Nine Men in Time

The idea of sending a man back in time to re-do a job he's botched, so that a deadline can still be met—added to the thought of duplicating a man so there'll be two doing the same work at the same time—adds up to a production-manager's dream. But any dream can suddenly shift into a nightmare....
The receivers, two of them lawyers, had long faces when they sat down across from my desk in the office of the Imperial Printing Company.
Frankly, Mr. Shane, said the older one, it is a very grave question in our minds whether we should try to continue to operate the business or whether we should close the plant and liquidate the machinery and equipment the best we can.
I was stunned. I don't understand, I said helplessly. We've been doing a nice business—and at a profit—in the year I've been here. It was my first big job, and I wanted to make good. I thought I had made good, but here they were jerking the floor out from under me, and I couldn't make any sense out of it.
Well, said one, the business isn't showing the profit we expected.
What you need is a used-car lot, I said pointedly.
The elder man cleared his throat. Now look, Mr. Shane, suppose we say three months.
What do you mean—three months?
We'll allow you to go ahead for three months. If the business doesn't show a distinct upturn by then— He raised his eyebrows.
I swallowed hard. So that was it, then.
They even had the date set for the execution, and I knew they intended to go through with it. Only a revolution would change that.
I wanted that job; it was my chance to make a name for myself. If they should close the plant now, I'd have a black eye. You can't go around asking for a job and saying, But I was making money for them. They'll wonder what else was wrong.