Still Life With Elephants

 BY JANE SCHNETLAGE

The gravity distortion field was discovered late in the 20th century by Max

Backwards, an itinerant juggler and acrobat. Like many other things, it was not his idea. He and three even more reluctant elephants were beguiled into it against their better judgment.

The day was unseasonably warm for October by the time Max finished his matinee performance. Judging by the meager proceeds jingling in his jester's cap, the renaissance fair crowd had been moderately enthused at best. The problem was, nothing less than spectacular was going to win tonight's competition. And he needed the prize money desperately.

Wandering away from the stage, Max followed the tantalizing scent of hot dogs wafting through the crowded park. Definitely polish sausage with onions.

He wasn't the only one attracted by the aroma. A flock of noisy children pulled and tugged at their young teacher as they swarmed toward the food. She was fighting a losing battle to keep order. "Yes,Johnathan, we will eat soon. But first, who can name the discoverer of GDF?"

"Max Forward?" hazarded a small boy. "Max Backwards, idiot," piped up a blonde

girl at the back of the line.

"Now, Anastasia," warned the teacher, "there is no reason to be rude. Who can tell us what GDF stands for?"

This was getting interesting, thought Max. "Gravity distortion field," the girl answered smugly as Max bounded through the pack. He bowed deeply to the pretty redheaded teacher. "Max Backwards at your service!" A bouncing back flip later, he landed lightly, jester's cap in hand.

The teacher didn't seem at all amused. "Nice to have met you," she mumbled as she herded her charges past him, refusing to meet his eyes.

He shrugged. They had been talking about him, hadn't they? And it didn't make much sense. His musing was interrupted by the little blonde kid who had known his name. She hung back from the rest, staring at Max.

Appraising him critically, she informed him, "You're cute. Cuter than I expected."

"Come back in ten years, kid."

"You mean when you're ten years older or when I'm ten years older?"

"Take your pick."

"Alrig,ht, I will. I'm Anastasia, don't forget!"

Flashing him a dazzling, impish smile, she hurried to rejoin the rest. Smartmouth kid, but kind of appealing. He wondered what she'd be like by the time she was 20. She'd dropped a red and white cloth ball which he bent to pick up. Idly, Max tossed the ball into the air. Nice size and heft for juggling. The ball rose gracefully, but stopped about eye level, hanging weightlessly. Max stared at it. The day was getting stranger by the minute! The ball stayed there - absolutely motionless. He gave it a small tap. It bounded two feet higher and stopped again in mid air. Slowly, he closed his fingers around it. Obediently, the ball offered no resistance. Resting in his palm, it looked for all the world like an ordinary ball.

Engrossed in his new toy, he didn't notice the girl until she nearly bumped into him. "Excuse me," he mumbled, stepping aside.

Slender fingers touched his arm. "Hi, remember me?" He met her eyes, then took a startled closer look. Long blonde hair framed an attractive 19 or 20-year-old face. Same dazzling smile.

"I'm Anastasia."

It couldn't be the little blonde brat, could it? His dazed brain fumbled with legends of travelers who wandered in fairy realms for what seemed like moments while years passed in the mortal world. That was too ridiculous. This was a Nashville park, not a magic wood.

"I get it. Jordan Perry put you up to this, didn't he? To get even with me for the egg trick. That little girl is your sister or your niece, right? You two really do look a lot alike."

"No, I'm really Anastasia," she explained as if to a backward child. "You told me to come back when I was 10 years older, so I did. If this was supposed to be a joke, how could I have known you would say that?"

That seemed logical, but he had to be missing something somewhere. "I've been waiting 10 years to see you again, Max. Aren't you at least going to buy me a hot dog?" She tucked her arm through his and headed for the food stands..

You're trying to tell me that your school trip from 200 years in the future accidentally bumped into me?"

Popping the last bite of hot dog into her mouth, she leaned back on the park bench. She had his attention. "Miss Welch knew you had to be here or you couldn't demonstrate the gravity distortion field tonight. She just didn't expect you to jump out at us like you did. She started fussing about interacting with the past and stuff, but I think she was just embarrassed."

"Slow down." Max reached over and dabbed a bit of relish off her chin with his napkin. Undeniably, she was gorgeous. But how was he supposed to take her seriously? "You keep talking about this gravity distortion field. What exactly is a gravity distortion field?"

He could have sworn that was genuine puzzlement darkening her blue eyes. "You don't know? Maybe you call it something else. How do you plan on juggling three elephants tonight?"

"Elephants? Who said anything about juggling elephants? It's impossible to juggle an elephant!"

"But you have to!"

"Why? I'm perfectly satisfied with my act.  Well, almost satisfied. Alright, it needs work, but if I wanted to live dangerously, I'd balance on one stilt while juggling five 50­pound anvils."

Her eyes opened wide. "You can do that?!" "Probably not," he admitted. "But it's got

to be easier than juggling elephants."

"But, Max, everything I've ever seen says that you juggled elephants."

"That's crazy. Are you sure it was elephants, not anvils or ice cream cones?"

"What's an anvil, Max?"

"Oh, God!"

"Never mind." She sounded a little miffed.

"It doesn't matter. I'm positive about the elephants. I remember the picture of you in my sixth grade science book. You were turned to the side and there was an elephant sailing over your head." She smiled almost shyly. "And I did think you were cute."

This girl baffled him. At times he was sure she was absolutely nuts. Other times, he found himself almost taking her seriously. Jordan Perry would never have let a practical joke go on this long without showing up to crow about it, would he? The young juggler sighed yet again. "Suppose you explain exactly how this gravitation field works. Does it have anything to do with this ball of yours?"

"You found it! I cried for a week when I lost it. I accused my best friend in sixth grade, Mark Jamison..."

"Anastasia, please."

"Sorry. You know the Twelve Postulates of Non-Newtonian Gravity..."

"Non-Newtonian gravity?!" he asked incredulously.

"It hasn't been postulated yet?"

"Not that I know of."

"Ummmm... Let me start simply. You remember during Chang's lunar colony experiments with gravitational flux..."

"There aren't any colonies on the moon yet."

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