Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 2 — The First Making of Cavorite
Cavor’ssocietyIhadnotforeseen.Theabsentmindednessthathadjustescapeddepopulatingtheterrestrialglobe,mightatanymomentresultinsomeothergraveinconvenience.OntheotherhandIwasyoung,myaffairswereinamess,andIwasinjustthemoodforrecklessadventure—withachanceofsomethinggoodattheendofit.IhadquitesettledinmymindthatIwastohavehalfatleastinthataspectoftheaffair.FortunatelyIheldmybungalow,asIhavealreadyexplained,onathree-yearagreement,withoutbeingresponsibleforrepairs;andmyfurniture,suchastherewasofit,hadbeenhastilypurchased,wasunpaidfor,insured,andaltogetherdevoidofassociations.IntheendIdecidedtokeeponwithhim,andseethebusinessthrough.
Certainlytheaspectofthingshadchangedverygreatly.Inolongerdoubtedatalltheenormouspossibilitiesofthesubstance,butIbegantohavedoubtsaboutthegun-carriageandthepatentboots.Wesettoworkatoncetoreconstructhislaboratoryandproceedwithourexperiments.Cavortalkedmoreonmylevelthanhehadeverdonebefore,whenitcametothequestionofhowweshouldmakethestuffnext.
“Ofcoursewemustmakeitagain,”hesaid,withasortofgleeIhadnotexpectedinhim,“ofcoursewemustmakeitagain.WehavecaughtaTartar,perhaps,butwehaveleftthetheoreticalbehindusforgoodandall.Ifwecanpossiblyavoidwreckingthislittleplanetofours,wewill.But—theremustberisks!Theremustbe.Inexperimentalworktherealwaysare.Andhere,asapracticalman,youmustcomein
