Острів доктора Моро
Concerning the Beast Folk.
IsayIbecamehabituatedtotheBeastPeople,thatathousandthingswhichhadseemedunnaturalandrepulsivespeedilybecamenaturalandordinarytome.Isupposeeverythinginexistencetakesitscolourfromtheaveragehueofoursurroundings.MontgomeryandMoreauweretoopeculiarandindividualtokeepmygeneralimpressionsofhumanitywelldefined.Iwouldseeoneoftheclumsybovine-creatureswhoworkedthelaunchtreadingheavilythroughtheundergrowth,andfindmyselfasking,tryinghardtorecall,howhedifferedfromsomereallyhumanyokeltrudginghomefromhismechanicallabours;orIwouldmeettheFox-bearwoman’svulpine,shiftyface,strangelyhumaninitsspeculativecunning,andevenimagineIhadmetitbeforeinsomecitybyway.
Yeteverynowandthenthebeastwouldflashoutuponmebeyonddoubtordenial.Anugly-lookingman,ahunch-backedhumansavagetoallappearance,squattingintheapertureofoneofthedens,wouldstretchhisarmsandyawn,showingwithstartlingsuddennessscissor-edgedincisorsandsabre-likecanines,keenandbrilliantasknives.Orinsomenarrowpathway,glancingwithatransitorydaringintotheeyesofsomelithe,white-swathedfemalefigure,Iwouldsuddenlysee(withaspasmodicrevulsion)thatshehadslit-likepupils,orglancingdownnotethecurvingnailwithwhichsheheldhershapelesswrapabouther
