"And that's saying something," laughed Mr. Burton, "seeing as how stick men don't have insides!"
The four time-travelers stumbled onto the grass of 1914. They had been transported to exactly the place Dr. Pea had predicted.
"Here we are, fellas. We've reached the farming community of Bundles on April 26, 1914."
Marcus looked around at the cool night air. All was still. "So what is the significance of this pla--"
He was suddenly cut off by the eerie siren cutting through the silence. The four quickly dove behind a bundle of hay as a bright light filled the sky. Peeking over, they watched as a spaceship
came and shot a beam down to the ground. Norman recognized it: "Guys, that's the exact same spaceship that took Herb away!" he whispered. At that moment, a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket descended the beam and came to rest on the grass."They returned Herb as a baby in 1914!?" Marcus said, his silent tone still conveying the deep confusion they all shared.
Norman thought, then shook his head. "No...no, wait...Marcus, do you remember the story Herb told us about...oh how'd he put it...how he 'came into this world'? And how, when he did, his father--Mr. Furbus Sr.--came and chased away the aliens--and that's how he found him?"
Marcus pondered. "Hm...yeah, I think so. But what are you saying--you mean, Herb was telling the truth?!"
"Has he ever told us something that wasn't true--in some weird way?"
"Well, no, but...I thought that maybe, since, in this story, he'd just been born and all, maybe he didn't have all the details right."
"Haha!" said Mr. Burton, "Herb Furbus is an alien!!!"
"Well, that would explain why he looks different than us," said Dr. Pea.
"Of course!" said Norman, suddenly remembering, "As Herb was being taken up into the UFO, he shouted out 'take me to Earth!'"
"Earth!?" Dr. Pea shouted a whisper, "I've just recently been studying astronomy--many scientists theorize that Earth is much like our own planet of Dot!"
"So Herb is from another planet!" Norman said, "That's really weird!"
"Is that why he smells funny?" asked Mr. Burton.
"How do you know he smells funny?" asked Dr. Pea, "You don't have a nose."
"Hang on a sec," said Marcus, "was this the only reason we came back to April 26, 1914? To learn about Herb's past?"
Dr. Pea got out the time formula. He jotted a scribble, then said, "You know what, I think there's more to this. Look. 856 + 92 = 948, right? Well, according to X + n = Y, we went back in the past 77 years. But suppose we combined 77 with 948, and went that many years into the future?"
"We're supposed to go 1025 years into the future!? How can that possibly have anything to do with Herb? He'll have great great great great great great great grandkids by then--"
"No he won't," interrupted Mr. Burton, "no wife, ergo, no kids, ergo, no great great great great--"
"Okay, maybe you're right," said Dr. Pea. He scribbled some more, then said, "here. Take 52 (weeks) into 948, you get 18 years and 10 weeks. Which, when put with 77, means we'll go into the future 95 years and 10 weeks. What is that...?" He typed it into the time machine, "...July 5, 2009."
"Are you sur--"
"I'll go see if I can't find more Xenon--we're going to need it if we're going to make an extra trip--" and Dr. Pea ran off into the night.
The three were left behind the bundle of hay. Marcus looked back to where baby Herb was lying on the grass.
But the spaceship was gone.
"Didn't you say Mr. Furbus chased away the aliens?" he asked Norman.
He was answered by the explosion of hay right by his head--they were being shot at! "Get outta here you rotten aliens!" came the booming voice of who they could only assume was Mr. Furbus Sr. "And leave that poor baby-creature alone!"
Norman realized what was happening. "He thinks we're the aliens!" He said. Suddenly, he and Marcus found themselves being pulled into the time machine by Mr. Burton as more shots exploded behind them. "Time to go!" said Mr. Burton.
"We can't leave Dr. Pea behind!" yelled Norman.
But they did.
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