This story by Harlan Ellison takes a satirical look at the way people can become slaves of time. In a future dystopian world, everyone and everything must be on time. The Master Timekeeper (aka the Ticktockman) is responsible for policing this. He has a special power: if someone is late to work or causes something to be delayed, that person has the lost time deducted from their lifespan. Only one man stands against him: a disruptive rebel who calls himself the Harlequin. When the Harlequin is finally caught, the Ticktockman goes to great lengths to try to make him repent.
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