"Well, that's the complication. You see, Chronos lives backward. He has to, to know when everything
has happened-I mean, when it will happen. That's his job-to time things. So when you assume the office,
you'll proceed backward in time, until the date of your birth or whatever; then you'll have to step down,
because you won't exist any more. But since you're close to forty, you have about as much life behind
you as ahead of you; you'll come out even that way. Time is no office for a young man! And you'll be
able to be with Oriene again! Just think of that!"