Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 25 — The Grand Lunar
For,saveintheirwaters,therearenocreaturesinthemoonnotabsolutelydomesticandsubjecttohiswill,andsoithasbeenforimmemorialyears.Theyhavemonstrouswatercreatures,butnoevilbeasts,andtheideaofanythingstrongandlargeexisting‘outside’inthenightisverydifficultforthem....”
[Therecordisheretoobrokentotranscribeforthespaceofperhapstwentywordsormore.]
“Hetalkedwithhisattendants,asIsuppose,uponthestrangesuperficialityandunreasonablenessof(man)wholivesonthemeresurfaceofaworld,acreatureofwavesandwinds,andallthechancesofspace,whocannotevenunitetoovercomethebeaststhatpreyuponhiskind,andyetwhodarestoinvadeanotherplanet.DuringthisasideIsatthinking,andthenathisdesireItoldhimofthedifferentsortsofmen.Hesearchedmewithquestions.‘Andforallsortsofworkyouhavethesamesortofmen.Butwhothinks?Whogoverns?’
“Igavehimanoutlineofthedemocraticmethod.
“WhenIhaddoneheorderedcoolingspraysuponhisbrow,andthenrequestedmetorepeatmyexplanationconceivingsomethinghadmiscarried.
“‘Dotheynotdodifferentthings,then?’saidPhi-oo.
“Some,Iadmitted,werethinkersandsomeofficials;somehunted,someweremechanics,someartists,sometoilers.‘Butallrule,’Isaid.
“‘Andhavetheynotdifferentshapestofitthemtotheirdifferentduties?’
“‘Nonethatyoucansee,’Isaid,‘exceptperhaps,forclothes.Theirmindsperhapsdifferalittle,’Ireflected.
