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Chapter 24 — The Natural History of the Selenites
“Ihavealreadymentionedtheretinuesthataccompanymostoftheintellectuals:ushers,bearers,valets,extraneoustentaclesandmuscles,asitwere,toreplacetheabortivephysicalpowersofthesehypertrophiedminds.Portersalmostinvariablyaccompanythem.Therearealsoextremelyswiftmessengerswithspider-likelegsand‘hands’forgraspingparachutes,andattendantswithvocalorgansthatcouldwellnighwakethedead.Apartfromtheircontrollingintelligencethesesubordinatesareasinertandhelplessasumbrellasinastand.Theyexistonlyinrelationtotheorderstheyhavetoobey,thedutiestheyhavetoperform.
“Thebulkoftheseinsects,however,whogotoandfrouponthespiralways,whofilltheascendingballoonsanddroppastmeclingingtoflimsyparachutesare,Igather,oftheoperativeclass.‘Machinehands,’indeed,someoftheseareinactualnature—itisnofigureofspeech,thesingletentacleofthemooncalfherdisprofoundlymodifiedforclawing,lifting,guiding,therestofthemnomorethannecessarysubordinateappendagestotheseimportantparts.Some,whoIsupposedealwithbell-strikingmechanisms,haveenormouslydevelopedauditoryorgans;somewhoseworkliesindelicatechemicaloperationsprojectavastolfactoryorgan;othersagainhaveflatfeetfortreadleswithanchylosedjoints;andothers—whoIhavebeentoldareglassblowers—seemmerelung-bellows.ButeveryoneofthesecommonSelenitesIhaveseenatworkisexquisitelyadaptedtothesocialneeditmeets.Fineworkisdonebyfined-downworkers,amazinglydwarfedandneat.
