Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 23 — An Abstract of the Six Messages First Received from Mr. Cavor
ThereisparticularlytheRapha,aninextricablemassofclutchingtentaclesthatonehackstopiecesonlytomultiply;andtheTzee,adartingcreaturethatisneverseen,sosubtlyandsuddenlydoesitslay...”
Hegivesusagleamofdescription.
“IwasremindedonthisexcursionofwhatIhavereadoftheMammothCaves;ifonlyIhadhadayellowflambeauinsteadofthepervadingbluelight,andasolid-lookingboatmanwithanoarinsteadofascuttle-facedSeleniteworkinganengineatthebackofthecanoe,IcouldhaveimaginedIhadsuddenlygotbacktoearth.Therocksaboutuswereveryvarious,sometimesblack,sometimespaleblueandveined,andoncetheyflashedandglitteredasthoughwehadcomeintoamineofsapphires.Andbelowonesawtheghostlyphosphorescentfishesflashandvanishinthehardlylessphosphorescentdeep.Then,presently,alongultra-marinevistadowntheturgidstreamofoneofthechannelsoftraffic,andalandingstage,andthen,perhaps,aglimpseuptheenormouscrowdedshaftofoneoftheverticalways.
“Inonegreatplaceheavywithglisteningstalactitesanumberofboatswerefishing.Wewentalongsideoneoftheseandwatchedthelong-armedSeleniteswindinginanet.Theywerelittle,hunchbackedinsects,withverystrongarms,short,bandylegs,andcrinkledface-masks.AstheypulledatitthatnetseemedtheheaviestthingIhadcomeuponinthemoon;itwasloadedwithweights—nodoubtofgold—andittookalongtimetodraw,forinthosewatersthelargerandmoreediblefishlurkdeep.
