Отравленный пояс
Chapter III. Submerged
"Mydear,thepassengersonthattrainwerenomoreanimatethanthecoalsintowhichtheycrashedorthecarbonwhichtheyhavenowbecome,"saidChallenger,strokingherhandsoothingly."ItwasatrainofthelivingwhenitleftVictoria,butitwasdrivenandfreightedbythedeadlongbeforeitreacheditsfate."
"Allovertheworldthesamethingmustbegoingon,"saidIasavisionofstrangehappeningsrosebeforeme."Thinkoftheshipsatsea—howtheywillsteamonandon,untilthefurnacesdiedownoruntiltheyrunfulltiltuponsomebeach.Thesailingshipstoo—howtheywillbackandfillwiththeircargoesofdeadsailors,whiletheirtimbersrotandtheirjointsleak,tillonebyonetheysinkbelowthesurface.PerhapsacenturyhencetheAtlanticmaystillbedottedwiththeolddriftingderelicts."
"Andthefolkinthecoal-mines,"saidSummerleewithadismalchuckle."Ifevergeologistsshouldbyanychanceliveuponearthagaintheywillhavesomestrangetheoriesoftheexistenceofmanincarboniferousstrata."
"Idon’tprofesstoknowaboutsuchthings,"remarkedLordJohn,"butitseemstometheearthwillbe’Tolet,empty,’afterthis.Whenonceourhumancrowdiswipedoffit,howwillitevergetonagain?"
"Theworldwasemptybefore,"Challengeransweredgravely."Underlawswhichintheirinceptionarebeyondandaboveus,itbecamepeopled.Whymaythesameprocessnothappenagain?"
"MydearChallenger,youcan’tmeanthat?"
"Iamnotinthehabit,ProfessorSummerlee,ofsayingthingswhichIdonotmean.Theobservationistrivial.
