Ralph and Mr. Anderson appeared in the middle of a marketplace in ancient Rome. Soon, the portal on their side closed too. Everything in the marketplace was for sale: textiles, food, household items. People were busy buying, selling, and talking.

“Ralph, where are we?” Mr. Anderson asked.

“We traveled back in time,” said Ralph. “We are in ancient Rome.”

“So, you did it? You built a time machine.”

“Yes, I did it.”

“Did you know I can speak Latin?” Mr. Anderson said. “I studied it at the university. And I am a history buff. I will make a fortune here. I will sell information about future events to kings and aristocrats. I will stay in ancient Rome forever.”

“You cannot do that. The future will change in unpredictable ways. The world as we know it will be different in the future.”

“I don’t care about that. I only want to make a fortune and become rich.”