"Aldiss, Brian W - Short Stories" - читать интересную книгу автора (Aldiss Brian W)"It's not what / say, Janet, but the conclusion arrived at
by much cleverer men than 1." He smiled as he-said that, adding parenthetically, "Not that we don't develop and even alter our conclusions every day." "Then why was a similar effect not noticed when the Russians and Americans returned from the moon?" "We don't know. There's so much we don't know. We surmise that because the moon is a satellite of Earth's, and thus within its gravitational field, there is no temporal discrep- ancy. But until we have more data, until we can explore further, we know so little, and can only speculate so much. It's like trying to estimate the runs of an entire innings when only one over has been bowled. After the expedition gets back from Venus, we shall be in a much better position to start theorising." "What expedition to Venus?" she asked, shocked. "It may not leave for a year yet, but they're speeding up the programme. That will bring us really invaluable data." Future time with its uses and abuses She started to say, "But after this surely they won't be fool enough" Then she stopped. She knew they would be fool enough. She thought of Peter saying, "I'm going to be a spaceman too. I want to be the first man on Saturn!" The men were looking at their watches. Westermark trans- ferred his gaze to the gravel to say, "This figure of 3.3077 is varyfrom planetary body to planetary body. My private opinion is that it is bound to be connected with solar activity in some way. If that is so, then we may find that the men returning from Venus will be perceiving on a continuum slightly in arrears of Earth time." He stood up suddenly, looking dismayed, the absorption gone from his face. "That's a point that hadn't occurred to me," Stackpole said, making a note. "If the expedition to Venus is primed with these points beforehand, we should have no trouble about organising their return. Ultimately, this confusion will be sorted out, and I've no doubt that it will eventually vastly enrich the culture of mankind. The possibilities are of such enormity that . . ." "It's awful! You're all crazy!" Janet exclaimed. She jumped up and hurried off towards the house. Or then again Jack began to move after her towards the house. By his watch, which showed Earth time, it was 11.18 and twelve seconds; he thought, not the first time, that he would invest in another watch, which would be strapped to his right wrist and show Martian time. No, the one on his left wrist should show Martian time, for that was the wrist he principally consulted |
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