Машина часу
Chapter 5
Mybreathcamewithpain. IsupposeIcoveredthewholedistancefromthehillcresttothelittlelawn,twomilesperhaps,intenminutes. AndIamnotayoungman. Icursedaloud,asIran,atmyconfidentfollyinleavingthemachine,wastinggoodbreaththereby. Icriedaloud,andnoneanswered. Notacreatureseemedtobestirringinthatmoonlitworld.
‘WhenIreachedthelawnmyworstfearswererealized. Notatraceofthethingwastobeseen. IfeltfaintandcoldwhenIfacedtheemptyspaceamongtheblacktangleofbushes. Iranrounditfuriously,asifthethingmightbehiddeninacorner,andthenstoppedabruptly,withmyhandsclutchingmyhair. Abovemetoweredthesphinx,uponthebronzepedestal,white,shining,leprous,inthelightoftherisingmoon. Itseemedtosmileinmockeryofmydismay.
‘Imighthaveconsoledmyselfbyimaginingthelittlepeoplehadputthemechanisminsomeshelterforme,hadInotfeltassuredoftheirphysicalandintellectualinadequacy. Thatiswhatdismayedme: thesenseofsomehithertounsuspectedpower,throughwhoseinterventionmyinventionhadvanished. Yet,foronethingIfeltassured: unlesssomeotheragehadproduceditsexactduplicate,themachinecouldnothavemovedintime. Theattachmentofthelevers—Iwillshowyouthemethodlater—preventedanyonefromtamperingwithitinthatwaywhentheywereremoved. Ithadmoved,andwashid,onlyinspace. Butthen,wherecoulditbe?
‘IthinkImusthavehadakindoffrenzy. Irememberrunningviolentlyinandoutamongthemoonlitbushesallroundthesphinx,andstartlingsomewhiteanimalthat,inthedimlight,Itookforasmalldeer. Iremember,too,latethatnight,beatingthebusheswithmyclenchedfistuntilmyknucklesweregashedandbleedingfromthebrokentwigs.
