Ｏｐｅｒａｔｉｏｎ　‘Ｄｏｕｂｌｅ’

　We went back to Doc’s laboratory and were going to continue the strategy meeting. But I remembered by chance that Doc was going to the Physical Society meeting from August 24th. This meant that there had to be the other ‘Doc’ in his house who was ‘living’ on August 23rd. So I asked him,
“I wander if you run into the other 'you'.”
“It’s quite OK since I’m always sleeping soundly in my bed on the second floor until one o’clock in the afternoon.”
“Oh, that's good. By the way, shall I look for the bat to hit Doc? You can try the ‘Time paradox’ once again!”
“Hold your tongue! I’ve told you clearly that it’s quite nonsense! ”
“Ok, I know I know that.”
“Anyway, we must continue the strategy meeting!”
“Yeah.”
“Well, we’ve got most of the situation. The problem is where to take your father's place. But I guess there is.”
“Take my father's place?”
“Yes. And there is no point wearing the black suit any longer. You need to put on a gray business suit next!”
“Put on a gray business suit next, so what?”
“Because your father flew the aircraft wearing a gray business suit.”
“Oh. But there are only the black suits you painted for the wake.”
“Well, I have another but…”
“Ah, that’s good. So what’s the color?”
“It’s dark brown stripes on yellow. I’ll go to the Physical Society wearing it.”
“Wow! It’s the color of a brown tabby cat! It’s cool!”
“But I don’t want to paint it in any color. It's so splendid.”
“Well I see. And it must be… it must be a serious problem. Then, shall we go to a tailor?”
“Such wasteful spending!”
“Well I think so too.”
“OK. Take off the suit.”
“You’ll paint this?”
“Precisely.”
　So Doc went to a corner of the laboratory once again holding the black suit I was wearing. Then hung it on a hanger and took out a special spray can of ‘gray’ from the drawer and so forth to ‘tailor’ a gray suit with some unevenness. So I said, “Well, is it still OK if you’re wearing a black suit?”
“No problem. I’m not flying the aircraft. I’m a behind the scene part of the operation.”
“So you’re a black figure aren’t you?”
“Might be. Well, before putting it on, you must get in the Machine.”
“Why?”
“Any how! Well, how old is your father?”
“He is forty.”
“Forty years old! It’s so young to die. Anyhow, we must save him.”
“Yes!”
”And I’ll change you to forty years old.”
“OK.”
“Well, you are the ‘double’ for your father.”
　So I got in the Machine and soon it began to zoom. Then I was changed from a thirty year-old man to a forty. And got out of the machine and put on the suit re-painted splendidly in gray.
“Well, you two are like two peas in a pod.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You are the spitting image of your father!”
　Then Doc fetched a R.C. aircraft transmitter from somewhere in the laboratory for some reason that I didn’t know at first. And since there was so much ‘Junk’ in the laboratory, I was not so surprised to see such a thing. Anyhow, he seemed to start to teach me ‘How to fly R.C. aircraft’.
　According to his instructions, if we move the right side stick of the transmitter back and forth, the engine is controlled from ‘Idle’ to ‘Max power’, and if we move it to right or left, the ailerons are controlled and the aircraft ‘rolls’ to right or left, respectively. About the left side stick! If we move it back, this means ‘elevator up’ and the aircraft will take nose-up position and it rises. And if we move it forward, this means ‘elevator down’ and the aircraft will take nose-down position and it dives. And move it to right or left, the rudder moves to the right or left respectively, and so forth. It was dreadfully complicated. Then Doc, seeing me in confusion finally said to me, “Anyhow, show them really exciting flying with max power!”
　So we went to August 23rd in the morning by the Machine at just the same time as before. And we were to drive to the company, but before that, Doc fetched vials labeled ‘Chloroform’ and ‘Tonic’ from somewhere in his house and put them into his pockets with a handkerchief, though I didn’t know the reason why.
　Then we drove to the company and parked the car at the same place. And it seemed that the demo flight was about to start. So we went out of the car and Doc said, “Here we go!” and jumped over the fence. So did I.
　Then we crawled on the grass along the fence. And we went a long long way to reach the hut, i.e. the toilet and hid behind a tree. And there we could hear the sound of someone whistling singing ‘Take it Easy’. So we looked in the direction of the sound to find my father walking, wearing a gray suit, snobbish sunglasses, holding a transmitter and approaching the place where we were hiding. Then he went into the toilet.
　So Doc said under his breath, “Come on!” and went after my father without making a sound and I went after him also making no noise. In the toilet, my father stood in front of a urinal and put the transmitter on the top of it, then took a leak. Doc was waiting behind my father to finish. And making sure he’d finished, Doc dripped chloroform on the handkerchief speedily and put it on my father’s face while hugging him from behind.
　Oh, what a dreadful deed! I thought at first. But I soon understood that this was to save my father! So I only looked on at the situation. And after a while, he fainted. Then Doc grabbed his snobbish sunglasses and tossed them to me and dragged him into a toilet cubicle. I was so surprised that Doc was unexpectedly strong. And I heard Doc’s voice from the cubicle, saying,
“Hey Ichiro, put on the glasses, take the transmitter and go to the apron and fly the planes. Show them really exiting flying with max power!”
　So I replied “Roger!” and took the transmitter from the top of the urinals, put on the snobbish sunglasses and walked to the apron whistling the song ‘Take it Easy’.