Toutes les activités humaines ... sont vouées par principe à l'échec.

(All human actions ... are on principle doomed to failure.)

- Jean-Paul Sartre

„The changes Alice and I affected in history were...“, Mr Tuniak started today, but stopped when he saw that I had raised my hand. I had a question that had bothered me for several days.

„The history I learned at school, that was already the changed one, right?“, I asked. „The one that happened, after you affected your changes.“

„Yes“, Mr Tuniak said after a moment's hesitation. „Apart of course from things scientist in your time haven't discovered yet or have misinterpreted.“

„Of course“, I agreed. „But thanks to Madame Debarou you still have notes about the original history, haven't you?“

Again he hesitated before answering. „Those notes have been destroyed, unfortunately. Are you asking because you want to know how the course of history originally looked?“

„Among other things, yes.“

„It was pretty much the same as you now know it“, Mr Tuniak said. „As I told, it is very difficult to change history. To change it and have that change stick. That's why Alice and I often had to return to the points we changes to make sure, these changes wouldn't simply be glossed over or, in some cases, be reversed.“

Alexander was once again waiting at an oasis in the desert, not far from Baghdad. But when he saw a beggar coming his way, dressed in old rags and walking slowly and bend forward, he immediately recognized Alice. His suspicion was confirmed, when the beggar suddenly stood upright and started to walk quicker. As she came closer, Alexander could see in Alice's face that something had not gone according to their plans.

„What went wrong?“, he asked.

„He wrote a book”, Alice said. “About the history of science.

„That cannot be all of it“, Alexander said. „He's got the potential for so much more, he... he could be al-Jazari before al-Jazari himself.” He shook his head. „Feodor's formula doesn't seem to work particularly well here either, I'd say.“

„No, it doesn't“, Alice agreed. „I'd say it's because the society is too different. We got the best results in so-called Western Societies between the end of the Second World War.“

Alexander had to agree with her. And even then: Only seventy years after the Second World War, the internet had come along and completely changed the lives people again. A change, the formula was apparently unable to cope with. Which made it all the more frustrating that it was the only tool they had got. A scary thought.

„We could once again try to introduce batteries in Old Babylon and hope they spread this time...“, Alexander mused. „Or we bring glass to the Chinese.“

Alice looked at him in surprise. Compared to the Asian empires, the earlier development of glass had given the European states a clear advantage for a long time. Because of this, one of Alexander's first idea had been to bring glass to the Asian continent, but they had eventually decided against it. The consequences would have been too big and too unpredictable to risk it. Alexander going back to this idea, only showed how desperate he slowly became, when – one after another – his plans didn't work out. He sometimes had the feeling as if he was playing a game against an invisible opponent who was able to block his every move.

„Let's try to lead the Vikings to America first, okay“, Alice said.

„Did you have an... invisible opponent?“, I asked.

„Except time? No“, Mr Tuniak answered.

„You say that as if time had a consciousness“, I said. It was supposed to be a joke, but the way Mr Tuniak looked at me made clear that he took this matter seriously.

„You know, I'm not so sure about that“, he said after a while. „And back then, I was close to believing anything really.“

Ota Benga was sitting on a bench in front of the monkey's enclosure. The animals had just been fed with fresh fruits and were immensely active and jumping around because of that. They captured Benga's complete attention, which is why for once he didn't notice all the visitors to New York's Zoo. He hadn't even insulted a single one today.

„Do you believe in destiny?“, a man, who looked to be about thirty-five, asked. He had sat down next to Benga, without the latter noticing it. Although the stranger was looking straight ahead, Benga was sure that he wasn't looking at the monkeys.

„What?“, Benga said.

„If you could change history, would you do it?“, the stranger asked. „If you had the ability to travel to the past and...“ Before Benga could answer – and he was thinking of a cutting and maybe insulting reply – the stranger continued. „But what if every change you make gets reversed immediately? You give a man five dollar and tell him to invest it. Five minutes later a pick-pocket steals the five dollars off the man. It's as if you have done nothing in the end. What does that mean?“

„What?“, Benga asked, honestly curious. It had been a long time since someone had talked to him as if he were a human being and not just another exhibit.

„Does it mean that there is no free will, because everything has to happen a certain way? And because I am from the future, the past has already happened for me. Must it therefore remain completely unchanged?“

„Is this your religion you are talking about?“, Benga asked. „If so, I have no interest in joining it.“

„It's got nothing to do with religion“, the stranger said. „My mothers once told me that time is like gravity. You do know gravity, don't you?“

„Of course“, said Benga, slightly insulted. Just because he was the same size as a child, people often thought he only knew as much as a child as well.

„Gravity keeps us on this earth. Because of it we cannot fly“, the stranger continued. „But no one would claim that gravity was impeding on someone's free will because of that. And it is exactly the same with time.“ The stranger hid his face in his hands. „But sometimes it is difficult to believe that.“ He looked back at Benga. „I envy you.“

„You really don't“, Benga said.

Suddenly the mood of the stranger changed. He stood up and seemed happy and cheerful. His doubts and his desperation was gone. Benga immediately saw the reason why. A woman was coming towards them and the stranger obviously didn't want her to see what he was really feeling. The woman didn't seem happy either.

“And? What did they find?”, the stranger asked.

“Nothing, they were wrong”, the woman said. “Tesla's notes are definitely gone.”

Benga saw how the stranger clenched his fists. Then he and the woman started talking very quickly with each other, quickly and quietly. Benga couldn't understand them any more. He continued watching them and wondered about the unusual clothing they were wearing. Finally they appeared to have reached a decision and the woman left again.

“I'm sorry if I bothered you”, the stranger said to Benga. “You know how you sometimes just have to say things out loud? And I couldn't tell her... I don't know how she would react.” He said good-bye and started to leave.

“But why me?”, Benga asked. “The stuff you told me... Wouldn't a professor of physics or philosophy or... whatever have suited you better?”

The stranger shrugged. “They would have told other people”, he said.

“And why do you think I wouldn't tell others?”, Benga asked, although he had to intention of actually doing that.

The stranger spread his arms. “I'm sorry to say this, but no one is going to believe you. You are living in a zoo!”

Benga had to laugh. He didn't know why. The stranger had only said the truth, the terrible, depressing truth. But still he had to laugh. After a few moments, the stranger joined in.

“Did you try to bring glass to China eventually?”, I asked.

“Nearly”, Mr Tuniak said. “There were a few times, where we nearly did it.”

“What's so important about glass?”

“You can make windows out of it”, Mr Tuniak said. “And if you have windows made out of glass instead of thin paper sheets or animal skins, you have more and longer light which means you can work longer. And of course you can make glasses out of it. Suddenly, people who couldn't work before can read again. They are no longer at a disadvantage.”

“And why didn't you do it?”

“Because I had forgotten something”, Mr Tuniak said. “I had forgotten something at the Villa Atterton.”

“Has anyone of you seen Alice or Alex?”, Sarina asked. She was standing on a veranda and had shouted into the garden, where Petula, Lan, Bill, Mowgli and Ali (who had come for a visit) were repairing their bicycles.

“Not in the last few days”, Petula said.

“Maybe they are on their honeymoon”, Mowgli joked.

Sarina rolled her eyes. “Alex has borrowed a book from me and I need it back.”

“Then just go to his room and take it”, Mowgli said. “I'm sure he won't object to it.”

Reluctantly, Sarina agreed with him. Not entering the room of someone else without being invited, was the strictest of the unwritten rules on Leviathan. Because there was very little space on the island, the little privacy that was possible was especially valued.

Sarina had a strange feeling therefore as she entered Alexander's room. It was very tidy, as if its occupant had expected not to return for a long time. She immediately saw the book she was looking for – a book about early cultures in Polynesia – lying on the desk. She took it and wanted to leave the room quickly again, when she saw that one of the desk's drawers was partly open. She saw a book lying in the drawer, a book that seemed to be very familiar. Eerily familiar.

She opened the drawer. Her suspicion was right. It was another book about early cultures in Polynesia. She put the two books side by side on the desk. They looked completely identical. But why should Alexander buy the same book a second time? And if he had bought a copy for himself, why hadn't he returned her book?

Another suspicion raised its head. Sarina opened both books. She couldn't find any differences on the first page between them. She turned the page. And another one. And another one. She turned them quicker and quicker and wanted to stop, as she came to page thirty-four.

She drew in a sharp breath. She had found a difference. And with it came a terrible suspicion. She noticed how she began to shake slightly. She couldn't hold her hands steady. It was only with some difficulty that she could close the books. Then she ran out of the room, pressing the books against her body. She had to find Miriam and Helen as quickly as possible.

NEXT WEEK

Irrtümer entspringen nicht allein daher, weil man gewisse Dinge nicht weiß, sondern weil man sich zu urteilen unternimmt, obgleich man doch nicht alles weiß, was dazu erfordert wird.