Отравленный пояс
Chapter IV. A Diary Of The Dying
Noneofouroxygencanreachit.Buttheether,ofcourse,haspenetratedtoit,astoeveryotherpointupontheuniverse.Therefore,ithassurvivedthepoison.Hence,wemayarguethateveryamoebaoutsidethisroom,insteadofbeingdead,asyouhaveerroneouslystated,hasreallysurvivedthecatastrophe."
"Well,evennowIdon’tfeelinclinedtohip-hurrahaboutit,"saidLordJohn."Whatdoesitmatter?"
"Itjustmattersthis,thattheworldisalivinginsteadofadeadone.Ifyouhadthescientificimagination,youwouldcastyourmindforwardfromthisonefact,andyouwouldseesomefewmillionsofyearshence—amerepassingmomentintheenormousfluxoftheages—thewholeworldteemingoncemorewiththeanimalandhumanlifewhichwillspringfromthistinyroot.Youhaveseenaprairiefirewheretheflameshaveswepteverytraceofgrassorplantfromthesurfaceoftheearthandleftonlyablackenedwaste.Youwouldthinkthatitmustbeforeverdesert.Yettherootsofgrowthhavebeenleftbehind,andwhenyoupasstheplaceafewyearshenceyoucannolongertellwheretheblackscarsusedtobe.Hereinthistinycreaturearetherootsofgrowthoftheanimalworld,andbyitsinherentdevelopment,andevolution,itwillsurelyintimeremoveeverytraceofthisincomparablecrisisinwhichwearenowinvolved."
"Doocedinterestin’!"saidLordJohn,loungingacrossandlookingthroughthemicroscope."Funnylittlechaptohangnumberoneamongthefamilyportraits.
