Chapter 5 — The Journey to the Moon

           PresentlyCavorextinguishedthelight.Hesaidwehadnotovermuchenergystored,andthatwhatwehadwemusteconomiseforreading.Foratime,whetheritwaslongorshortIdonotknow,therewasnothingbutblankdarkness.

           Aquestionfloatedupoutofthevoid.“Howarewepointing?”Isaid.“Whatisourdirection?”

           “Weareflyingawayfromtheearthatatangent,andasthemoonisnearherthirdquarterwearegoingsomewheretowardsher.Iwillopenablind—”

           Cameaclick,andthenawindowintheoutercaseyawnedopen.Theskyoutsidewasasblackasthedarknesswithinthesphere,buttheshapeoftheopenwindowwasmarkedbyaninfinitenumberofstars.

           Thosewhohaveonlyseenthestarryskyfromtheearthcannotimagineitsappearancewhenthevague,halfluminousveilofourairhasbeenwithdrawn.Thestarsweseeoneartharethemerescatteredsurvivorsthatpenetrateourmistyatmosphere.ButnowatlastIcouldrealisethemeaningofthehostsofheaven!

           Strangerthingswewerepresentlytosee,butthatairless,star-dustedsky!Ofallthings,IthinkthatwillbeoneofthelastIshallforget.

           Thelittlewindowvanishedwithaclick,anotherbesideitsnappedopenandinstantlyclosed,andthenathird,andforamomentIhadtoclosemyeyesbecauseoftheblindingsplendourofthewaningmoon.

           ForaspaceIhadtostareatCavorandthewhite-litthingsaboutmetoseasonmyeyestolightagain,beforeIcouldturnthemtowardsthatpallidglare.

           Fourwindowswereopeninorderthatthegravitationofthemoonmightactuponallthesubstancesinoursphere.