Record Thirty

Here is my conversation with I-330, which took place in the Ancient House yesterday in the midst of loud noise, among colors which stifled the logical course of my thoughts, red, green, bronze, saffron-yellow, orange colors.... And all the while under the motionless marble smile of that snub-nosed ancient poet.

Here is my conversation with I-330, which took place yesterday in the Ancient House. There was loud noise all around us. Red, green, bronze, saffron-yellow, and orange colors stifled the logical flow of my thoughts.... And all the while, that snub-nosed ancient poet looked on with his motionless marble smile.

I shall reproduce the conversation word by word, for it seems to me that it may have an enormous and decisive importance for the fate of the United State,—more than that, for the fate of the universe. Besides, reading it, you my unknown readers, may find some justification for me. I-330, without preliminaries, at once threw everything upon my head:

I will reproduce the conversation word for word, because I believe it may have enormous and decisive importance for the fate of the United State. More than that, it may affect the fate of the universe. Besides, you, my unknown readers, may find some justification for me as you read it. Without any introduction, I-330 immediately threw everything at me:

“I know that the day after tomorrow the first trial trip of the Integral is to take place. On that day we shall take possession of it.”

“I know that the Integral will make its first trial trip the day after tomorrow. That day, we will take possession of it.”

“What! Day after tomorrow?”

“What! The day after tomorrow?”

“Yes. Sit down and don’t be upset. We cannot afford to lose a minute. Among the hundreds who were arrested yesterday there are twenty Mephis. To let pass two or three days means that they will perish.”

“Yes. Sit down and don’t be upset. We can’t afford to lose a minute. Among the hundreds arrested yesterday are twenty Mephis. If we let two or three days pass, they will die.”

I was silent.

I said nothing.

“As observers on the trial trip they will send electricians, mechanicians, physicians, meteorologists, etc.... At twelve sharp, you must remember this, when the bell rings for dinner we shall remain in the passage, lock them all up in the dining hall, and the Integral will be ours. You realize that it is most necessary, happen what may! The Integral in our hands will be a tool that will help to put an end to everything at once without pain.... Their aeros?... Bah! They would be insignificant mosquitos against a buzzard. And then, if it proves inevitable, we may direct the tubes of the motors downward and by their work alone....”

“As observers on the trial flight, they will send electricians, mechanics, doctors, meteorologists, and others.... You must remember this. At twelve sharp, when the dinner bell rings, we will stay in the passage. We will lock them all in the dining hall, and the Integral will be ours. You realize how necessary this is, no matter what happens! In our hands, the Integral will be a tool to help us end everything at once, without pain.... Their aeros?... Bah! They would be like tiny mosquitoes against a buzzard. And then, if it proves unavoidable, we may point the motor tubes downward and use their power alone....”

I jumped up.

I jumped up.

“It is inconceivable! It is absurd! Is it not clear to you that what you are contriving is a revolution?”

“This is unthinkable! It’s absurd! Don’t you see that what you’re planning is a revolution?”

“Yes, a revolution. Why is it absurd?”

“Yes, a revolution. Why is that absurd?”

“Absurd? because a revolution is impossible! Because our (I speak for myself and for you), our revolution was the last one. No other revolutions may occur. Everybody knows that.”

“Absurd? Because a revolution is impossible! Because our revolution was the last one. I speak for myself and for you. No other revolutions can happen. Everybody knows that.”

A mocking, sharp triangle of brows.

Eyebrows forming a sharp, mocking triangle.

“My dear, you are a mathematician, are you not? More than that, a philosopher-mathematician? Well then, name the last number!”

“My dear, you’re a mathematician, aren’t you? More than that, a philosopher-mathematician? Well then, name the last number!”

“What is ... I ... I cannot understand, which last?”

“What is ... I ... I don't understand, which last?”

“The last one, the highest, the largest.”

“The last one, the highest, the largest.”

“But I-330, it is absurd! Since the number of numbers is infinite, how can there be a last one?”

“But I-330, that’s absurd! Since there are infinitely many numbers, how can there be a last one?”

“And why then do you think there is a last revolution? There is no last revolution, their number is infinite.... The ‘last one’ is a children’s story. Children are afraid of the infinite, and it is necessary that children should not be frightened, so that they may sleep through the night.”

“And why do you think there is a last revolution? There is no last revolution. The number of revolutions is infinite.... The ‘last one’ is a children’s story. Children are afraid of infinity, and they must not be frightened, so that they can sleep through the night.”

“But what is the use, what is the use of it all? For the sake of the Well-Doer! What is the use since all are happy already?”

“But what’s the point? What’s the point of it all? For the sake of the Well-Doer! What’s the point if everyone is already happy?”

“All right! Even suppose that is so. What further?”

“All right! Even if that is true, what then?”

“How funny! A purely childish question. You tell something to children, come to the very end, yet they will invariably ask you, ‘what further?’ and ‘what for?’”

“How funny! That’s a child’s question. You tell children a story and reach the very end. Yet they will always ask, ‘what happens next?’ and ‘what for?’”

“Children are the only courageous philosophers. And courageous philosophers are invariably children. One ought always to ask like children, ‘what further’?”

“Children are the only brave philosophers. And brave philosophers are always children. We should always ask, like children, ‘what comes next’?”

“Nothing further! Period. In the whole world evenly, everywhere, there is distributed....”

“Nothing more! Period. Throughout the whole world, distributed evenly everywhere, there is....”

“Ah, ‘evenly!’ ‘Everywhere!’ That is the point, entropy! Psychological entropy. Don’t you as a mathematician know that only differences (only differences!), in temperature, only thermic contrasts make for life? And if all over the world there are evenly warm or evenly cold bodies, they must be pushed off! ... in order to get flame, explosions! And we shall push!...”

“Ah, ‘evenly!’ ‘Everywhere!’ That’s the point: entropy! Psychological entropy. As a mathematician, don’t you know that only differences (only differences!) in temperature make life possible? And if bodies all over the world are equally warm or equally cold, they must be pushed apart! ... so that we can get flames, explosions! And we will push!...”

“But I-330, please realize that our ancestors during the Two Hundred Years’ War did exactly that!”

“But I-330, please understand that our ancestors did exactly that during the Two Hundred Years’ War!”

“Oh, they were right! A thousand times right! They did one wrong thing, however; later they began to believe that they were the last number, a number that does not exist in nature. Their mistake was the mistake of Galileo; he was right in that the earth revolves about the sun but he did not know that our whole solar system revolves about some other centre, he did not know that the real (not relative) orbit of the earth is not a naive circle.”

“Oh, they were right! A thousand times right! But they made one mistake. Later, they came to believe they were the last number, a number that does not exist in nature. Their mistake was like Galileo’s. He was right that the earth revolves around the sun. But he did not know that our whole solar system revolves around some other center. He did not know that the earth’s real orbit, not its relative orbit, is not a simple circle.”

“And you, the Mephi?”

“And what about you, the Mephi?”

“We? For the time being we know that there is no last number. We may forget that some day. Of course, we shall certainly forget it when we grow old, as everything inevitably grows old. Then we shall inevitably fall like autumn leaves from the trees, like you the day-after-tomorrow.... No, no dear, not you personally. You are with us, are you not? You are with us?”

“We? For now, we know there is no last number. We may forget that someday. Of course, we will certainly forget it when we grow old, as everything inevitably does. Then we will inevitably fall like autumn leaves from the trees, as you will the day after tomorrow.... No, no, dear, not you personally. You are with us, aren't you? You are with us?”

Flaming, stormy, sparkling! I never before had seen her in such a state. She embraced me with her whole self; I disappeared.

Flaming, stormy, sparkling! I had never seen her like this before. She embraced me with her whole being, and I disappeared.

Her last word, looking steadily, deeply into my eyes:

Her last word, as she looked steadily and deeply into my eyes:

“Then, do not forget: at twelve o’clock sharp.”

“Then, don’t forget: twelve o’clock sharp.”

And I answered:

And I answered:

“Yes, I remember.”

“Yes, I remember.”

She left. I was alone amidst a rebellious, multi-voiced commotion of blue, red, green, saffron-yellow and orange....

She left. I was alone amid a rebellious, many-voiced commotion of blue, red, green, saffron-yellow, and orange....

Yes, at twelve!... Suddenly a feeling of something foreign on my face, of something implanted, that could not be brushed off. Suddenly, yesterday morning, and U- and all she shouted into the face of I-330! Why, how absurd!

Yes, at twelve!... Suddenly, I felt something foreign on my face, something implanted that I couldn't brush off. Suddenly, I remembered yesterday morning, and U- and everything she shouted in I-330's face! How absurd!

I hastened to get out of the house and home, home! Somewhere behind me I heard the chattering of birds beyond the Wall. And ahead of me in the setting sun the balls of cupolas made of red, crystallized fire, enormous flaming cubes—houses, and the sharp point of the Accumulating Tower high in the sky like a paralyzed streak of lightning. And all this, all this impeccable, most geometric beauty, shall I, I myself, with my hands...? Is there no way out? No path? No trail?

I hurried out of the house and headed home, home! Somewhere behind me, I heard birds chattering beyond the Wall. Ahead of me, in the setting sun, were round domes of red, crystallized fire and houses like enormous flaming cubes. The sharp point of the Accumulating Tower rose high into the sky like a frozen bolt of lightning. And all this, all this perfect, geometric beauty. Am I to...? With my own hands...? Is there no way out? No path? No trail?

I passed by an auditorium (I do not recall its number). Inside, the benches were stacked along the walls. In the middle, tables covered with snow-white glass sheets, with pink stains of sunny blood on the white.... There was foreshadowed in all that some unknown and therefore alarming tomorrow. It is unnatural for a thinking and seeing human being to live among irregularities, unknowns, X’s. If suddenly your eyes were covered with a bandage and you were let go to feel around, to stumble, ever aware that somewhere very close to you there is the border-line, one step only and nothing but a compressed, smothered piece of flesh will be left of you.... I now feel somewhat like that.

I passed an auditorium (I don't remember its number). Inside, the benches were stacked against the walls. In the middle stood tables covered with sheets of snow-white glass, stained pink with sunny blood.... All of it hinted at an unknown, and therefore frightening, tomorrow. It is unnatural for a thinking, seeing human being to live among irregularities, unknowns, X’s. Imagine your eyes were suddenly covered with a bandage and you were left to feel your way around and stumble. All the while, you would know that somewhere very close was the edge. One step, and nothing would be left of you but a crushed, suffocated piece of flesh.... That is somewhat how I feel now.

... And what if without waiting for anything I should ... just head down.... Would it not be the only right thing to do? To disentangle everything at once?

... And what if I didn't wait for anything and just ... headed down.... Wouldn't that be the only right thing to do? To sort everything out at once?