Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 1 — Mr. Bedford Meets Mr. Cavor at Lympne
Doubthasbeenthrownuponthisdetail,butIamalmostcertainitwasheliumhehadsenthiminsealedstonejars.Itwascertainlysomethingverygaseousandthin.IfonlyIhadtakennotes...
Butthen,howwasItoforeseethenecessityoftakingnotes?
Anyonewiththemerestgermofanimaginationwillunderstandtheextraordinarypossibilitiesofsuchasubstance,andwillsympathisealittlewiththeemotionIfeltasthisunderstandingemergedfromthehazeofabstrusephrasesinwhichCavorexpressedhimself.Comicreliefinaplayindeed!ItwassometimebeforeIwouldbelievethatIhadinterpretedhimaright,andIwasverycarefulnottoaskquestionsthatwouldhaveenabledhimtogaugetheprofundityofmisunderstandingintowhichhedroppedhisdailyexposition.Butnoonereadingthestoryofitherewillsympathisefully,becausefrommybarrennarrativeitwillbeimpossibletogatherthestrengthofmyconvictionthatthisastonishingsubstancewaspositivelygoingtobemade.
IdonotrecallthatIgavemyplayanhour’sconsecutiveworkatanytimeaftermyvisittohishouse.Myimaginationhadotherthingstodo.Thereseemednolimittothepossibilitiesofthestuff;whicheverwayItriedIcameonmiraclesandrevolutions.Forexample,ifonewantedtoliftaweight,howeverenormous,onehadonlytogetasheetofthissubstancebeneathit,andonemightliftitwithastraw.Myfirstnaturalimpulsewastoapplythisprincipletogunsandironclads,andallthematerialandmethodsofwar,andfromthattoshipping,locomotion,building,everyconceivableformofhumanindustry.
