Free The Best of Michael Swanwick by Michael Swanwick Page B

out of camera range. “Well, obviously it can’t be played here. But the point is that when you shoot the marble just right, it hits the end of one arm and its kinetic energy is transferred from marble to marble along that arm. So that the shooter stops and the marble at the far end of the arm flies away.” Cheyney was stroking her absently now, engrossed in the argument.
    “Now, we plan to send a courier into Ginungagap and out the spiders’ back hole. At least, that’s what we say we’re going to do.
    “But what exits from a black hole is not necessarily the same as what went into its partner hole. We throw an electron into Ginungagap and another one pops out elsewhere. It’s identical. It’s a direct causal relationship. But it’s like the marbles—they’re identical to each other and have the same kinetic force. It’s simply not the same electron.”
    Cheyney’s hand was still, motionless. Abigail prodded him gently, touching his inner thigh. “Anyone who’s interested can see the equations. Now, when we send messages, this doesn’t matter. The message is important, not the medium. However, when we send a human being in…what emerges from the other hole will be cell for cell, gene for gene, atom for atom identical. But it will not be the same person .” He paused for a beat, smiled.
    “I submit, then, that this is murder. And further, that by conspiring to commit murder, both the spider and human races display absolute disregard for intelligent life. In short, no one on the raft deserves to live. And I rest my case.”
    “Mr. Girard!” Dominguez objected, even before his image was restored to full size. “The simplest mathematical proof is an identity: that A equals A. Are you trying to deny this?”
    Paul held up the two ball bearings he had left. “These marbles are identical too. But they are not the same marble.”
    “We know the phenomenon you speak of,” the spider said. “It is as if garble the black hole bulges out simultaneously. There is no violation of continuity. The two entities are the same. There is no death.”
    Abigail pulled Cheyney down, so that they were both lying on their sides, still able to watch the images. “So long as you happen to be the second marble and not the first,” Paul said. Abigail tentatively licked Cheyney’s ear.
    “He’s right,” Cheyney murmured.
    “No, he’s not,” Abigail retorted. She bit his earlobe.
    “You mean that?”
    “Of course I mean that. He’s confusing semantics with reality.” She engrossed herself in a study of the back of his neck.
    “Okay.”
    Abigail suddenly sensed that she was missing something. “Why do you ask?” She struggled into a sitting position. Cheyney followed.
    “No particular reason.” Cheyney’s hands began touching her again. But Abigail was sure something had been slipped past her.
    They caressed each other lightly, while the debate dragged to an end. Not paying much attention, Abigail voted for Dominguez and Cheyney voted for Paul. As a result of a nearly undivided spider vote, the spider won. “I told you Dominguez was taking the wrong approach.” Cheyney said. He hopped off the hammock. Look, I’ve got to see somebody about something. I’ll be right back.”
    “You’re not leaving now ?” Abigail protested, dumbfounded. The door irised shut.
    Angry and hurt, she leapt down, determined to follow him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so insulted.
    Cheyney didn’t try to be evasive; it apparently did not occur to him that she might follow. Abigail stalked him down a corridor, up an inramp, and to a door that irised open for him. She recognized that door.
    Thoughtfully, she squatted on her heels behind an untrimmed boxwood and waited. A minute later, Garble wandered by, saw her, and demanded attention. “Scat!” she hissed. He butted his head against her knee. “Then be silent, at least.” She scooped him up. His expression was smug.
    The door irised open and Cheyney exited, whistling.