Машина времени
Chapter 4
‘AqueerthingIsoondiscoveredaboutmylittlehosts,andthatwastheirlackofinterest. Theywouldcometomewitheagercriesofastonishment,likechildren,butlikechildrentheywouldsoonstopexaminingmeandwanderawayaftersomeothertoy. Thedinnerandmyconversationalbeginningsended,Inotedforthefirsttimethatalmostallthosewhohadsurroundedmeatfirstweregone. Itisodd,too,howspeedilyIcametodisregardtheselittlepeople. Iwentoutthroughtheportalintothesunlitworldagainassoonasmyhungerwassatisfied. Iwascontinuallymeetingmoreofthesemenofthefuture,whowouldfollowmealittledistance,chatterandlaughaboutme,and,havingsmiledandgesticulatedinafriendlyway,leavemeagaintomyowndevices.
‘ThecalmofeveningwasupontheworldasIemergedfromthegreathall,andthescenewaslitbythewarmglowofthesettingsun. Atfirstthingswereveryconfusing. EverythingwassoentirelydifferentfromtheworldIhadknown—eventheflowers. ThebigbuildingIhadleftwassituatedontheslopeofabroadrivervalley,buttheThameshadshiftedperhapsamilefromitspresentposition. Iresolvedtomounttothesummitofacrestperhapsamileandahalfaway,fromwhichIcouldgetawiderviewofthisourplanetintheyearEightHundredandTwoThousandSevenHundredandOneA.D. Forthat,Ishouldexplain,wasthedatethelittledialsofmymachinerecorded.
‘AsIwalkedIwaswatchingforeveryimpressionthatcouldpossiblyhelptoexplaintheconditionofruinoussplendourinwhichIfoundtheworld—forruinousitwas. Alittlewayupthehill,forinstance,wasagreatheapofgranite,boundtogetherbymassesofaluminium,avastlabyrinthofprecipitouswallsandcrumpledheaps,amidstwhichwerethickheapsofverybeautifulpagoda-likeplants —nettlespossibly—butwonderfullytintedwithbrownabouttheleaves,andincapableofstinging.
