PANGBORN'S PARADOX
By DAVID MASON
Illustrated by RICHARD KLUGA
So you know all the punchlines
to the old kill-your-own-grandfather
gag, eh? Wanna bet?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Infinity June 1958.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"Temporal paradoxes," Pangborn said, in that extra-stuffy tone he used when he wanted to give us an adequate idea of his superiority, "are not to be regarded as inconsistencies per se."
"Why not?" demanded Doctor Randall's voice from the depth of his wing chair. All we had been able to see of him for the past half-hour had been his legs, but apparently Pangborn's tone had been too much. "Prove it!"
Pangborn's tone became even more lofty. "My own theory is that such paradoxes, if reduced to practice, would prove not to be paradoxical at all."
"Such as the famous idea about going back and killing one's grandparents?" Von Juntz asked, stroking his beard.