Havig and Leonce visit Robert Anderson. They do their best to cover their tracks so that their enemies, the Eyrie, do not learn of their association with him. A week after the visit, younger Havig phones Anderson and asks if there was any trouble on the visit. There was not.
Imagine: Havig phones and asks. Robert Anderson replies, "Yes. You and Leonce approached my front door and were both shot dead by Eyrie agents." In that case, the Havigs would stay away. But, in that case, Robert Anderson would reply, "You didn't visit." And, in that case, the Havigs would know to stay away.
Certain sequences of events are possible:
(i) Havig phones. Robert Anderson says that there was no trouble. The Havigs visit.
(ii) Havig phones. Robert Anderson says that they didn't visit. They stay away.
(iii) Havig phones. Robert Anderson says that they were shot dead. Wanting to commit suicide, they visit. (They won't do this! I am just trying to list what is logically possible.)
(iv) Havig phones. Robert Anderson, wanting the Havigs dead, says that there was no trouble. They visit and are shot dead. (Again, he won't do this! etc.)
Other sequences are impossible:
(v) Havig phones. Robert Anderson says, truthfully, that there was no trouble. They visit and are shot dead.
(vi) Havig phones. Robert Anderson says, truthfully, that they were shot dead. They stay away.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
A pity you can't write to Anderson himself, to show him these possibilities! I wonder what he would have thought of them?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I did write to PA mainly about the Time Patrol and he said that he would keep my letters for future reference.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I hope those letters survived and are now included among the Andersonian papers donated to tht California university library!
Ad astra! Sean
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