MIRACLE
By Ray Cummings
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astonishing Stories, October 1942.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"But how can you possibly know that time traveling has never been done?" the chemist protested. "Someone from our future may have gone into the past many times."
"I should think they'd have created quite a commotion," the lawyer observed. "Wouldn't we have heard of it from our historical records?"
"Of course." The chemist was smiling now. "We probably have. History tells of many important occasions on which a 'vision' appeared. A miraculous presence, such as Joan of Arc, for instance, or the Angel of Mons."
"Or the appearance of the Sun God to the Aztecs. I get your point," one of the other men interjected. "You think that there might have been a time traveler who materialized just long enough to take a look—and the superstitious natives took him for a god. Why not? That's probably just what would happen."