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Chapter 24 — The Natural History of the Selenites
Allknowledgeisstoredindistendedbrainsmuchasthehoney-antsofTexasstorehoneyintheirdistendedabdomens.ThelunarSomersetHouseandthelunarBritishMuseumLibraryarecollectionsoflivingbrains...
“Thelessspecialisedadministrators,Inote,doforthemostparttakeaverylivelyinterestinmewhenevertheyencounterme.TheywillcomeoutofthewayandstareatmeandaskquestionstowhichPhi-oowillreply.Iseethemgoinghitherandthitherwitharetinueofbearers,attendants,shouters,parachute-carriers,andsoforth—queergroupstosee.Theexpertsforthemostpartignoremecompletely,evenastheyignoreeachother,ornoticemeonlytobeginaclamorousexhibitionoftheirdistinctiveskill.Theeruditeforthemostpartareraptinanimperviousandapoplecticcomplacency,fromwhichonlyadenialoftheireruditioncanrousethem.Usuallytheyareledaboutbylittlewatchersandattendants,andoftentherearesmallandactive-lookingcreatures,smallfemalesusually,thatIaminclinedtothinkareasortofwifetothem;butsomeoftheprofounderscholarsarealtogethertoogreatforlocomotion,andarecarriedfromplacetoplaceinasortofsedantub,wabblingjelliesofknowledgethatenlistmyrespectfulastonishment.IhavejustpassedoneincomingtothisplacewhereIampermittedtoamusemyselfwiththeseelectricaltoys,avast,shaven,shakyhead,baldandthin-skinned,carriedonhisgrotesquestretcher.Infrontandbehindcamehisbearers,andcurious,almosttrumpet-faced,newsdisseminatorsshriekedhisfame.
