The color temperature of the cloud increased until the scintillating, ever-changing illumination changed subtly. Now the smoky, cloudy earth shone with an angry glow more bright than the individual sparkles; it was like a fog-cloud illuminated from behind. "The earth," said Blaine in an awesome voice, "is growing incandescent."
Ackerman took a deep breath. "And still," he sighed bitterly, "they continue!"
"They will continue, until they raise the temperature of the earth so high that the thermal energy is sufficient to exceed the escape velocity of the earth's mass. Then, driven by the power of the light-output, the earth will disperse in a cloud of streaming, incandescent gas. For," Blaine added sardonically, "as the first quantities start to leave, the mass diminishes and the escape velocity diminishes also. The earth will expand in white-hot gas and disperse forever."
"Horrible," said Les Ackerman through a dry and aching throat.
He turned from the telescope and faced Calvin Blaine. "I—started this?"
Blaine nodded, but added: "Unwittingly. No fault of yours."
"Then, what can I do to avert it?"
"You must help us," said Blaine. "Will you?"
"I'll do anything. But if this is an extension of 'Time', how can the future be changed?"