He was searching around the end of the table. "I'll find it, Amid, " said Artur. "I think I saw it over by that chair you usually sit in."
He went back to where they had all been sitting around the fireplace, lifted a transparent glass paperweight, showing a small, green pine cone, about the size of a hen's egg, and took a control pad from underneath it to set it down by Amid. "Thank you," said Amid. "My memory's as good as it ever was, except for little things like this." "You work too hard, Guildmaster." "I do what has to be done-never mind that, now. Ah, I've got it! "
He had been fingering the pad. Suddenly a surprisingly resonant, pleasant, deep bass voice sounded in the room. "...different universe. My universe is not your universe. For example, in my universe I will now get up - watch me - walk across the room, up the wall and stand head down, talking to you as I am now. That's because in my universe it's possible for me or anyone else to do that."
There was a long moment of silence, finally broken by a somewhat timid-sounding, young male voice. "Jathed?" "Yes, Imher?
"Pardon me... but it seems to me... that is, you're still sitting in your chair. You talked about moving but you didn't move. "Of course not - in your universe. But in my universe, I did exactly what I said. You didn't see it because you're not in my universe, you're in your own. Make an effort and step into my universe, and you'll see me standing on the ceiling talking down to you."
There was another pause. "You can't do it?" said Jathed's voice. "Of course not. You don't believe in yourself enough to believe that you can enter someone else's universe. But there're people even on the inhabited worlds today, Imher, who have enough faith in themselves to step into someone else's universe. Faith and - yes, courage - which you also lack, all of you here. Am I correct that none of you see me standing on the ceiling at this moment?"
There was yet another pause. "Well, speak up, speak up!" A chorus that was very close to a shamefaced mutter of "no's" answered Jathed. "But I can! I can, just now. It just happened. Jathed, I can see YOU UP there.'' "Do you indeed, Imher? Very well, as reward for your faith and courage, you may come up and join me. Come on up." "Come up?'' "Wasn't that what I said?'' "Yes, Jathed."
There was a moment of absolutely soundless silence. "I... I made it." "LIAR! Out! Out! Out of my sight! Out of this place and never let any of us see you again! Go! Go!"
There was a thump, a scrabbling noise and the sound of shod feet running away. A door slammed.
There was a further lengthy moment of silence, then the voice of Jathed again, now a little breathless. "Intolerable! Outrageous! Now, where was I? Oh, yes, on the ceiling. I'll just go back up there... try to watch me this time and see me. Now, here I am again, hanging head down, though of course it's not head-down to me, all the rest of you are wrong-side up - ah, but what have we here? Someone who actually has courage and faith. Well, don't sit there on the edge of your chair, trembling! If you think you can do it, Reho, come up and join me." "Should l?'' said a different voice, doubtfully - female this time. "Of course I think - you can, numbskull! Would I invite you up if I didn't see - you were in my universe? Come at once!"
"All right... '' Silence again. "I'm here!" said the voice, full of wonder." Where did you expect to be? Now, for the benefit of all those below us who still lack faith and courage, to prove to them you're actually with me, reach back into your own universe and break the ceiling light just to your right, there."
A hesitation. Then the smashing and tinkling impact of light fragments on a hard surface. "Very good. We'll go back down now. That's right.'' "I... I'm afraid of heights. I didn't stop to think before I came... being upside down with nothing to hold me-'' "NOT IN MY UNIVERSE! You are not afraid of heights in my universe, Reho! Do you hear me?" "Yes, Jathed. '' "Good. Go down.''
Silence again. "Well?" said the voice of Jathed. "Now that Reho and I are back in our seats, none of you saw anything at all out of the ordinary - except the inexplicable breaking of the light unit, two meters above your heads?"
"No, Jathed, " said the chorus. "Well, you all have something to hope for, then. Each one of you pick up a fragment of that broken ceiling light and take it away with you to help you study. Ponder. Think. Do that success of your. and you, too, may one day become aware of own universe as distinct from others.- "Jathed?'' It was yet another female voice. " Yes, Katchen?"
"We didn't - I mean I didn't - see you go up the wall to the ceiling in your universe. But when Reho broke the light in her universe, we all saw it break. Why could we see something that happened in her universe but not in yours?" "Think. Answer your own question. Why? Think! Can't you think of the answer yourself?''
"No, Jathed.- "You didn't see Reho break the light in her universe - that's the answer!" "But... " "But what?" "But the light's broken. We can all see its parts on the floor there. We all saw it break.'' "Where?" "Where?'' "Don't parrot me. I said 'where?' Now you tell me - where did you see the light break?"
There was an extended silence. "You each saw it happen in your own universe, you idiots!'' snapped Jathed. "You didn't have the faith and courage to believe that I could walk up a wall and stand on the ceiling, in your universes. That's impossible. But you could believe that a light could be broken. Because lights break. That's poss-ee-ble! " He drew the last word out sarcastically. "When I, Jathed, told you that the light would be broken, so that you'd all have evidence Reho had been with me on the ceiling, THEN you believed! Numbskulls! Reho broke the light in her own universe, only. You - each of you - because for a moment you believed it was possible - broke it yourselves in your own universes, to make what I promised you actual."
He stopped talking. No one else said anything. "All right. Understand then, that you have a universe, that you can do with it what you will - look at the piece of broken light in your hand, those of you who've already picked a piece up - the rest of you pick one up and look at it. Think. You did that, without getting up from your chair, without even walking up a wall and standing on the ceiling! Do you understand now? Do you comprehend how your universe is a place where you can do anything you want, if you've got what's needed to do it, the faith, the courage - and the knowledge, which in this case is the knowledge that a light will break easily? If I'd said Reho would punch a hole in the ceiling, you might not have been as quick to believe and make it happen in your own universe."
"Would you turn it off?. " said Hal. "Well, do as I say, pick up -" The voice of Jathed broke off abruptly.
"That's curious," said Amid. "Why did you want the recording stopped, and stopped just there, Hal?" "Because he said something very interesting. As you just remarked." Hal smiled at the older man. "I'd like some time to think about it." "And what was it that was so interesting in particular, if I might ask?" Amid said. "What he said about everyone being in their own universe," said Hal. "Don't ask me why just now, if you don't mind. The only answer I could give you would be too long and complex and right now I'm not even sure it'd be satisfactory." "If you wish," said Amid. "This tape, and others of Jathed, are here any time you want to listen to them." "Thank you," said Hal. "Now, since dinner's over - for which, thank you - perhaps Amanda and I had better make our move over to that office of yours, for the use of which, also thanks. It's been a long day, all of it uphill." "I can imagine," said Amid. "Good night, then. It's very, very good to see you both. You particularly, Hal, since I hadn't been sure, until Amanda talked to me about bringing you, that I'd ever see you again after I'd left the Encyclopedia." "No meeting is ever impossible," said Hal. "True. Good night, then, as I say. Artur will show you where the office is, and make sure you're properly settled there. Won't you, Artur?" "Of course," said the big man.