Chapter 22 — The Astonishing Communication of Mr. Julius Wendigee

           WhenIhadfinishedmyaccountofmyreturntotheearthatLittlestone,Iwrote,“TheEnd,”madeaflourish,andthrewmypenaside,fullybelievingthatthewholestoryoftheFirstMenintheMoonwasdone.NotonlyhadIdonethis,butIhadplacedmymanuscriptinthehandsofaliteraryagent,hadpermittedittobesold,hadseenthegreaterportionofitappearintheStrandMagazine,andwassettingtoworkagainuponthescenariooftheplayIhadcommencedatLympnebeforeIrealisedthattheendwasnotyet.Andthen,followingmefromAmalfitoAlgiers,therereachedme(itisnowaboutsixmonthsago)oneofthemostastoundingcommunicationsIhaveeverbeenfatedtoreceive.Briefly,itinformedmethatMr.JuliusWendigee,aDutchelectrician,whohasbeenexperimentingwithcertainapparatusakintotheapparatususedbyMr.TeslainAmerica,inthehopeofdiscoveringsomemethodofcommunicationwithMars,wasreceivingdaybydayacuriouslyfragmentarymessageinEnglish,whichwasindisputablyemanatingfromMr.Cavorinthemoon.

           AtfirstIthoughtthethingwasanelaboratepracticaljokebysomeonewhohadseenthemanuscriptofmynarrative.IansweredMr.Wendigeejestingly,butherepliedinamannerthatputsuchsuspicionaltogetheraside,andinastateofinconceivableexcitementIhurriedfromAlgierstothelittleobservatoryupontheMonteRosainwhichhewasworking.Inthepresenceofhisrecordandhisappliances—andaboveallofthemessagesfromCavorthatwerecomingtohand—mylingeringdoubtsvanished.