Chapter 6 — The Landing on the Moon

           IrememberhowonedayCavorsuddenlyopenedsixofourshuttersandblindedmesothatIcriedaloudathim.Thewholeareawasmoon,astupendousscimitarofwhitedawnwithitsedgehackedoutbynotchesofdarkness,thecrescentshoreofanebbingtideofdarkness,outofwhichpeaksandpinnaclescameglitteringintotheblazeofthesun.ItakeitthereaderhasseenpicturesorphotographsofthemoonandthatIneednotdescribethebroaderfeaturesofthatlandscape,thosespaciousring-likerangesvasterthananyterrestrialmountains,theirsummitsshiningintheday,theirshadowsharshanddeep,thegreydisorderedplains,theridges,hills,andcraterlets,allpassingatlastfromablazingilluminationintoacommonmysteryofblack.Athwartthisworldwewereflyingscarcelyahundredmilesaboveitscrestsandpinnacles.Andnowwecouldsee,whatnoeyeonearthwilleversee,thatundertheblazeofthedaytheharshoutlinesoftherocksandravinesoftheplainsandcraterfloorgrewgreyandindistinctunderathickeninghaze,thatthewhiteoftheirlitsurfacesbrokeintolumpsandpatches,andbrokeagainandshrankandvanished,andthathereandtherestrangetintsofbrownandolivegrewandspread.

           Butlittletimewehadforwatchingthen.Fornowwehadcometotherealdangerofourjourney.Wehadtodropeverclosertothemoonaswespunaboutit,toslackenourpaceandwatchourchance,untilatlastwecoulddaretodropuponitssurface.

           ForCavorthatwasatimeofintenseexertion;formeitwasananxiousinactivity.Iseemedperpetuallytobegettingoutofhisway.