Конец вечности
Interlude
Itseemedtohimthatthedoorbehindhimhadjustclosed,movingthelastmillimeterrequiredtobringitflushwiththewall.
Herepressedtheimpulsetoopenthatdoor,tosearchthehouse.WithNoys’sdelicaciesintowhereturnedtoEternityandwaitedtwofulldaysforrepercussionsbeforeventuringintothefarupwhen.Therewerenoneandeventuallyheforgottheincident.
Butnow,asheadjustedthecontrolstoenterTimethisonelasttime,hethoughtofitagain.OrperhapsitwasthethoughtoftheChange,nearlyuponhimnow,thatpreyedonhim.Lookingbackonthemomentlateron,hefeltthatitwasoneortheotherthatcausedhimtomisadjustthecontrols.Hecouldthinkofnootherexcuse.
Themisadjustmentwasnotimmediatelyapparent.Itpin-pointedtheproperroomandHarlansteppeddirectlyintoNoys’slibrary.
Hehadbecomeenoughofadecadenthimself,now,tobenotaltogetherrepelledbytheworkmanshipthatwentintothedesignofthefilm-cases.Theletteringofthetitlesblendedinwiththeintricatefiligreeuntiltheywereattractivebutnearlyunreadable.Itwasatriumphofaestheticsoverutility.
Harlantookafewfromtheshelvesatrandomandwassurprised.Thetitleofonewas_SocialandEconomicHistoryofourTimes_.
SomehowitwasasideofNoystowhichhehadgivenlittlethought.Shewascertainlynotstupidandyetitneveroccurredtohimthatshemightbeinterestedinweightythings
