Nightfall by Asimov Isaac & Silverberg Robert

Author:Asimov, Isaac & Silverberg, Robert [Asimov, Isaac]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780307792396
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

[25]

The tiny bit of encroaching blackness was perhaps the width of a fingernail, but to the staring watchers it magnified itself into the crack of doom.

For Theremon the sight of that small arc of darkness struck with terrible force. He winced and put his hand to his forehead and turned away from the window. He was shaken to the roots of his soul by that little chip in Dovim’s side. Theremon the skeptic—Theremon the mocker—Theremon the tough-minded analyst of other people’s folly—

Gods! How wrong I was!

As he turned, his eyes met Siferra’s. She was at the other side of the room, looking at him. There was contempt in her eyes—or was it pity? He forced himself to meet her gaze and shook his head sadly, as though to tell her with all the humility there was in him, I fouled things up and I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

It seemed to him that she smiled. Maybe she had understood what he was trying to say.

Then the room dissolved in shrieking confusion for a moment, as everyone began to rush frenziedly around; and a moment after that, the confusion gave way to an orderly scurry of activity as the astronomers leaped to their assigned tasks, some running upstairs to the Observatory dome to watch the eclipse through the telescopes, some going to the computers, some using hand-held instruments to record the changes in Dovim’s disk. At this crucial moment there was no time for emotion. They were merely scientists with work to do. Theremon, alone in the midst of it all, looked about for Beenay and found him, finally, sitting at a keyboard, madly working out some sort of problem. Of Athor there was no sign at all.

Sheerin appeared at Theremon’s side and said prosaically, “First contact must have been made five or ten minutes ago. A little early, but I suppose there were plenty of uncertainties involved in the calculations despite all the effort that went into them.” He smiled. —“You ought to get away from that window, man.”

“Why is that?” said Theremon, who had swung around again to stare at Dovim.

“Athor is furious,” the psychologist whispered. “He missed first contact on account of this fuss with Folimun. You’re in a vulnerable position, standing where you are. If Athor comes by this way he’s likely to try to throw you out the window.”

Theremon nodded shortly and sat down. Sheerin looked at him, eyes wide with surprise.

“The devil, man! You’re shaking.”

“Eh?” Theremon licked dry lips and then tried to smile. “I don’t feel very well, and that’s a fact.”

The psychologist’s eyes hardened. “You’re not losing your nerve, are you?”

“No!” cried Theremon in a flash of indignation. “Give me a chance, will you? You know, Sheerin, I wanted to believe all this eclipse rigmarole, but I couldn’t, I honestly couldn’t, it all seemed like the sheerest woolly fantasy to me. I wanted to believe it for Beenay’s sake, for Siferra’s sake—even for Athor’s sake, in a strange way. But I couldn’t. Not until just this minute.

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