Конец вечности
The Hidden Centuries
Butwedon’t.WemakeChanges.TheChangesextendonlythroughafewCenturiesbeforetemporalinertiacausesitseffectstodieout.YourememberSennorbroughtthatupasoneoftheunansweredproblemsofTimeatourbreakfast.Whathemighthavesaidwasthatit’sallamatterofstatistics.SomeChangesaffectmoreCenturiesthanother.Theoretically,anynumberofCenturiescanbeaffectedbytheproperChange;ahundredCenturies,athousand,ahundredthousand.EvolvedmanoftheHiddenCenturiesmayknowthat.SupposeheisdisturbedbythepossibilitythatsomedayaChangemayreachhimcleartothe200,000th."
"It’suselesstoworryaboutsuchthings,"saidHarlanwiththeairofamanwhohadmuchgreaterworries.
"Butsuppose,"wentonTwissellinawhisper,"theywerecalmenoughaslongaswelefttheSectionsoftheHiddenCenturiesempty.Itmeantweweren’taggressing.Supposethistruce,orwhateveryouwishtocallit,werebroken,andsomeoneappearedtohaveestablishedpermanentresidenceupwhenfromthe70,000th.Supposetheythoughtitmightmeanthefirstofaseriousinvasion?TheycanbarusfromtheirTime,sotheirscienceisthatfaradvancedbeyondours.Supposetheymayfurtherdowhatseemsimpossibletousandthrowabarrieracrossthekettleways,cuttingusoff--"
AndnowHarlanwasonhisfeet,infullhorror,"TheyhaveNoys?"
"Idon’tknow.It’sspeculation.Maybethereisnobarrier.
