"Matthew Hughes - The Meaning of Luff" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Matt)

every life on Old Earth, and perhaps even all the lives of the trillion inhabitants of the Ten Thousand
Worlds."

Several large questions came to mind, but Imbry put them aside for later consideration and chose instead
to ask a small and simple one. "Why did you buy the house if all you wanted was the 'salience indicator?'"

"It won't move," she said. She spread her hands in a gesture of bafflement. "Again, I don't understand it,
but it seems that the object is not really 'here.' Instead, an 'impression' of it is reflected into our universe,
but a reflection from its continuum manifests itself as a dense and lightless object in ours, though it remains
'connected' in some manner. In short, it would be easier to move the Devenish Range to the other side of
the planet than to budge that thing a hairbreadth."

Imbry moved on to another question. "How does it work?" Then he quickly added one more. "And what
does it actually do?"

The operation was uncomplicated: touch the black lump with the written name or the image of any
person, or even an item that had often been in close proximity to the subject. The effect was also simple,
Tung said, and immediate: the meaning of that person's existence appeared in the mind of he who had
initiated the operation.

Imbry digested the information. "Then if I write my name on a piece of paper and bring it into contact
with the object, it will reveal to me the meaning of my existence?"

"No," said Tung. "It will reveal to you the meaning of anyone else's existence except your own. The
thaumaturge found that seeking to know his own salience brought on a blinding headache. He
conjectured that persevering would create a feedback resonance that would damage his brain."

"Damage how?"

"Boiling followed by melting, was how he put it."

"You have, of course, tested denAarrafol's surmises?"

"I have. They seem to be correct."

"And thus your plan was to reopen the house as a venue for revealing the meaning of their lives to those
who would offer a reasonable fee?" Imbry said.

"At first," Tung said. "Once it became the vogue to discover one's salience, I intended to charge a quite
unreasonable fee, out of which I would repay what I owe you, plus a substantial bonus."

"A good plan," Imbry said. "It requires only one small emendation."

Tung stiffened. "I think it is perfect as it is."

"You lack the perspective," said Imbry, "of someone with two weapons."

Her shoulders slumped. "I have made a considerable outlay from my limited resources to acquire this
house."