Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 9 — Prospecting Begins
Iretainedeventhenaclinginghopeofsomequasi-humanevidence,somepinnacleofbuilding,somehouseorengine,buteverywhereonelookedspreadthetumbledrocksinpeaksandcrests,andthedartingscrubandthosebulgingcactithatswelledandswelled,aflatnegationasitseemedofallsuchhope.
“Itlooksasthoughtheseplantshadittothemselves,”Isaid.“Iseenotraceofanyothercreature.”
“Noinsects—nobirds,no!Notatrace,notascrapnorparticleofanimallife.Iftherewas—whatwouldtheydointhenight?...No;there’sjusttheseplantsalone.”
Ishadedmyeyeswithmyhand.“It’slikethelandscapeofadream.Thesethingsarelesslikeearthlylandplantsthanthethingsoneimaginesamongtherocksatthebottomofthesea.Lookatthatyonder!Onemightimagineitalizardchangedintoaplant.Andtheglare!”
“Thisisonlythefreshmorning,”saidCavor.
Hesighedandlookedabouthim.“Thisisnoworldformen,”hesaid.“Andyetinaway—itappeals.”
Hebecamesilentforatime,thencommencedhismeditativehumming.
Istartedatagentletouch,andfoundathinsheetoflividlichenlappingovermyshoe.Ikickedatitanditfelltopowder,andeachspeckbegantogrow.
IheardCavorexclaimsharply,andperceivedthatoneofthefixedbayonetsofthescrubhadprickedhim.Hehesitated,hiseyessoughtamongtherocksaboutus.Asuddenblazeofpinkhadcreptuparaggedpillarofcrag.Itwasamostextraordinarypink,alividmagenta.
“Look!”saidI,turning,andbeholdCavorhadvanished.
ForaninstantIstoodtransfixed.
