Everard tells Carl that, when Hathawulf and Solbern have nearly defeated Ermanaric, he, Carl, must appear as Odin and betray them. This is a necessary part of the Time Patrol-guarded timeline. So what will happen if Carl refuses to travel back to 372? Well, the universe will not cease to exist when Carl says, "No." When they are having this conversation in 1935, Everard and Carl are in a timeline where Carl did appear in 372 and betray his descendants. There is nothing to prevent the present Everard and Carl from just remaining in that timeline. However, the Carl who did appear and betray his descendants in 372 will arrive back in 1935 and will not want to find his New York apartment inhabited by an alternative version of himself who had bottled out and had said, "No," instead of "Yes." Secondly, I think - although this part is more speculative -, that anyone who travels pastward further than 372, then returns futureward, might arrive in an altered timeline. What does Everard mean by an incipient causal loop setting up a resonance producing catastrophically multiplying historical changes? This requires elucidation.
Carl confesses attempting to prevent his descendants' violent deaths. When did he do this? Not in his last intervention in 372 when he said that their attempted vengeance was "the will of Weard" (p. 340) and he only restrained Alawin. No. It was earlier when he tried to get them to move west but they wouldn't. He was trying to influence the lives of individuals, convincing himself that it would have no historical significance.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Here we see Wotan in his aspect as the Treacherous.
Ad astra! Sean
If Carl had refused, he'd be sent to the exile planet, and they'd make someone up to look like him and do the deed.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
That makes sense, and I suspect more than half of Carl would have preferred being sent to the exile planet. Agonizing, betraying his great grandsons.
Ad astra! Sean
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