Конец вечности
Technician
Thekettleheleft,ofcourse,wasnotthesameastheonehehadboarded,inthesensethatitwasnotcomposedofthesameatoms.HedidnotworryaboutthatanymorethananyEternalwould.ToconcernoneselfwiththemystiqueofTime-travel,ratherthanwiththesimplefactofit,wasthemarkoftheCubandnewcomertoEternity.
Hepausedagainattheinfinitelythincurtainofnon-SpaceandnonTimewhichseparatedhimfromEternityinonewayandfromordinaryTimeinanother.
ThiswouldbeacompletelynewsectionofEternityforhim.Heknewaboutitinaroughway,ofcourse,havingcheckeduponitinthe_TemporalHandbook_.Still,therewasnosubstituteforactualappearanceandhesteeledhimselffortheinitialshockofadjustment.
Headjustedthecontrols,asimplematterinpassingintoEternity(andaverycomplicatedoneinpassingintoTime,atypeofpassagewhichwascorrespondinglylessfrequent).Hesteppedthroughthecurtainandfoundhimselfsquintingatthebrilliance.Automaticallyhethrewuphishandtoshieldhiseyes.
Onlyonemanfacedhim.AtfirstHarlancouldseehimonlyblurrily.
Themansaid,"IamSociologistKantorVoy.IimagineyouareTechnicianHarlan."
Harlannoddedandsaid,"FatherTime!Isn’tthissortofornamentationadjustable?"
Voylookedaboutandsaidtolerantly,"Youmeanthemolecularfilms?"
"Icertainlydo,"saidHarlan.TheHandbookhadmentionedthem,buthadsaidnothingofsuchaninsaneriotoflightreflection.
Harlanfelthisannoyancetobequitereasonable.
