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Chapter 17 — The Fight in the Cave of the Moon Butchers
Andlyinginalinealongitslength,vanishingatlastfarawayinthattremendousperspective,wereanumberofhugeshapes,hugepallidhulls,uponwhichtheSeleniteswerebusy.Atfirsttheyseemedbigwhitecylindersofvagueimport.ThenInotedtheheadsuponthemlyingtowardsus,eyelessandskinlessliketheheadsofsheepatabutcher’s,andperceivedtheywerethecarcassesofmooncalvesbeingcutup,muchasthecrewofawhalermightcutupamooredwhale.Theywerecuttingoffthefleshinstrips,andonsomeofthefarthertrunksthewhiteribswereshowing.Itwasthesoundoftheirhatchetsthatmadethatchid,chid,chid.Somewayawayathinglikeatrolleycable,drawnandloadedwithchunksoflaxmeat,wasrunninguptheslopeofthecavernfloor.Thisenormouslongavenueofhullsthatweredestinedtobefoodgaveusasenseofthevastpopulousnessofthemoonworldsecondonlytotheeffectofourfirstglimpsedowntheshaft.
ItseemedtomeatfirstthattheSelenitesmustbestandingontrestle-supportedplanks,[2]andthenIsawthattheplanksandsupportsandthehatchetswerereallyofthesameleadenhueasmyfettershadseemedbeforewhitelightcametobearonthem.Anumberofverythick-lookingcrowbarslayaboutthefloor,andhadapparentlyassistedtoturnthedeadmooncalfoveronitsside.Theywereperhapssixfeetlong,withshapedhandles,verytempting-lookingweapons.Thewholeplacewaslitbythreetransversestreamsofthebluefluid.
