Машина времени
Chapter 7
AndtheMorlocksmadetheirgarments,Iinferred,andmaintainedthemintheirhabitualneeds,perhapsthroughthesurvivalofanoldhabitofservice. Theydiditasastandinghorsepawswithhisfoot,orasamanenjoyskillinganimalsinsport: becauseancientanddepartednecessitieshadimpresseditontheorganism. But,clearly,theoldorderwasalreadyinpartreversed. TheNemesisofthedelicateoneswascreepingonapace. Agesago,thousandsofgenerationsago,manhadthrusthisbrothermanoutoftheeaseandthesunshine. Andnowthatbrotherwascomingbackchanged! AlreadytheEloihadbeguntolearnoneoldlessonanew. TheywerebecomingreacquaintedwithFear. AndsuddenlytherecameintomyheadthememoryofthemeatIhadseenintheUnder-world. Itseemedoddhowitfloatedintomymind: notstirredupasitwerebythecurrentofmymeditations,butcominginalmostlikeaquestionfromoutside. Itriedtorecalltheformofit. Ihadavaguesenseofsomethingfamiliar,butIcouldnottellwhatitwasatthetime.
‘Still,howeverhelplessthelittlepeopleinthepresenceoftheirmysteriousFear,Iwasdifferentlyconstituted. Icameoutofthisageofours,thisripeprimeofthehumanrace,whenFeardoesnotparalyseandmysteryhaslostitsterrors. Iatleastwoulddefendmyself. WithoutfurtherdelayIdeterminedtomakemyselfarmsandafastnesswhereImightsleep. Withthatrefugeasabase,IcouldfacethisstrangeworldwithsomeofthatconfidenceIhadlostinrealizingtowhatcreaturesnightbynightIlayexposed. IfeltIcouldneversleepagainuntilmybedwassecurefromthem. Ishudderedwithhorrortothinkhowtheymustalreadyhaveexaminedme.
‘IwanderedduringtheafternoonalongthevalleyoftheThames,butfoundnothingthatcommendeditselftomymindasinaccessible. AllthebuildingsandtreesseemedeasilypracticabletosuchdexterousclimbersastheMorlocks,tojudgebytheirwells,mustbe.
