Конец вечности
Technician
Voysaid,"IsupposeIwillbehearingfromtheAllwhenCouncil?"
"Idon’tthinkso.AsfarasIknow,theAllwhenCouncildoesnotknowofthis.Atleast,theprojectedRealityChangewaspassedovertomewithoutcomment."Hedidnotexplaintheword"passed,"nordidVoyquestionit.
"Youdiscoveredthiserror,then?"
"Yes."
"AndyoudidnotreportittotheAllwhenCouncil?"
"No,Ididnot."
Relieffirst,thenahardeningofcountenance."Whynot?"
"Veryfewpeoplecouldhaveavoidedthiserror.IfeltIcouldcorrectitbeforedamagewasdone.Ihavedoneso.Whygoanyfurther?"
"Well-thankyou,TechnicianHarlan.Youhavebeenafriend.TheSection’serrorwhich,asyousay,waspracticallyunavoidable,wouldhavelookedunjustifiablybadintherecord."
Hewentonafteramoment’spause."Ofcourse,inviewofthealterationsinpersonalitytobeinducedbythisRealityChange,thedeathofafewmenaspreliminaryisoflittleimportance."
Harlanthought,detachedly:Hedoesn’tsoundreallygrateful.Heprobablyresentsit.Ifhestopstothink,he’llresentitevenmore,thisbeingsavedadownstrokeinratingbyaTechnician.IfIwereaSociologist,hewouldshakemyhand,buthewon’tshakethehandofaTechnician.Hedefendscondemningadozenpeopletoasphyxiation,buthewon’ttouchaTechnician.
Andbecausewaitingtoletresentmentgrowwouldbefatal,Harlansaidwithoutwaiting,"IhopeyourgratitudewillextendtohavingyourSectionperformaslightchoreforme."
"Achore?"
"AmatterofLife-Plotting.
