Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 11 — The Mooncalf Pastures
Itriedtopointoutthatthiswasdangerousforsomereasonthatwasnotperfectlycleartome,buttheword“dangerous”hadsomehowgotmixedwith“indiscreet,”andcameoutrathermorelike“injurious”thaneither;andafteranattempttodisentanglethem,Iresumedmyargument,addressingmyselfprincipallytotheunfamiliarbutattentivecorallinegrowthsoneitherside.Ifeltthatitwasnecessarytoclearupthisconfusionbetweenthemoonandapotatoatonce—Iwanderedintoalongparenthesisontheimportanceofprecisionofdefinitioninargument.Ididmybesttoignorethefactthatmybodilysensationswerenolongeragreeable.
InsomewaythatIhavenowforgotten,mymindwasledbacktoprojectsofcolonisation.“Wemustannexthismoon,”Isaid.“Theremustbenoshilly-shally.ThisispartoftheWhiteMan’sBurthen.Cavor—weare—hic—Satap—meanSatraps!NempireCæsarneverdreamt.B’inallthenewspapers.Cavorecia.Bedfordecia.Bedfordecia—hic—Limited.Mean—unlimited!Practically.”
CertainlyIwasintoxicated.
Iembarkeduponanargumenttoshowtheinfinitebenefitsourarrivalwouldconferonthemoon.IinvolvedmyselfinaratherdifficultproofthatthearrivalofColumbuswas,onthewhole,beneficialtoAmerica.IfoundIhadforgottenthelineofargumentIhadintendedtopursue,andcontinuedtorepeat“sim’lartoC’lumbus,”tofilluptime.
Fromthatpointmymemoryoftheactionofthatabominablefungusbecomesconfused.
