I really need help. In class we were reading "A Sound of Thunder", and there is 1 sentence that started a huge debate. Can anyone tell me what Mr. Bradbury meant when he wrote, "Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look."? Please answer soon. Thanks.

(1) What were the points brought out during the debate?

(2) What was the context of the sentence in question?

(3) What would be your preliminary view of what it means and why?

Below is an extract from the short story, but it would be better if you read it from begining to end. The excert alone, doesn't say much.

"But if you come back this morning in Time," said Eckels eagerly, you must've bumped into us, our Safari! How did it turn out? Was it successful? Did all of us get through-alive?"
Thanks.
Travis and Lesperance gave each other a look.

"That'd be a paradox," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess-a man meeting himself. When such occasions threaten, Time steps aside. Like an airplane hitting an air pocket. You felt the Machine jump just before we stopped? That was us passing ourselves on the way back to the Future. We saw nothing. There's no way of telling if this expedition was a success, if we got our monster, or whether all of us - meaning you, Mr. Eckels - got out alive."


In class we arrived to the conclusion that they knew what was going to happen. But if they did, why was Travis mad? And if they knew, why didn't they prevent it? Was it a matter of power? Did they need that change to occur? If so, why isn't it stated in the story? In calss we came up with about 500 different theories.