Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

exponential, and that this one has been going on for a thousand million

years already. By now it is proceeding very rapidly, more so every minute.

“And I am very much afraid that in actuality we have much less time even

than that. I won’t afflict you with the thermodynamic and geometrical

arguments involved, but simply remind you that the solar constant, too, is

going to continue to rise. By the time it has risen just five per cent,

this plant will be uninhabitable. It will still be here for a while, but

therell be no life on it.”

“How long?” Ailiss repeated.

“Nine years,” Kamblin said. “It will be possible to work during the first

five of those, perhaps during the sixth. Then we will begin dying … and

at the end of the ninth year, everything will be dead … even the

bacteria.”

“Work? What do you mean, work?” Jorn said almost angrily, finding his voice

at last. “Work at what? Obviously there’s nothing we can do. This is the

end, for all of us.”

-The end only for most of us,” a musical male voice

And all the Stars a Stage 55

said from the back of the room. Everyone turned except Kamblin, Ertak and

his staff, who of course were facing in that direction already; none of them

seemed to be in the least surprised by the interruption. From the rest of

the gathering, however, there arose a gasp of stunned confusion.

Even for those barely possible few who did not recognize the man himself,

the ceremonial blue and gold robes told the tale: he was the World Consort.

His presence could only mean that whatever he had to say was the