"03.Time Streams" - читать интересную книгу автора (McGough Scott)

"This is all utterly secret, of course," Malzra said.
"Yes," replied the silver man.
"Tonight's regression will be nothing so grand," assured
Barrin, apparently sensing the probe's hesitancy. "If things
go well, you will return in time perhaps as far back as this
morning."
"What must I do?" the probe asked.
"You must stand here, within the circle," said Master
Malzra. "That is all. You will stand and wait while the
machine does its work. When the time regression slows, you
must step from the circle to arrive in the former time. You
will remain somewhat out of phase in the former time-you
will be able to see your surroundings, but no one will be
able to see you. This is to protect the time continuity. As
the particles of your being gradually align themselves with
your surroundings, this out-of-phase effect will lessen, and
you will become visible. Whether in phase or out, you will
be able to affect your environment, but we ask that you make
no significant alterations, again for sake of temporal
integrity. We will control your return trip from this end.
When you are drawn back to the present, you will make a
report of what you have discovered. Do you understand?"
"I understand," the silver man said flatly. "It is my
purpose. It is why I was made."
Barrin eyed the silver golem narrowly and shook his
head. He turned to Malzra and spoke quietly in his ear. "I
don't like it. He's been traumatized by Teferi."
Malzra laughed quietly. "You are traumatized by Teferi."
"His emotional cortex is too new."
"He exhibits the correct emotional response to Teferi."
"I tell you, I don't like it."
"He understands. He knows this is the reason he was
made."
"What if he meddles in the time stream?"
"Then we'll draw him back through, and we'll know he
isn't sufficient to the task."
The silver man stood silent while the men spoke, his
acute senses picking up every word.
"I understand you are eager, Malzra, but we have time.
If our experiments work, we'll have all the time in the
world. Testing a living creature is not like testing a
machine. You can't just dismantle a creature, insert new
parts, and start him up again-"
"On the contrary, that's what we did just this morning,"
Malzra finished, turning away from his associate. With a
curt gesture, he said to the silver man, "Into the circle
then. The power-up phase will take us a few moments."
Wordless, the probe stepped into the circle and stood.
He could feel the silent, magnificent weight of the time
machine hanging above his head. From the precise center of