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Chapter 10 — Lost Men in the Moon
Orwhetheritmightnotstillbegoingon.HadIindeedheardasound?
IfeltthepressureofCavor’shanduponmyarm.Hespokeinanundertone,asthoughhefearedtowakesomesleepingthing.“Letuskeeptogether,”hewhispered,“andlookforthesphere.Wemustgetbacktothesphere.Thisisbeyondourunderstanding.”
“Whichwayshallwego?”
Hehesitated.Anintensepersuasionofpresences,ofunseenthingsaboutusandnearus,dominatedourminds.Whatcouldtheybe?Wherecouldtheybe?Wasthisariddesolation,alternatelyfrozenandscorched,onlytheouterrindandmaskofsomesubterraneanworld?Andifso,whatsortofworld?Whatsortofinhabitantsmightitnotpresentlydisgorgeuponus?
Andthen,stabbingtheachingstillnessasvividandsuddenasanunexpectedthunderclap,cameaclangandrattleasthoughgreatgatesofmetalhadsuddenlybeenflungapart.
Itarrestedoursteps.Westoodgapinghelplessly.ThenCavorstoletowardsme.
“Idonotunderstand!”hewhisperedclosetomyface.Hewavedhishandvaguelyskyward,thevaguesuggestionofstillvaguerthoughts.
“Ahiding-place!Ifanythingcame...”
Ilookedaboutus.Inoddedmyheadinassenttohim.
Westartedoff,movingstealthilywiththemostexaggeratedprecautionsagainstnoise.Wewenttowardsathicketofscrub.Aclangourlikehammersflungaboutaboilerhastenedoursteps.“Wemustcrawl,”whisperedCavor.
