Конец вечности
The Beginning of Infinity
Butyouweretohavecomebackalone.ItisforthatreasonthatIwasmomentarilysostartledatseeingComputerTwisseIlwithyou."
AgainHarlanwastroubled.Howshemadethingsfitin!
Noyssaid,"Iwouldhavebeenevenmorestartled,hadIrealizedthesignificanceofthatalterationinfull.Hadyoucomealone,youwouldhavebroughtmebacktothePrimitiveasyoudid.Then,forloveofhumanity,forloveofme,youwouldhaveleftCooperuntouched.Yourcirclewouldhavebeenbroken,Eternityended,ourlifetogetherheresafe.
"ButyoucamewithTwissell,achancevariation.Whilecoming,hetalkedtoyouofhisthoughtsabouttheHiddenCenturiesandstartedyouonatrainofdeductionsthatendedwithyourdoubtingmygoodfaith.Itendedwithablasterbetweenus…Andnow,Andrew,that’sthestory.Youmayblastme.Thereisnothingtostopyou."
Harlan’shandachedfromitsspasticgraspontheblaster.Heshifteditdizzilytotheotherhand.Wastherenoflawinherstory?WherewastheresolutionhewastohavegainedfromknowingcertainlythatshewasacreatureoftheHiddenCenturies.Hewasmorethanevertearingathimselfinconflictanddawnwasapproaching.
Hesaid,"WhytwoeffortstoendEternity?Whycouldn’tEternityhaveendedonceandforallwhenIsentCooperbacktothe20th?"Thingswouldhaveendedthenandtherewouldnothavebeenthisagonyofuncertainty."
"Because,"saidNoys,"endingthisEternityisnotenough.
