But Dr. Pankraz Kahl burst out, "Wir sind keine Amerikaner! Wir—" including himself and Wolfgang with a sweep of the arm, "sind Deutsche!"
Schwinzog regarded him expressionlessly. "And you?" he turned abruptly on Manning and Dugan.
"We're Americans," said Manning steadily, in English. Schwinzog's face did not change. But something in the look with which he had received Kahl's statement had jangled an alarm in Manning's brain. And he was still determined to keep his mouth shut and his ears open as much as possible.
Immediately he knew he had been right; for Schwinzog turned again to Kahl. "You say you are German. Your citizen's card, then."
The Herr Doktor started automatically to fumble at a pocket, then paused and made a wry face. "I—we have no such papers as you want. Naturally, since we—"
"Since you are spies?" Schwinzog folded his arms and the fingers of his right hand caressed his swastika brassard.
"That is ridiculous!" shouted Kahl. "I am trying to explain to you that we are visitors from your past! We come from a hundred years ago!"
For the first time Schwinzog looked interested. "And how do you explain your presence in the year 2051 nach der Zeitwende?"
The scientist was soothed. "I am Dr. Pankraz Kahl, member of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft, inventor of the world's first Zeitfahrer."
"A time traveler? A machine of some sort?"