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Chapter 15 — The Giddy Bridge
“Trickle,trickle,”wenttheflowinglightverysoftly,andourfootfallsandtheirechoesmadeanirregularpaddle,paddle.Mymindsettleddowntothequestionofmychains.IfIweretoslipoffoneturnso,andthentotwistitso...
IfItriedtodoitverygradually,wouldtheyseeIwasslippingmywristoutofthelooserturn?Iftheydid,whatwouldtheydo?
“Bedford,”saidCavor,“itgoesdown.Itkeepsongoingdown.”
Hisremarkrousedmefrommysullenpre-occupation.
“Iftheywantedtokillus,”hesaid,droppingbacktocomelevelwithme,“thereisnoreasonwhytheyshouldnothavedoneit.”
“No,”Iadmitted,“that’strue.”
“Theydon’tunderstandus,”hesaid,“theythinkwearemerelystrangeanimals,somewildsortofmooncalfbirth,perhaps.Itwillbeonlywhentheyhaveobservedusbetterthattheywillbegintothinkwehaveminds—”
“Whenyoutracethosegeometricalproblems,”saidI.
“Itmaybethat.”
Wetrampedonforaspace.
“Yousee,”saidCavor,“thesemaybeSelenitesofalowerclass.”
“Theinfernalfools!”saidIviciously,glancingattheirexasperatingfaces.
“Ifweendurewhattheydotous—”
“We’vegottoendureit,”saidI.
“Theremaybeotherslessstupid.Thisisthemereouterfringeoftheirworld.Itmustgodownanddown,cavern,passage,tunnel,downatlasttothesea—hundredsofmilesbelow.”
Hiswordsmademethinkofthemileorsoofrockandtunnelthatmightbeoverourheadsalready.Itwaslikeaweightdroppingonmyshoulders.“Awayfromthesunandair,”Isaid.
