Машина времени

           ‘Seriousobjections,’remarkedtheProvincialMayor,withanairofimpartiality,turningtowardstheTimeTraveller. 

           ‘Notabit,’saidtheTimeTraveller,and,tothePsychologist: ‘Youthink.Youcanexplainthat. It’spresentationbelowthethreshold,youknow,dilutedpresentation.’ 

           ‘Ofcourse,’saidthePsychologist,andreassuredus. ‘That’sasimplepointofpsychology. Ishouldhavethoughtofit. It’splainenough,andhelpstheparadoxdelightfully. Wecannotseeit,norcanweappreciatethismachine,anymorethanwecanthespokeofawheelspinning,orabulletflyingthroughtheair. Ifitistravellingthroughtimefiftytimesorahundredtimesfasterthanweare,ifitgetsthroughaminutewhilewegetthroughasecond,theimpressionitcreateswillofcoursebeonlyone-fiftiethorone-hundredthofwhatitwouldmakeifitwerenottravellingintime. That’splainenough. ’Hepassedhishandthroughthespaceinwhichthemachinehadbeen. ‘Yousee? ’hesaid,laughing. 

           Wesatandstaredatthevacanttableforaminuteorso. ThentheTimeTravelleraskeduswhatwethoughtofitall. 

           ‘Itsoundsplausibleenoughto-night,’saidtheMedicalMan;‘butwaituntilto-morrow. Waitforthecommonsenseofthemorning.’ 

           ‘WouldyouliketoseetheTimeMachineitself? ’askedtheTimeTraveller. Andtherewith,takingthelampinhishand,heledthewaydownthelong,draughtycorridortohislaboratory. Iremembervividlytheflickeringlight,hisqueer,broadheadinsilhouette,thedanceoftheshadows,howweallfollowedhim,puzzledbutincredulous,andhowthereinthelaboratorywebeheldalargereditionofthelittlemechanismwhichwehadseenvanishfrombeforeoureyes. Partswereofnickel,partsofivory,partshadcertainlybeenfiledorsawnoutofrockcrystal.