Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 13 — Mr. Cavor Makes Some Suggestions
Certain!DidyoureallyunderstandwhatIproposed?Asteelcylinder—”
“Rubbish!”saidCavor.
Weceasedtoconverse.
ForatimeCavorkeptupabrokenmonologuewithoutmuchhelpfromme.
“Iftheyfindit,”hebegan,“iftheyfindit...whatwilltheydowithit?Well,that’saquestion.Itmaybethat’sthequestion.Theywon’tunderstandit,anyhow.Iftheyunderstoodthatsortofthingtheywouldhavecomelongsincetotheearth.Wouldthey?Whyshouldn’tthey?Buttheywouldhavesentsomething—theycouldn’tkeeptheirhandsoffsuchapossibility.No!Buttheywillexamineit.Clearlytheyareintelligentandinquisitive.Theywillexamineit—getinsideit—triflewiththestuds.Off!...Thatwouldmeanthemoonforusforalltherestofourlives.Strangecreatures,strangeknowledge....”
“Asforstrangeknowledge—”saidI,andlanguagefailedme.
“Lookhere,Bedford,”saidCavor,“youcameonthisexpeditionofyourownfreewill.”
“Yousaidtome,‘Callitprospecting’.”
“There’salwaysrisksinprospecting.”
“Especiallywhenyoudoitunarmedandwithoutthinkingouteverypossibility.”
“Iwassotakenupwiththesphere.Thethingrushedonus,andcarriedusaway.”
“Rushedonme,youmean.”
“Rushedonmejustasmuch.HowwasItoknowwhenIsettoworkonmolecularphysicsthatthebusinesswouldbringmehere—ofallplaces?”
“It’sthisaccursedscience,”Icried.“It’stheveryDevil.ThemediævalpriestsandpersecutorswererightandtheModernsareallwrong.Youtamperwithit—anditoffersyougifts.
