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Chapter 22 — The Astonishing Communication of Mr. Julius Wendigee
Wendigeeknewnothingofourwildjourneymoonward,andsuddenly—thisEnglishoutofthevoid!
Itiswellthereadershouldunderstandtheconditionsunderwhichitwouldseemthesemessagesweresent.SomewherewithinthemoonCavorcertainlyhadaccessforatimetoaconsiderableamountofelectricalapparatus,anditwouldseemheriggedup—perhapsfurtively—atransmittingarrangementoftheMarconitype.Thishewasabletooperateatirregularintervals:sometimesforonlyhalfanhourorso,sometimesforthreeorfourhoursatastretch.Atthesetimeshetransmittedhisearthwardmessage,regardlessofthefactthattherelativepositionofthemoonandpointsupontheearth’ssurfaceisconstantlyaltering.Asaconsequenceofthisandofthenecessaryimperfectionsofourrecordinginstrumentshiscommunicationcomesandgoesinourrecordsinanextremelyfitfulmanner;itbecomesblurred;it“fadesout”inamysteriousandaltogetherexasperatingway.Andaddedtothisisthefactthathewasnotanexpertoperator;hehadpartlyforgotten,ornevercompletelymastered,thecodeingeneraluse,andashebecamefatiguedhedroppedwordsandmisspeltinacuriousmanner.
Altogetherwehaveprobablylostquitehalfofthecommunicationshemade,andmuchwehaveisdamaged,broken,andpartlyeffaced.Intheabstractthatfollowsthereadermustbepreparedthereforeforaconsiderableamountofbreak,hiatus,andchangeoftopic.Mr
