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Chapter 12 — The Selenite’s Face
Thenmymemoriescamebacktome:thesnowydesolation,thethawingoftheair,thegrowthoftheplants,ourstrangehoppingandcrawlingamongtherocksandvegetationofthecrater.Allthedistressofourfranticsearchforthespherereturnedtome....Finallytheopeningofthegreatlidthatcoveredthepit!
ThenasIstrainedtotraceourlatermovementsdowntoourpresentplight,thepaininmyheadbecameintolerable.Icametoaninsurmountablebarrier,anobstinateblank.
“Cavor!”
“Yes?”
“Wherearewe?”
“HowshouldIknow?”
“Arewedead?”
“Whatnonsense!”
“They’vegotus,then!”
Hemadenoanswerbutagrunt.Thelingeringtracesofthepoisonseemedtomakehimoddlyirritable.
“Whatdoyoumeantodo?”
“HowshouldIknowwhattodo?”
“Oh,verywell!”saidI,andbecamesilent.Presently,Iwasrousedfromastupor.“OLord!”Icried;“Iwishyou’dstopthatbuzzing!”
Welapsedintosilenceagain,listeningtothedullconfusionofnoiseslikethemuffledsoundsofastreetorfactorythatfilledourears.Icouldmakenothingofit,mymindpursuedfirstonerhythmandthenanother,andquestioneditinvain.ButafteralongtimeIbecameawareofanewandsharperelement,notminglingwiththerestbutstandingout,asitwere,againstthatcloudybackgroundofsound.Itwasaseriesofrelativelyverylittledefinitesounds,tappingsandrubbings,likealoosesprayofivyagainstawindoworabirdmovingaboutuponabox.Welistenedandpeeredaboutus,butthedarknesswasavelvetpall.
