Машина часу
Chapter 1
‘Itwouldberemarkablyconvenientforthehistorian,’thePsychologistsuggested.‘OnemighttravelbackandverifytheacceptedaccountoftheBattleofHastings,forinstance!’
‘Don’tyouthinkyouwouldattractattention?’saidtheMedicalMan.‘Ourancestorshadnogreattoleranceforanachronisms.’
‘Onemightgetone’sGreekfromtheverylipsofHomerandPlato,’theVeryYoungManthought.
‘InwhichcasetheywouldcertainlyploughyoufortheLittle-go.TheGermanscholarshaveimprovedGreeksomuch.’
‘Thenthereisthefuture,’saidtheVeryYoungMan.‘Justthink!Onemightinvestallone’smoney,leaveittoaccumulateatinterest,andhurryonahead!’
‘Todiscoverasociety,’saidI,‘erectedonastrictlycommunisticbasis.’
‘Ofallthewildextravaganttheories!’beganthePsychologist.
‘Yes,soitseemedtome,andsoInevertalkedofituntil—’
‘Experimentalverification!’criedI.‘Youaregoingtoverifythat?’
‘Theexperiment!’criedFilby,whowasgettingbrain-weary.
‘Let’sseeyourexperimentanyhow,’saidthePsychologist,‘thoughit’sallhumbug,youknow.’
TheTimeTravellersmiledroundatus.Then,stillsmilingfaintly,andwithhishandsdeepinhistrouserspockets,hewalkedslowlyoutoftheroom,andweheardhisslippersshufflingdownthelongpassagetohislaboratory.
