Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 18 — In the Sunlight
Downthereitwas,inablueglowthatnowinourmemoriesseemedthenextthingtoabsolutedarkness,wehadmetwiththingslikemadmockeriesofmen,helmet-headedcreatures,andhadwalkedinfearbeforethem,andhadsubmittedtothemuntilwecouldsubmitnolonger.Andbehold,theyhadsmashedlikewaxandscatteredlikechaff,andfledandvanishedlikethecreaturesofadream!
Irubbedmyeyes,doubtingwhetherwehadnotsleptanddreamtthesethingsbyreasonofthefunguswehadeaten,andsuddenlydiscoveredtheblooduponmyface,andthenthatmyshirtwasstickingpainfullytomyshoulderandarm.
“Confoundit!”Isaid,gaugingmyinjurieswithaninvestigatoryhand,andsuddenlythatdistanttunnelmouthbecame,asitwere,awatchingeye.
“Cavor!”Isaid;“whataretheygoingtodonow?Andwhatarewegoingtodo?”
Heshookhishead,withhiseyesfixeduponthetunnel.“Howcanonetellwhattheywilldo?”
“Itdependsonwhattheythinkofus,andIdon’tseehowwecanbegintoguessthat.Anditdependsuponwhattheyhaveinreserve.It’sasyousay,Cavor,wehavetouchedthemerestoutsideofthisworld.Theymayhaveallsortsofthingsinsidehere.Evenwiththoseshootingthingstheymightmakeitbadforus....
“Yetafterall,”Isaid,“evenifwedon’tfindthesphereatonce,thereisachanceforus.Wemightholdout.Eventhroughthenight.Wemightgodownthereagainandmakeafightforit.”
Istaredaboutmewithspeculativeeyes.Thecharacterofthesceneryhadalteredaltogetherbyreasonoftheenormousgrowthandsubsequentdryingofthescrub.
