Отруєний пояс
Chapter VI. The Great Awakening
Itis,asyouareprobablyaware,onlyafullerandmoredetailedversionoftheaccountwhichappearedintheMondayeditionoftheDailyGazette—anaccountwhichhasbeenuniversallyadmittedtobethegreatestjournalisticscoopofalltime,whichsoldnofewerthanthree-and-a-halfmillioncopiesofthepaper.FrameduponthewallofmysanctumIretainthosemagnificentheadlines:—
TWENTY-EIGHTHOURS’WORLDCOMA
UNPRECEDENTEDEXPERIENCE
CHALLENGERJUSTIFIED
OURCORRESPONDENTESCAPES
ENTHRALLINGNARRATIVE
THEOXYGENROOM
WEIRDMOTORDRIVE
DEADLONDON
REPLACINGTHEMISSINGPAGE
GREATFIRESANDLOSSOFLIFE
WILLITRECUR?
Underneaththisgloriousscrollcamenineandahalfcolumnsofnarrative,inwhichappearedthefirst,last,andonlyaccountofthehistoryoftheplanet,sofarasoneobservercoulddrawit,duringonelongdayofitsexistence.ChallengerandSummerleehavetreatedthematterinajointscientificpaper,buttomealonewasleftthepopularaccount.SurelyIcansing"Nuncdimittis."Whatisleftbutanti-climaxinthelifeofajournalistafterthat!
Butletmenotendonsensationalheadlinesandamerelypersonaltriumph.Ratherletmequotethesonorouspassagesinwhichthegreatestofdailypapersendeditsadmirableleaderuponthesubject—aleaderwhichmightwellbefiledforreferencebyeverythoughtfulman.
"Ithasbeenawell-worntruism,"saidtheTimes,"thatourhumanraceareafeeblefolkbeforetheinfinitelatentforceswhichsurroundus.Fromtheprophetsofoldandfromthephilosophersofourowntimethesamemessageandwarninghavereachedus
