Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 1 — Mr. Bedford Meets Mr. Cavor at Lympne
Metalsarenotonlyopaquetolightandheat,butalsotoelectricalenergy,whichpassesthroughbothiodinesolutionandglassalmostasthoughtheywerenotinterposed.Andsoon.
Nowallknownsubstancesare“transparent”togravitation.Youcanusescreensofvarioussortstocutoffthelightorheat,orelectricalinfluenceofthesun,orthewarmthoftheearthfromanything;youcanscreenthingsbysheetsofmetalfromMarconi’srays,butnothingwillcutoffthegravitationalattractionofthesunorthegravitationalattractionoftheearth.Yetwhythereshouldbenothingishardtosay.Cavordidnotseewhysuchasubstanceshouldnotexist,andcertainlyIcouldnottellhim.Ihadneverthoughtofsuchapossibilitybefore.Heshowedmebycalculationsonpaper,whichLordKelvin,nodoubt,orProfessorLodge,orProfessorKarlPearson,oranyofthosegreatscientificpeoplemighthaveunderstood,butwhichsimplyreducedmetoahopelessmuddle,thatnotonlywassuchasubstancepossible,butthatitmustsatisfycertainconditions.Itwasanamazingpieceofreasoning.Muchasitamazedandexercisedmeatthetime,itwouldbeimpossibletoreproduceithere.“Yes,”Isaidtoitall,“yes;goon!”Sufficeitforthisstorythathebelievedhemightbeabletomanufacturethispossiblesubstanceopaquetogravitationoutofacomplicatedalloyofmetalsandsomethingnew—anewelement,Ifancy—called,Ibelieve,helium,whichwassenttohimfromLondoninsealedstonejars.
