We can go further. Jack Havig, like anyone else, is sometimes able to prevent an event. Thus, he prevents the rape of Xenia by Eyrie agents. But, because he prevented it, that event did not occur. Just as he cannot prevent an event that occurred, an event cannot have occurred if he prevented it.
Havig values the unknown because it gives him freedom of action. The unknown does not guarantee the success of his actions but at least makes success possible. It is not known whether Havig was inside a locked bank vault last night so he is free to try to enter it but, if he was not in it, then his attempt to enter it will fail or, rather, if he was not in it, then that will be because his attempt fails.
He is free to try to do something that it is known that he did not do in order to learn what prevented him although this could be a fatal accident. Events are connected by the same relationships of "if -, then -" and of "either -, or -" whether or not time travel is involved.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
If my recollection is correct, Jack Havig DID have an accident when he tried to prevent the chain of events leading to his father being killed in WW II. He may have tripped over a cord and broke his leg.
Ad astra! Sean
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