Війна світів
The Days of Imprisonment
Thiswasabodyresemblingamilkcaninitsgeneralform,abovewhichoscillatedapear-shapedreceptacle,andfromwhichastreamofwhitepowderflowedintoacircularbasinbelow.
Theoscillatorymotionwasimpartedtothisbyonetentacleofthehandling-machine. Withtwospatulatehandsthehandling-machinewasdiggingoutandflingingmassesofclayintothepear-shapedreceptacleabove,whilewithanotherarmitperiodicallyopenedadoorandremovedrustyandblackenedclinkersfromthemiddlepartofthemachine. Anothersteelytentacledirectedthepowderfromthebasinalongaribbedchanneltowardssomereceiverthatwashiddenfrommebythemoundofbluishdust. Fromthisunseenreceiveralittlethreadofgreensmokeroseverticallyintothequietair. AsIlooked,thehandling-machine,withafaintandmusicalclinking,extended,telescopicfashion,atentaclethathadbeenamomentbeforeamerebluntprojection,untilitsendwashiddenbehindthemoundofclay. Inanothersecondithadliftedabarofwhitealuminiumintosight,untarnishedasyet,andshiningdazzlingly,anddepositeditinagrowingstackofbarsthatstoodatthesideofthepit. Betweensunsetandstarlightthisdexterousmachinemusthavemademorethanahundredsuchbarsoutofthecrudeclay,andthemoundofbluishdustrosesteadilyuntilittoppedthesideofthepit.
Thecontrastbetweentheswiftandcomplexmovementsofthesecontrivancesandtheinertpantingclumsinessoftheirmasterswasacute,andfordaysIhadtotellmyselfrepeatedlythattheselatterwereindeedthelivingofthetwothings.
Thecuratehadpossessionoftheslitwhenthefirstmenwerebroughttothepit. Iwassittingbelow,huddledup,listeningwithallmyears.
