Paycheck

Manuscript received at SMLA Jul 31, 1952                                                           

(1953 Jun): IMAGINATION {ill. by W.E.Terry}

(1977): THE BEST OF PHILIP K. DICK
(1987): BEYOND LIES THE WUB/BROWN OXFORD

CSVol1  404:

How much is a key to a bus locker worth? One day it's worth 25 cents, the next day thousands of dollars. In this story I got to thinking that there are times in our lives when having a dime to make a phone call spells the difference between life and death. Keys, small change, maybe a theater ticket -- how about a parking receipt for a Jaguar? All I had to do was link this idea up with time travel to see how the small and useless, under the wise eyes of a time traveler, might signify a great deal more. He would know when that dime might save your life. And, back in the past again, he might prefer that dime to any amount of money, no matter how large (PKD>1976)