Конец вечности

           Listen,doyouknowhowmuchpowerisrequiredtosetupaTemporalField?Mallansohn’sfirstFieldwastwosecondsfromextremedownwhentoextremeupwhenandbigenoughtoholdnotmorethanamatchheadandthattookanuclearpowerplant’scompleteoutputforoneday.Ittooknearlyahundredyearstosetupahair-thinTemporalFieldfarenoughupwhentobeabletotaptheradiantpowerofthenovasothataFieldcouldbebuiltbigenoughtoholdaman."

           Coopersighed."Iwishtheywouldgettothepointwheretheystoppedmakingmelearnequationsandfieldmechanicsandstarttellingmesomeoftheinterestingstuff.NowifIhadlivedinMallansohn’stime—"

           "Youwouldhavelearnednothing.Helivedinthe24th,butEternitydidn’tstarttilllateinthe27th.InventingtheFieldisn’tthesameasconstructingEternity,youknow,andtherestofthe24thdidn’thavetheslightestinklingofwhatMallansohn’sinventionsignified."

           "Hewasaheadofhisgeneration,then?"

           "Verymuchso.HenotonlyinventedtheTemporalField,buthedescribedthebasicrelationshipsthatmadeEternitypossibleandpredictedalmosteveryaspectofitexceptfortheRealityChange.Quiteclosely,too-butIthinkwe’repullingtoahalt,Cooper.Afteryou."

           Theysteppedout.

           HarlanhadneverseenSeniorComputerLabanTwissellangrybefore.Peoplealwayssaidthathewasincapableofanyemotion,thathewasanunsouledfixtureofEternitytothepointwherehehadforgottentheexactnumberofhishomewhenCentury.