Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 18 — In the Sunlight
“Andbelowthere,iswherewesawthelights.”
“Thelights!”saidhe.“Yes—thelightsoftheworldthatnowweshallneversee.”
“We’llcomeback,”Isaid,fornowwehadescapedsomuchIwasrashlysanguinethatweshouldrecoverthesphere.
HisanswerIdidnotcatch.
“Eh?”Iasked.
“Itdoesn’tmatter,”heanswered,andwehurriedoninsilence.
Isupposethatslantinglateralwaywasfourorfivemileslong,allowingforitscurvature,anditascendedataslopethatwouldhavemadeitalmostimpossiblysteeponearth,butwhichonestrodeupeasilyunderlunarconditions.WesawonlytwoSelenitesduringallthatportionofourflight,anddirectlytheybecameawareofustheyranheadlong.Itwasclearthattheknowledgeofourstrengthandviolencehadreachedthem.Ourwaytotheexteriorwasunexpectedlyplain.Thespiralgallerystraightenedintoasteeplyascendenttunnel,itsfloorbearingabundanttracesofthemooncalves,andsostraightandshortinproportiontoitsvastarch,thatnopartofitwasabsolutelydark.Almostimmediatelyitbegantolighten,andthenfaroffandhighup,andquiteblindinglybrilliant,appeareditsopeningontheexterior,aslopeofAlpinesteepnesssurmountedbyacrestofbayonetshrub,tallandbrokendownnow,anddryanddead,inspikysilhouetteagainstthesun.
Anditisstrangethatwemen,towhomthisveryvegetationhadseemedsoweirdandhorriblealittletimeago,shouldnowbeholditwiththeemotionahome-comingexilemightfeelatsightofhisnativeland.
