Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 17 — The Fight in the Cave of the Moon Butchers
“They’renotseekingus,orthinkingofus.”
“Perhapstheyhavenotheardofus.”
“Thoseothersarehuntingaboutbelow.Ifsuddenlyweappearedhere—”
Welookedatoneanother.
“Theremightbeachancetoparley,”saidCavor.
“No,”Isaid.“Notasweare.”
Foraspaceweremained,eachoccupiedbyhisownthoughts.
Chid,chid,chidwentthechipping,andtheshadowsmovedtoandfro.
Ilookedatthegrating.“It’sflimsy,”Isaid.“Wemightbendtwoofthebarsandcrawlthrough.”
Wewastedalittletimeinvaguediscussion.ThenItookoneofthebarsinbothhands,andgotmyfeetupagainsttherockuntiltheywerealmostonalevelwithmyhead,andsothrustagainstthebar.ItbentsosuddenlythatIalmostslipped.Iclamberedaboutandbenttheadjacentbarintheoppositedirection,andthentooktheluminousfungusfrommypocketanddroppeditdownthefissure.
“Don’tdoanythinghastily,”whisperedCavor,asItwistedmyselfupthroughtheopeningIhadenlarged.IhadaglimpseofbusyfiguresasIcamethroughthegrating,andimmediatelybentdown,sothattherimofthedepressioninwhichthegratinglayhidmefromtheireyes,andsolayflat,signallingadvicetoCavorashealsopreparedtocomethrough.Presentlyweweresidebysideinthedepression,peeringovertheedgeatthecavernanditsoccupants.
Itwasamuchlargercavernthanwehadsupposedfromourfirstglimpseofit,andwelookedupfromthelowestportionofitsslopingfloor.Itwidenedoutasitrecededfromus,anditsroofcamedownandhidtheremoterportionaltogether.
