The Worlds of If

A fast‑moving chase across New York’s bridges sets the tone for a story about Dixon Wells, a perpetually late businessman who finds himself scrambling to make a crucial bid in Moscow. When a Soviet rocket crashes and a tragic headline flashes across the papers, Wells barely escapes being called “the late Mr. Wells,” and his reputation hangs in the balance.

He seeks refuge in the chaotic office of his former physics professor, Haskel van Manderpootz, now a self‑styled “master of newer physics.” The eccentric scholar boasts that he has finally captured time itself for laboratory study, hinting at a daring experiment that could turn the very notion of punctuality on its head. Their banter mixes old‑school academic pride with the promise of a breakthrough that may change more than just a schedule.