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Wheredoyouseethewords“asoundofthunder”inthetext?
5.Foreshadowingiswhenanauthorhintsataneventthathappenslateronthestory,tryingtopreparetheaudiencefortheeventandtocreatesuspenseintheaudience.Wheredoyouseeforeshadowinginthisstory?
ASoundofThunderbyRayBradbury
Thesignonthewallseemedtoquaverunderafilmofslidingwarmwater.Eckelsfelthiseyelidsblinkoverhisstare,andthesignburnedinthismomentarydarkness:
TIMESAFARI,INC.
SAFARISTOANYYEARINTHEPAST.
YOUNAMETHEANIMAL.
WETAKEYOUTHERE.
YOUSHOOTIT.
WarmphlegmgatheredinEckels'
throat;
heswallowedandpusheditdown.Themusclesaroundhismouthformedasmileasheputhishandslowlyoutupontheair,andinthathandwavedacheckfortenthousanddollarstothemanbehindthedesk.
"
DoesthissafariguaranteeIcomebackalive?
Weguaranteenothing,"
saidtheofficial,"
exceptthedinosaurs."
Heturned."
ThisisMr.Travis,yourSafariGuideinthePast.He'
lltellyouwhatandwheretoshoot.Ifhesaysnoshooting,noshooting.Ifyoudisobeyinstructions,there'
sastiffpenaltyofanothertenthousanddollars,pluspossiblegovernmentaction,onyourreturn."
EckelsglancedacrossthevastofficeattheMachine,amassandtangleofhummingwiresandsteelboxes,anaurorathatflickerednoworange,nowsilver,nowblue.Herememberedthewordingintheadvertisementstotheletter.Outofcharsandashes,outofdustandcoals,likegoldensalamanders,theoldyears,thegreenyears,mightleap;
rosessweetentheair,whitehairturnblack,wrinklesvanish;
everythingflybacktoseed,fleedeath,rushdowntotheirbeginnings.
Unbelievable."
Eckelsbreathed,thelightoftheMachineonhisthinface."
ArealTimeMachine."
Heshookhishead."
Makesyouthink,Iftheelectionhadgonebadlyyesterday,Imightbeherenowrunningawayfromtheresults.ThankGodKeithwon.He'
llmakeafinePresidentoftheUnitedStates."
Yes,"
saidthemanbehindthedesk."
We'
relucky.IfDeutscherhadgottenin,we'
dhavetheworstkindofdictatorship.There'
sanantieverythingmanforyou,amilitarist,anti-Christ,anti-human,anti-intellectual.Peoplecalledusup,youknow,jokingbutnotjoking.SaidifDeutscherbecamePresidenttheywantedtogolivein1492.Ofcourseit'
snotourbusinesstoconductEscapes,buttoformSafaris.Anyway,Keith'
sPresidentnow.Allyougottoworryaboutis-"
Shootingmydinosaur,"
Eckelsfinisheditforhim.
ATyrannosaurusRex.TheTyrantLizard,themostincrediblemonsterinhistory.Signthisrelease.Anythinghappenstoyou,we'
renotresponsible.Thosedinosaursarehungry."
Eckelsflushedangrily."
Tryingtoscareme!
Frankly,yes.Wedon'
twantanyonegoingwho'
llpanicatthefirstshot.SixSafarileaderswerekilledlastyear,andadozenhunters.We'
reheretogiveyoutheseverestthrillarealhuntereveraskedfor.TravelingyoubacksixtymillionyearstobagthebiggestgameinallofTime.Yourpersonalcheck'
sstillthere.Tearitup."
Mr.Eckelslookedatthecheck.Hisfingerstwitched.
Goodluck,"
Mr.Travis,he'
sallyours."
Theymovedsilentlyacrosstheroom,takingtheirgunswiththem,towardtheMachine,towardthesilvermetalandtheroaringlight.
Firstadayandthenanightandthenadayandthenanight,thenitwasday-night-day-night.Aweek,amonth,ayear,adecade!
A.D.2055.A.D.2019.1999!
1957!
Gone!
TheMachineroared.
Theyputontheiroxygenhelmetsandtestedtheintercoms.
Eckelsswayedonthepaddedseat,hisfacepale,hisjawstiff.Hefeltthetremblinginhisarmsandhelookeddownandfoundhishandstightonthenewrifle.TherewerefourothermenintheMachine.Travis,theSafariLeader,hisassistant,Lesperance,andtwootherhunters,BillingsandKramer.Theysatlookingateachother,andtheyearsblazedaroundthem.
Canthesegunsgetadinosaurcold?
Eckelsfelthismouthsaying.
Ifyouhitthemright,"
saidTravisonthehelmetradio."
Somedinosaurshavetwobrains,oneinthehead,anotherfardownthespinalcolumn.Westayawayfromthose.That'
sstretchingluck.Putyourfirsttwoshotsintotheeyes,ifyoucan,blindthem,andgobackintothebrain."
TheMachinehowled.Timeflewpast.Sunsfledandtenmillionmoonsfledafterthem."
Think,"
saidEckels."
Everyhunterthateverlivedwouldenvyustoday."
TheMachineslowed;
itsscreamfelltoamurmur.TheMachinestopped.Thesunstoppedinthesky.
ThefogthathadenvelopedtheMachineblewawayandtheywereinanoldtime,averyoldtimeindeed,threehuntersandtwoSafariHeadswiththeirbluemetalgunsacrosstheirknees.
Christisn'
tbornyet,"
saidTravis,"
MoseshasnotgonetothemountainstotalkwithGod.ThePyramidsarestillintheearth,waitingtobecutoutandputup.Rememberthat.Alexander,Caesar,Napoleon,Hitler-noneofthemexists."
Themannodded.
That"
-Mr.Travispointed-"
isthejungleofsixtymilliontwothousandandfifty-fiveyearsbeforePresidentKeith."
Heindicatedametalpaththatstruckoffintogreenwilderness,overstreamingswamp,amonggiantfernsandpalms.
Andthat,"
hesaid,"
isthePath,laidbyTimeSafariCompanyforyouruse.Itfloatssixinchesabovetheearth.Doesn'
ttouchsomuchasonegrassblade,flower,ortree.It'
sananti-gravitymetal.Itspurposeistokeepyoufromtouchingthisworldofthepastinanyway.StayonthePath.Don'
tgooffit.Irepeat.Don'
tgooff.Foranyreason!
Ifyoufalloff,there'
sapenalty.Anddon'
tshootanyanimalwedon'
tokay."
Why?
askedEckels.
Theysatintheancientwilderness.Farbirds'
criesblewonawind,andthesmelloftarandanoldsaltsea,moistgrasses,andflowersthecolorofblood.
Wedon'
twanttochangetheFuture.Notknowingit,wemightkillanimportantanimal,asmallbird,aroach,aflowereven,thusdestroyinganimportantlinkinagrowingspecies."
Thatdoesn’tmakesense,"
saidEckels.
Allright,"
Traviscontinued,"
sayweaccidentallykillonemousehere.Thatmeansallthefuturefamiliesofthisoneparticularmousearedestroyed,right?
Right"
Andallthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthatonemouse!
Withastampofyourfoot,youannihilatefirstone,thenadozen,thenathousand,amillion,abillionpossiblemice!
Sothey'
redead,"
Sowhat?
Travissnortedquietly."
Well,whataboutthefoxesthat'
llneedthosemicetosurvive?
Forwantoftenmice,afoxdies.Forwantoftenfoxesalionstarves.Forwantofalion,allmannerofinsects,vultures,infinitebillionsoflifeformsarethrownintochaosanddestruction.Eventuallyitallboilsdowntothis:
fifty-ninemillionyearslater,acaveman,oneofadozenontheentireworld,goeshuntingwildboarortigerforfood.Butyou,friend,havesteppedonallthetigersinthatregionbysteppingononesinglemouse.Sothecavemanstarves.Andthecaveman,pleasenote,isnotjustanyman,no!
Heisanentirefuturenation.Fromhimwouldhavesprungtensons.Fromthem,onehundredsons,andthusancivilization.Destroythisoneman,andyoudestroyarace,apeople,anentirehistoryoflife.ItiscomparabletoslayingsomeofAdam'
sgrandchildren.Withthedeathofthatonecaveman,abillionothersyetunbornarethrottledinthewomb.PerhapsRomeneverrises.PerhapsEuropeisforeveradarkforest,andonlyAsiawaxeshealthyandteeming.SteponamouseandyoucrushthePyramids.Steponamouseandyouleaveyourprint,likeaGrandCanyon,acrossEternity.QueenElizabethmightneverbeborn,WashingtonmightnotcrosstheDelaware,theremightneverbeaUnitedStatesatall.Sobecareful.StayonthePath.Neverstepoff!
Isee,"
ThenIcan’teventouchthegrass?
Correct.Crushingcertainplantscouldaddupinfinitely.Alittleerrorherewouldmultiplyinsixtymillionyears.Ofcoursemaybeourtheoryiswrong.MaybeTimecan'
tbechangedbyus.Ormaybeitcanbechangedonlyinlittlesubtleways.Adeadmouseheremakesaninsectimbalancethere,apopulationdisproportionlater,abadharvestfurtheron,adepression,massstarvation,andfinally,achangeinsocialtemperamentinfar-flungcountries.Somethingmuchmoresubtle,likethat.Whoknows?
Whoreallycansayheknows?
Wedon'
tknow.We'
reguessing.ButuntilwedoknowforcertainwhetherourmessingaroundinTimecanmakeabigroaroralittlerustleinhistory,we'
r