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第16部分（第3页）

〃But　that　was　before　we　found　the　object。〃

〃Where　is　the　object？〃　Harry　said。

〃Over　here；　Harry；〃　Ted　said；　with　a　wicked　grin。　〃Lets　＇＇104＇＇　see　what　your　fabled　powers　of　deduction　make　of　this。〃　They　walked　deeper　into　the　room；　moving　among　the　giant　hands　and　claws。　And　they　saw；　nestled　in　the　padded　claw　of　one　hand；　a　large；　perfectly　polished　silver　sphere　about　thirty　feet　in　diameter。　The　sphere　had　no　markings　or　features　of　any　kind。

They　moved　around　the　sphere；　seeing　themselves　reflected　in　the　polished　metal。　Norman　noticed　an　odd　shifting　iridescence；　faint　rainbow　hues　of　blue　and　red；　gleaming　in　the　metal。

〃It　looks　like　an　oversized　ball　bearing；〃　Harry　said。

〃Keep　walking；　smart　guy。〃

On　the　far　side；　they　discovered　a　series　of　deep；　convoluted　grooves；　cut　in　an　intricate　pattern　into　the　surface　of　the　sphere。　The　pattern　was　arresting；　though　Norman　could　not　immediately　say　why。　The　pattern　wasnt　geometric。　And　it　wasnt　amorphous　or　organic；　either。　It　was　hard　to　say　what　it　was。　Norman　had　never　seen　anything　like　it；　and　as　he　continued　to　look　at　it　he　felt　increasingly　certain　this　was　a　pattern　never　found　on　Earth。　Never　created　by　any　man。　Never　conceived　by　a　human　imagination。

Ted　and　Barnes　were　right。　He　felt　sure　of　it。

This　sphere　was　something　alien。

PRIORITIES

〃Huh；〃　harry　said；　after　staring　in　silence　for　a　long　time。

〃Im　sure　youll　want　to　get　back　to　us　on　this；〃　Ted　said。　〃About　where　it　came　from；　and　so　on。〃

〃Actually；　I　know　where　it　came　from。〃　And　he　told　Ted　about　the　star　record；　and　the　black　hole。

〃Actually；〃　Ted　said；　〃I　suspected　that　this　ship　was　made　＇＇105＇＇　to　travel　through　a　black　hole　for　some　time。〃

〃Did　you？　What　was　your　first　clue？〃

〃The　heavy　radiation　shielding。〃

Harry　nodded。　〃Thats　true。　You　probably　guessed　the　significance　of　that　before　I　did。〃　He　smiled。　〃But　you　didnt　tell　anybody。〃

〃Hey；〃　Ted　said；　〃theres　no　question　about　it。　I　was　the　one　who　proposed　the　black　hole　first。〃

〃You　did？〃

〃Yes。　No　question　at　all。　Remember；　in　the　conference　room？　I　was　explaining　to　Norman　about　space…time；　and　I　started　to　do　the　calculations　for　the　black　hole；　and　then　you　joined　in。　Norman；　you　remember　that？　I　proposed　it　first。〃　Norman　said；　〃Thats　true；　you　had　the　idea。〃

Harry　grinned。　〃I　didnt　feel　that　was　a　proposal。　I　thought　it　was　more　like　a　guess。〃

〃Or　a　speculation。　Harry；〃　Ted　said；　〃you　are　rewriting　history。　There　are　witnesses。〃

〃Since　youre　so　far　ahead　of　everybody　else；〃　Harry　said；　〃how　about　telling　us　your　proposals　for　the　nature　of　this　object？〃

〃With　pleasure；〃　Ted　said。　〃This　object　is　a　burnished　sphere　approximately　ten　meters　in　diameter；　not　solid；　and　posed　of　a　dense　metal　alloy　of　an　as…yet…unknown　nature。　The　cabalistic　markings　on　this　side…〃

〃…These　grooves　are　what　youre　calling　cabalistic？〃

〃…Do　you　mind　if　I　finish？　The　cabalistic　markings　on　this　side　clearly　suggest　artistic　or　religious　ornamentation；　evoking　a　ceremonial　quality。　This　indicates　the　object　has　significance　to　whoever　made　it。〃

〃I　think　we　can　be　sure　thats　true。〃

〃Personally；　I　believe　that　this　sphere　is　intended　as　a　form　of　contact　with　us；　visitors　from　another　star；　another　solar　system。　It　is；　if　you　will；　a　greeting；　a　message；　or　a　trophy。　A　proof　that　a　higher　form　of　life　exists　in　the　universe。〃

〃All　well　and　good　and　beside　the　point；〃　Harry　said。　〃What　does　it　do？〃

〃Im　not　sure　it　does　anything。　I　think　it　just　is。　It　is　what　it　is。

＇＇106＇＇　〃Very　Zen。〃

〃Well；　whats　your　idea？〃

〃Lets　review　what　we　know；〃　Harry　said；　〃as　opposed　to　what　we　imagine　in　a　flight　of　fancy。　This　is　a　spacecraft　from　the　future；　built　with　all　sorts　of　materials　and　technology　we　havent　developed　yet；　although　we　are　about　to　develop　them。　This　ship　was　sent　by　our　descendants　through　a　black　hole　and　into　another　universe；　or　another　part　of　our　universe。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃This　spacecraft　is　unmanned；　but　equipped　with　robot　arms　which　are　clearly　designed　to　pick　up　things　that　it　finds。　So　we　can　think　of　this　ship　as　a　huge　version　of　the　unmanned　Mariner　spacecraft　that　we　sent　in　the　1970s　to　Mars；　to　look　for　life　there。　This　spacecraft　from　the　future　is　much　bigger；　and　more　plicated；　but　its　essentially　the　same　sort　of　machine。　Its　a　probe。〃

〃Yes　。。。

〃So　the　probe　goes　into　another　universe；　where　it　es　upon　this　sphere。　Presumably　it　finds　the　sphere　floating　in　space。　Or　perhaps　the　sphere　is　sent　out　to　meet　the　spacecraft。〃

〃Right；〃　Ted　said。　〃Sent　out　to　meet　it。　As　an　emissary。　Thats　what　I　think。〃

〃In　any　case；　our　robot　spacecraft；　according　to　whatever　built…in　criteria　it　has；　decides　that　this　sphere　is　int

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