THE PROPHETIC CAMERA
By John McGreevey
[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories ofScience and Fantasy August 1953. Extensive research did not uncover anyevidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Joey Barrett set his camera carefully to one side and swung onto theedge of the desk. He knew this annoyed Nugent, and, at the moment,nothing gave him greater satisfaction than his ability to irritate theeditor.
His heels thunked against the highly polished sides of the desk, and heshook his head very deliberately, in rhythm with the heel-hammering.
"No," he said. "I don't think so, Nugent." He decided the drumming hadlost its impact, so, he crossed his legs and turned to face the baldingman behind the desk. "Why should I? This assignment's out of my line andyou know it."
Nugent nodded. "I know. But this is an unusual story, Joey, and I'd liketo get a photographer's slant on it."
"Want to find out how the other half thinks, huh?"
Nugent referred to a memo. "This is the address." He pushed the slip ofpaper toward Joey. "I think you'll find this Jason Ewing mostcooperative."
"He's a crackpot." Joey shied away from the memo and slid off the desk."That's why none of your brainy reporters will touch the assignment."
"He's eccentric." Nugent didn't bother to hide his impatience. "Whatinventor isn't?"
"He's an inventor?"
"New kind of camera. That's where you come in, Joey." Nugent leaned backin his swivel chair. "I want a photographer's reactions to it."
"What's so special about his camera?"
Nugent didn't look at Joey. "It photographs another dimension."
There was a moment's silence. Nugent was abruptly preoccupied with hishands. Joey moved slowly toward the desk.
"Another dimension! You mean stereoptican stuff? With depth?"
Nugent stood. "No. I don't think that's what Ewing means." He moved fromhis desk to the window. "I want you to find out what it is. Get all theinformation you can."
"Are you sure this doesn't belong on the comic page, Nugent?"
Dusk was settling over the city. Nugent stared out at the darkeningskyline. "I admit it sounds crazy. But, it'll make a good human interestyarn." He turned back to Joey. "Just bring in the facts and one of there-write boys will put them in shape."
Joey Barrett's chin set doggedly. "You've got no right to ask me to...."
But he didn't finish. His editor had abruptly moved in very close."You're in no position to quibble, Joey."
"What does that mean?"
Nugent's thin lips were tightly compressed. "The management's not happywith you." Joey's laugh was brittle. Nugent walked slowly back to hisdesk. "I've had more and more complaints about your work."
Joey was close behind him. "I take the assignments you hand me. Andthere's no one on the staff gets a sharper shot."
Nugent waved this aside. "It's your manner." He pushed a glossy eight byten print toward the photographer. "You play up the grisly, themacabre."
Joey stared down at the picture. A slow smile narrowed his eyes. "Iphotograph what I see. I figure it's what your readers want to see,too."
Nugent sat heavily. "We had a hundred phone calls about that picture.Brutal ... s