The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov Read Free Book Online

generators. But what happens when all the water has run downhill?
    "There can then be no further work possible till the water has been returned uphill—and that takes work. In fact, it takes more work to force the water uphill than we can collect by then allowing it to flow downhill. We work at an energy-loss. Fortunately, the Sun does the work for us. It evaporates the oceans so that water vapor climbs high in the atmosphere, forms clouds, and eventually falls again as rain or snow. This soaks the ground at all levels, fills the springs and streams, and keeps the water forever running downhill.
    "But not quite forever. The Sun can raise the water vapor, but only because, in a nuclear sense, it is running downhill, too. It is running downhill at a rate immensely greater than any Earthly river can manage, and when all of it has run downhill there wilt be nothing we know of to pull it uphill again,
    "All sources of energy in our Universe run down. We can’t help that. Everything is downhill in just one direction, and we can force a temporary uphill, backward, only by taking advantage of some greater downhill in the vicinity. If we want useful energy forever, we need a road that is downhill both ways. That is a paradox in our Universe; it stands to reason that whatever is downhill one way is uphill going back.
    "But need we confine ourselves to our Universe alone? Think of the para-Universe. It has roads, too, that are downhill in one direction and uphill in the other. Those roads, however, don't fit in with our roads. It is possible to take a road from the para-Universe to our Universe that is downhill, but which, when we follow it back from the Universe to the para-Universe, is downhill again—because the Universes have different laws of behavior.
    "The Electron Pump takes advantage of a road that is downhill both ways. The Electron Pump—"
    Lament looked back at the title of the piece again. It was "The Road that is Downhill Both Ways."
    He began thinking. The concept was, of course, a familiar one to him, as was its thermodynamic consequences. But why not examine the assumptions? That had to be the weak point in any theory. What if the assumptions, assumed to be right by definition, were wrong? What would be the consequences if one started with other assumptions? Contradictory ones?
    He started blindly but within a month he had that feeling that every scientist recognizes—the endless click-click as unexpected pieces fall into place, as annoying anomalies become anomalous no more— It was the feel of Truth.
    It was from that moment on that he began to put additional pressure on Bronowski.
    And one day he said, "I'm going to see Hallam again."
    Bronowski's eyebrows lifted. "What for?"
    "To have him turn me down."
    "Yes, that's about your speed, Pete. You're unhappy if your troubles die down a bit."
    "You don't understand. It's important to have him refuse to listen to me. I can't have it said afterward that I by-passed him; that he was ignorant of it."
    "Of what?  Of the translation of the para-symbols? There isn't any yet. Don't jump the gun, Pete."
    "No, no, not that," and he would say no more. Hallam did not make it easy for Lament; it was some weeks before he could find time to see the younger man. Nor did Lament intend to make it easy for Hallam. He stalked in with every invisible bristle on edge and sharply pointed. Hallam waited for him frozen-faced, with sullen eyes.
    Hallam said abruptly, "What's this crisis you're talking about?"
    "Something's turned up, sir," said Lament, tonelessly, "inspired by one of your articles."
    "Oh?" Then, quickly, "Which one?"
    " 'The Road that is Downhill Both Ways,' The one you programmed for Teenage Life, sir."
    "And what about it?"
    "I believe the Electron Pump is not downhill both ways, if I may use your metaphor, which is not, as it happens, a completely accurate way of describing the Second Law of Thermodynamics."
    Hallam frowned. "What have you got in mind?"
    "I can explain