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.
