Конец вечности

           You’veinspectedthiswholeperiod,haven’tyou?"

           Properlyspeaking,heoughttomaintainaflatandcoldnegative,butweaklyheexplained,"TherewasalotofSpaceandTimetocover.Iwouldn’tknowlittleprecisethingslikegamescores."

           "Oh,youjustdon’twanttotellme."

           Harlansaidnothingtothat.Heinsertedthepene-prongintothesmall,juicyfruitandliftedit,whole,tohislips.

           AfteramomentNoyssaid,"Didyouseewhathappenedinthisneighborhoodbeforeyoucame?"

           "Nodetails,N-noys."(Heforcedhernamepasthislips.)

           Thegirlsaidsoftly,"Didn’tyouseeus?Didn’tyouknowallalongthat-"

           Harlanstammered,"No,no,Icouldn’tseemyself.I’mnotinRea—I’mnotheretillIcome.Ican’texplain."Hewasdoublyflustered.First,thatsheshouldspeakofit.Second,thathehadalmostbeentrappedintosaying,"Reality,"ofallthewordsthemostforbiddeninconversationwithTimers.

           Sheliftedhereyebrowsandhereyesgrewroundandalittleamazed."Areyouashamed?"

           "Whatwedidwasnotproper."

           "Whynot?"Andinthe482ndherquestionwasperfectlyinnocent."Aren’tEternalsallowedto?"TherewasalmostajokingcasttothatquestionasthoughshewereaskingifEternalsweren’tallowedtoeat.

           "Don’tusetheword,"saidHarlan."Asamatteroffact,we’renot,inaway."

           "Well,then,don’ttellthem.Iwon’t."

           Andshewalkedaboutthetableandsatdownonhislap,pushingthesmalltableoutofthewaywithasmoothandflowingmotionofherhip.