"Jerry Oltion - Salvation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oltion Jerry)

They looked at each other like children who had dared each other to
jump off the end of a pier. “There are a million good reasons why not,”
William said. “And one very good reason to do it,” he added, setting the
watch in the cage.

“Science,” said Billy.

“Exactly. We already know time travel works. Let’s do the next
experiment.”

William hit the switch. The watch disappeared. For a moment, that
seemed to be the end of it, then there was a feeling of disorientation, as if
they were in an elevator car that had begun to rise and descend
simultaneously.

“What was that?” Billy said.

“If I had to guess,” William replied, “I would say that was the universe
rearranging itself to fit the new reality.” He looked at his wristwatch, then at
the digital clock on his workbench. They read the same time. “It adjusted,”
he said. “Do you remember the paradox?”

“Gugenfrienchen?” asked Billy. “Wakari misu?”

“What?”

Billy burst out laughing. “Gotcha! You should see your face.”

William slowly grinned. “All right, smart ass. Now let’s do the next
jump straight.”

It took them most of the evening to haul the equipment to Billy’s
office, but they got it set up by nine and the jump calculated not long after.
“It was three-twelve,” said William. “I checked. Do you remember what you
wrote?”

“I don’t need to.” Billy took the paper out of his desk. “Should we
send the original, or should I write another?”

“Write a new one,” said William. “If we send the original, we put it in a
closed loop and never get it back. We don’t want to lose the first object to
travel in time. We’ll want that for the Smithsonian someday.”

“Oh. Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Billy took out a fresh sheet of
letterhead and wrote on it: “It works. Give him the money. You almost
named the dog Solomon.” Then he slipped the paper into the cage, the
wire mesh floor of which stood about a foot above the surface of his desk,
right where the phone was before they had moved it to make room.