"Then how do you explain your being able to speak English?" Barlow asked, grinning. He was thinking that the stranger was an unconvincing liar.
"This stop is merely incidental. I miscalculated time before last and landed in 1941—met a nice fellow who didn't ask too many questions." He looked severely at Barlow. "He believed me right away, taught me English, and told me I was just like someone out of a science-fiction story. Poor fellow was quite worried about some sort of a European menace, though. So I gave him the Mental Ray to protect his—"
"Why, you dirty—" Barlow started forward with swinging fists. He landed one fairly solid blow, then his hands were held powerless in the other's.
"What's the matter with you?" Valnar asked a bit angrily.
Barlow fought to free himself, and couldn't. Valnar was much stronger than he appeared to be. Finally he ceased his struggling, watching closely for a chance, but he didn't stop cursing the newcomer.
"Was that fellow's name Dodson?" he asked at last.
"Why yes," Valnar admitted with surprise. "Then my help was enough to protect this continent. Good!"
"Yeah, 'Good!'" Barlow snarled. "Your 'poor' Dodson protected the American continents, but when he saw that it was so easy, he decided to be a Dictator—only he calls himself, Director." Suddenly Barlow chuckled, "Now Europe is squealing about the 'American Menace.' Don't you think you ought to go over and 'protect' them?"
Valnar released Barlow and stepped back. "But he didn't seem like that sort of a fellow. He was so—so idealistic!"