Конец вечности
Cub
Changethesubject."
IftherewasonesubjectaboutwhichEternalswerealmostsuperstitious,itwasthe"HiddenCenturies,"thetimebetweenthe70,000thandthe150,000th.Itwasasubjectthatwasrarelymentioned.ItwasonlyHarlan’scloseassociationwithTwissellthataccountedforhisownsmallknowledgeoftheera.WhatitamountedtowasthatEternalscouldn’tpassintoTimeinallthosethousandsofCenturies.ThedoorsbetweenEternityandTimewereimpenetrable.Why?Nooneknew.
Harlanimagined,fromsomecasualremarksofTwissell’s,thatattemptshadbeenmadetoChangetheRealityintheCenturiesjustdownwhenfromthe70,000th,butwithoutadequateObservationbeyondthe70,000thnotmuchcouldbedone.
Twissellhadlaughedabitonetimeandsaid,"We’llgetthroughsomeday.Meanwhile,70,000Centuriesisquiteenoughtotakecareof."
Itdidnotsoundwhollyconvincing.
"WhathappenstoEternityafterthe150,000th?"askedCooper.
Harlansighed.Thesubject,apparently,wasnottobechanged."Nothing,"hesaid."TheSectionsaretherebuttherearenoEternalsinitanywhereafterthe70,000th.TheSectionskeepongoingformillionsofCenturiestillalllifeisgoneandpastthat,too,tillthesunbecomesanova,andpastthat,too.Thereisn’tanyendtoEternity.That’swhyit’scalledEternity."
"Thesundoesbecomeanova,then?"
"Itcertainlydoes.Eternitycouldn’texistifthatweren’tso.NovaSolisourpowersupply.
