Машина времени

Chapter 5

           But,asIsay,itwenttoofastformetoseedistinctly. Icannotevensaywhetheritranonall-fours,oronlywithitsforearmsheldverylow. Afteraninstant’spauseIfolloweditintothesecondheapofruins. Icouldnotfinditatfirst;but,afteratimeintheprofoundobscurity,Icameupononeofthoseroundwell-likeopeningsofwhichIhavetoldyou,halfclosedbyafallenpillar. Asuddenthoughtcametome. CouldthisThinghavevanisheddowntheshaft? Ilitamatch,and,lookingdown,Isawasmall,white,movingcreature,withlargebrighteyeswhichregardedmesteadfastlyasitretreated. Itmademeshudder. Itwassolikeahumanspider! Itwasclamberingdownthewall,andnowIsawforthefirsttimeanumberofmetalfootandhandrestsformingakindofladderdowntheshaft. Thenthelightburnedmyfingersandfelloutofmyhand,goingoutasitdropped,andwhenIhadlitanotherthelittlemonsterhaddisappeared. 

           ‘IdonotknowhowlongIsatpeeringdownthatwell. ItwasnotforsometimethatIcouldsucceedinpersuadingmyselfthatthethingIhadseenwashuman. But,gradually,thetruthdawnedonme: thatManhadnotremainedonespecies,buthaddifferentiatedintotwodistinctanimals: thatmygracefulchildrenoftheUpper-worldwerenotthesoledescendantsofourgeneration,butthatthisbleached,obscene,nocturnalThing,whichhadflashedbeforeme,wasalsoheirtoalltheages. 

           ‘Ithoughtoftheflickeringpillarsandofmytheoryofanundergroundventilation.Ibegantosuspecttheirtrueimport. Andwhat,Iwondered,wasthisLemurdoinginmyschemeofaperfectlybalancedorganization? HowwasitrelatedtotheindolentserenityofthebeautifulUpper-worlders? Andwhatwashiddendownthere,atthefootofthatshaft? Isatupontheedgeofthewelltellingmyselfthat,atanyrate,therewasnothingtofear,andthatthereImustdescendforthesolutionofmydifficulties. 

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