Машина времени
Chapter 1
‘Thatisthegermofmygreatdiscovery. ButyouarewrongtosaythatwecannotmoveaboutinTime. Forinstance,ifIamrecallinganincidentveryvividlyIgobacktotheinstantofitsoccurrence:Ibecomeabsent-minded,asyousay. Ijumpbackforamoment. OfcoursewehavenomeansofstayingbackforanylengthofTime,anymorethanasavageorananimalhasofstayingsixfeetabovetheground. Butacivilizedmanisbetteroffthanthesavageinthisrespect. Hecangoupagainstgravitationinaballoon,andwhyshouldhenothopethatultimatelyhemaybeabletostoporacceleratehisdriftalongtheTime-Dimension,oreventurnaboutandtraveltheotherway?’
‘Oh,this,’beganFilby,‘isall—’
‘Whynot? ’saidtheTimeTraveller.
‘It’sagainstreason,’saidFilby.
‘Whatreason? ’saidtheTimeTraveller.
‘Youcanshowblackiswhitebyargument,’saidFilby,‘butyouwillneverconvinceme.’
‘Possiblynot,’saidtheTimeTraveller. ‘ButnowyoubegintoseetheobjectofmyinvestigationsintothegeometryofFourDimensions. LongagoIhadavagueinklingofamachine—’
‘TotravelthroughTime! ’exclaimedtheVeryYoungMan.
‘ThatshalltravelindifferentlyinanydirectionofSpaceandTime,asthedriverdetermines.’
Filbycontentedhimselfwithlaughter.
‘ButIhaveexperimentalverification,’saidtheTimeTraveller.
