Freedom In The Unknown

We say that Jack Havig cannot prevent known events but that is not exactly the point. The point is that he cannot prevent events that have occurred. Sometimes it is known that an event has occurred but, on many other occasions, it is not known whether a particular event has occurred. However, either way, if it did occur, then he cannot prevent it.

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.