If I were an extraterrestrial, I think I’d find us pretty dumb.”
    “What kind of person was he, Jerry?”
    “He was exactly the man you’d want to have at your back if you got in trouble. You could count on him to do what