Chapter 10 — Lost Men in the Moon

           Hisfacecaughtsomethingofmydismay.Hestoodupandstaredabouthimatthescrubthatfencedusinandroseaboutus,strainingupwardinapassionofgrowth.Heputadubioushandtohislips.Hespokewithasuddenlackofassurance.“Ithink,”hesaidslowly,“weleftit...somewhere...aboutthere.”

           Hepointedahesitatingfingerthatwaveredinanarc.

           “I’mnotsure.”Hislookofconsternationdeepened.“Anyhow,”hesaid,withhiseyesonme,“itcan’tbefar.”

           Wehadbothstoodup.Wemadeunmeaningejaculations,oureyessoughtinthetwining,thickeningjungleroundaboutus.

           Allaboutusonthesunlitslopesfrothedandswayedthedartingshrubs,theswellingcactus,thecreepinglichens,andwherevertheshaderemainedthesnow-driftslingered.North,south,east,andwestspreadanidenticalmonotonyofunfamiliarforms.Andsomewhere,buriedalreadyamongthistangledconfusion,wasoursphere,ourhome,ouronlyprovision,ouronlyhopeofescapefromthisfantasticwildernessofephemeralgrowthsintowhichwehadcome.

           “Ithinkafterall,”hesaid,pointingsuddenly,“itmightbeoverthere.”

           “No,”Isaid.“Wehaveturnedinacurve.See!hereisthemarkofmyheels.It’sclearthethingmustbemoretotheeastward,muchmore.No—thespheremustbeoverthere.”

           “Ithink,”saidCavor,“Ikeptthesunuponmyrightallthetime.”

           “Everyleap,itseemstome,”Isaid,“myshadowflewbeforeme.”

           Westaredintooneanother’seyes.