Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 25 — The Grand Lunar
Icouldshutmyeyes,thinkofmyanswer,andalmostforgetthatthetheGrandLunarhasnoface....
“WhenIhaddescendedagaintomyproperplacetheGrandLunaraskedhowweshelteredourselvesfromheatandstorms,andIexpoundedtohimtheartsofbuildingandfurnishing.Herewewanderedintomisunderstandingsandcross-purposes,duelargely,Imustadmit,totheloosenessofmyexpressions.ForalongtimeIhadgreatdifficultyinmakinghimunderstandthenatureofahouse.TohimandhisattendantSelenitesitseemed,nodoubt,themostwhimsicalthingintheworldthatmenshouldbuildhouseswhentheymightdescendintoexcavations,andanadditionalcomplicationwasintroducedbytheattemptImadetoexplainthatmenhadoriginallybeguntheirhomesincaves,andthattheywerenowtakingtheirrailwaysandmanyestablishmentsbeneaththesurface.HereIthinkadesireforintellectualcompletenessbetrayedme.Therewasalsoaconsiderabletangleduetoanequallyunwiseattemptonmyparttoexplainaboutmines.Dismissingthistopicatlastinanincompletestate,theGrandLunarinquiredwhatwedidwiththeinteriorofourglobe.
“Atideoftwitteringandpipingsweptintotheremotestcornersofthatgreatassemblywhenitwasatlastmadeclearthatwemenknowabsolutelynothingofthecontentsoftheworlduponwhichtheimmemorialgenerationsofourancestorshadbeenevolved.ThreetimeshadItorepeatthatofallthe4000milesofdistancebetweentheearthanditscentremenknewonlytothedepthofamile,andthatveryvaguely.
