The Nine Billion Names of God

“This is a slightly unusual request,” said Dr. Wagner, with what he hoped was commendable restraint.

“This is a slightly unusual request,” said Dr. Wagner, with what he hoped was commendable restraint.

“As far as I know, it’s the first time anyone’s been asked to supply a Tibetan monastery with an Automatic Sequence Computer.

I don’t wish to be inquisitive, but I should hardly have thought that your — ah — establishment had much use for such a machine.

It is somewhat alien to your way of thought, so I hope you will listen with an open mind while I explain it.”

“We have reason to believe,” continued the lama imperturbably, “that all such names can be written with not more than nine letters in an alphabet we have devised.”

“Oh,” Dr. Wagner looked a little dazed.

The lama hesitated for a fraction of a second, and Wagner wondered if he had offended him.

By systematic permutation of letters, we have been trying to list them all.”

A rather more interesting problem is that of devising suitable circuits to eliminate ridiculous combinations.

For example, no letter must occur more than three times in succession.”

“I’m sure it would,” said Wagner hastily.

“Luckily, it will be a simple matter to adapt your Automatic Sequence Computer for this work, since once it has been programmed properly it will permute each letter in turn and print the result.

Dr. Wagner was scarcely conscious of the faint sounds from the Manhattan streets far below.

Dr. Wagner was scarcely conscious of the faint sounds from the Manhattan streets far below.

Was there any limit to the follies of mankind?

“Yes, for the three months that the project should occupy.”

“This is my certified credit balance at the Asiatic Bank.”

It appears to be — ah — adequate.

It appears to be — ah — adequate.

The second matter is so trivial that I hesitate to mention it — but it’s surprising how often the obvious gets overlooked.

The second matter is so trivial that I hesitate to mention it — but it’s surprising how often the obvious gets overlooked.

The view from the parapet was vertiginous, but in time one gets used to anything.

The view from the parapet was vertiginous, but in time one gets used to anything.

After three months, George Hanley was not impressed by the two-thousand-foot swoop into the abyss or the remote checkerboard of fields in the valley below.

After three months, George Hanley was not impressed by the two-thousand-foot swoop into the abyss or the remote checkerboard of fields in the valley below.

After three months, George Hanley was not impressed by the two-thousand-foot swoop into the abyss or the remote checkerboard of fields in the valley below.

He was leaning against the wind-smoothed stones and staring morosely at the distant mountains whose names he had never bothered to discover.

He was leaning against the wind-smoothed stones and staring morosely at the distant mountains whose names he had never bothered to discover.

He was leaning against the wind-smoothed stones and staring morosely at the distant mountains whose names he had never bothered to discover.

He was leaning against the wind-smoothed stones and staring morosely at the distant mountains whose names he had never bothered to discover.

“Project Shangri-La,” some wit back at the labs had christened it.

For weeks now the Mark V had been churning out acres of sheets covered with gibberish.

For weeks now the Mark V had been churning out acres of sheets covered with gibberish.

For weeks now the Mark V had been churning out acres of sheets covered with gibberish.

Patiently, inexorably, the computer had been rearranging letters in all their possible combinations, exhausting each class before going on to the next.

Patiently, inexorably, the computer had been rearranging letters in all their possible combinations, exhausting each class before going on to the next.

As the sheets had emerged from the electromatic typewriters, the monks had carefully cut them up and pasted them into enormous books.

As the sheets had emerged from the electromatic typewriters, the monks had carefully cut them up and pasted them into enormous books.

In another week, heaven be praised, they would have finished.

Just what obscure calculations had convinced the monks that they needn’t bother to go on to words of ten, twenty, or a hundred letters, George didn’t know.

Just what obscure calculations had convinced the monks that they needn’t bother to go on to words of ten, twenty, or a hundred letters, George didn’t know.

One of his recurring nightmares was that there would be some change of plan, and that the high lama (whom they’d naturally called Sam Jaffe, though he didn’t look a bit like him) would suddenly announce that the project would be extended to approximately A.D.

One of his recurring nightmares was that there would be some change of plan, and that the high lama (whom they’d naturally called Sam Jaffe, though he didn’t look a bit like him) would suddenly announce that the project would be extended to approximately A.D.

One of his recurring nightmares was that there would be some change of plan, and that the high lama (whom they’d naturally called Sam Jaffe, though he didn’t look a bit like him) would suddenly announce that the project would be extended to approximately A.D.

They were quite capable of it.

George heard the heavy wooden door slam in the wind as Chuck came out onto the parapet beside him.

As usual, Chuck was smoking one of the cigars that made him so popular with the monks — who, it seemed, were quite willing to embrace all the minor and most of the major pleasures of life.

That was the worst contingency George could imagine.

The way he felt now, even the sight of a TV commercial would seem like manna from heaven.

Chuck settled himself on the parapet, which was unusual because normally he was scared of the drop.

“Tell me something new,” growled George. “— but old Sam’s just come clean with me.

When I told him that we were on the last cycle he asked me, in that cute English accent of his, if I’d ever wondered what they were trying to do.

When I told him that we were on the last cycle he asked me, in that cute English accent of his, if I’d ever wondered what they were trying to do.

“Well, they believe that when they have listed all His names — and they reckon that there are about nine billion of them — God’s purpose will be achieved.

“Well, they believe that when they have listed all His names — and they reckon that there are about nine billion of them — God’s purpose will be achieved.

Indeed, the very idea is something like blasphemy.”

Commit suicide?”

Chuck gave a nervous little laugh.

When the list’s complete and the Last Trump doesn’t blow — or whatever it is they expect — we may get the blame.

When the list’s complete and the Last Trump doesn’t blow — or whatever it is they expect — we may get the blame.

“Well, this isn’t Louisiana, in case you hadn’t noticed.

But there’s nothing we can do until the contract’s finished and the transport arrives to fly us out.

But there’s nothing we can do until the contract’s finished and the transport arrives to fly us out.

But there’s nothing we can do until the contract’s finished and the transport arrives to fly us out.

“Of course,” said Chuck thoughtfully, “we could always try a bit of sabotage.”

The machine will finish its run four days from now, on the present twenty-hours-a-day basis.

O.K. — then all we need to do is to find something that needs replacing during one of the overhaul periods — something that will hold up the works for a couple of days.

O.K. — then all we need to do is to find something that needs replacing during one of the overhaul periods — something that will hold up the works for a couple of days.

Besides, it ’would make them suspicious.

Wonder how Sam will take it?”

George turned in his saddle and stared back up the mountain road.

The squat, angular buildings were silhouetted against the afterglow of the sunset: here and there, lights gleamed like portholes in the side of an ocean liner.

The squat, angular buildings were silhouetted against the afterglow of the sunset: here and there, lights gleamed like portholes in the side of an ocean liner.

The squat, angular buildings were silhouetted against the afterglow of the sunset: here and there, lights gleamed like portholes in the side of an ocean liner.

The squat, angular buildings were silhouetted against the afterglow of the sunset: here and there, lights gleamed like portholes in the side of an ocean liner.

Electric lights, of course, sharing the same circuit as the Mark V. How much longer would they share it? wondered George.

Electric lights, of course, sharing the same circuit as the Mark V. How much longer would they share it? wondered George.

Would the monks smash up the computer in their rage and disappointment?

Would the monks smash up the computer in their rage and disappointment?

Or would they just sit down quietly and begin their calculations all over again?”

The high lama and his assistants would be sitting in their silk robes, inspecting the sheets as the junior monks carried them away from the typewriters and pasted them into the great volumes.

The high lama and his assistants would be sitting in their silk robes, inspecting the sheets as the junior monks carried them away from the typewriters and pasted them into the great volumes.

The only sound would be the incessant patter, the never-ending rainstorm of the keys hitting the paper, for the Mark V itself was utterly silent as it flashed through its thousands of calculations a second.

The only sound would be the incessant patter, the never-ending rainstorm of the keys hitting the paper, for the Mark V itself was utterly silent as it flashed through its thousands of calculations a second.

The only sound would be the incessant patter, the never-ending rainstorm of the keys hitting the paper, for the Mark V itself was utterly silent as it flashed through its thousands of calculations a second.

“There she is!” called Chuck, pointing down into the valley.

The battered old DC3 lay at the end of the runway like a tiny silver cross.

In two hours she would be bearing them away to freedom and sanity.

In two hours she would be bearing them away to freedom and sanity.

In two hours she would be bearing them away to freedom and sanity.

George let it roll round his mind as the pony trudged patiently down the slope.

George let it roll round his mind as the pony trudged patiently down the slope.

The swift night of the high Himalayas was now almost upon them.

Fortunately, the road was very good, as roads went in that region, and they were both carrying torches.

There was not the slightest danger, only a certain discomfort from the bitter cold.

There was not the slightest danger, only a certain discomfort from the bitter cold.

At least there would be no risk, thought George, of the pilot being unable to take off because of weather conditions.

At least there would be no risk, thought George, of the pilot being unable to take off because of weather conditions.

This vast arena of mountains, gleaming like whitely hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such ebullience.

This vast arena of mountains, gleaming like whitely hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such ebullience.

This vast arena of mountains, gleaming like whitely hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such ebullience.

This vast arena of mountains, gleaming like whitely hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such ebullience.

This vast arena of mountains, gleaming like whitely hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such ebullience.

Presently George glanced at his watch.

Presently George glanced at his watch.

Then he added, in an afterthought: “Wonder if the computer’s finished its run.

“Look,” whispered Chuck, and George lifted his eyes to heaven.

Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.