Острів доктора Моро
Concerning the Beast Folk.
2Itwasvolcanicinorigin,andwasnowfringedonthreesidesbycoralreefs;somefumarolestothenorthward,andahotspring,weretheonlyvestigesoftheforcesthathadlongsinceoriginatedit.Nowandthenafaintquiverofearthquakewouldbesensible,andsometimestheascentofthespireofsmokewouldberenderedtumultuousbygustsofsteam;butthatwasall.Thepopulationoftheisland,Montgomeryinformedme,nownumberedrathermorethansixtyofthesestrangecreationsofMoreau’sart,notcountingthesmallermonstrositieswhichlivedintheundergrowthandwerewithouthumanform.Altogetherhehadmadenearlyahundredandtwenty;butmanyhaddied,andothers—likethewrithingFootlessThingofwhichhehadtoldme—hadcomebyviolentends.Inanswertomyquestion,Montgomerysaidthattheyactuallyboreoffspring,butthatthesegenerallydied.Whentheylived,Moreautookthemandstampedthehumanformuponthem.Therewasnoevidenceoftheinheritanceoftheiracquiredhumancharacteristics.Thefemaleswerelessnumerousthanthemales,andliabletomuchfurtivepersecutioninspiteofthemonogamytheLawenjoined.
2ThisdescriptioncorrespondsineveryrespecttoNoble’sIsle.—C.E.P.
ItwouldbeimpossibleformetodescribetheseBeastPeopleindetail;myeyehashadnotrainingindetails,andunhappilyIcannotsketch.
