Ford shook his head with a slight smile. "Nope," he said. "Not at all; you see, Ackerman, there is only one thing that tends to draw the coincident existances together. One force against the fissioning force of your little experiment. If we can destroy that force, the twin lives will continue to drift apart."
"And that force?"
"That force, Ackerman, is the physical energy of the human mind!"
"Uncontrolled? What is the affinity?"
Barry bit his lip and shrugged. "Human cussedness," he said. "Why, fundamentally, are you a brilliant physicist?"
"I'm not; and I've been called that by too many people."
"You are and we'll pursue the question. Why?"
Ackerman grinned. "Just apelike curiosity," he said. "I like to know what makes things tick."
"Research," said Barry, "revealed to our world that this 'time-split' did obtain. It was announced. Instantly all people began to wonder what the other one looked like, whether he had a 'time-brother' on the other one, and every man, woman, and child found himself hoping, someday, to join the other world. Doubtless those of the other earth did likewise."
Ackerman nodded absently. "You can destroy the earth but you can't change human nature, is that it?"