Конец вечности
Interlude
ForthefirsttimeheObserved(inthecapital-Osense)theracksdevotedtothe575thitself;itsgeographies,whichvariedlittlefromRealitytoReality,itshistories,whichvariedmore,anditssociologies,whichvariedstillmore.ThesewerenotthebooksorreportswrittenabouttheCenturybyObservingandComputingEternals(withthosehewasfamiliar),butbytheTimersthemselves.
Thereweretheworksofliteratureofthe575thandthesestirredmemoriesoftremendousargumentshehadheardofconcerningthevaluesofalternateChanges.Wouldthismasterpiecebealteredornot?Ifso,how?HowdidpastChangesaffectworksofart?
Forthatmatter,couldthereeverbegeneralagreementaboutart?CoulditeverbereducedtoquantitativetermsamenabletomechanicalevaluationbytheComputingmachines?
AComputernamedAugustSennorwasTwissell’schiefopponentinthesematters.Harlan,stirredbyTwissell’sfeverishdenunciationsofthemanandhisviews,hadreadsomeofSennor’spapersandfoundthemstartling.
Sennoraskedpubliclyand,toHarlan,disconcertingly,whetheranewRealitymightnotcontainapersonalitywithinitselfanalogoustothatofamanwhohadbeenwithdrawnintoEternityinapreviousReality.HeanalyzedthenthepossibilityofanEternalmeetinghisanalogueinTime,eitherwithorwithoutknowingit,andspeculatedontheresultsineachcase.
