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. TheattachmentoftheleversIwillshowyouthemethodlaterpreventedanyonefromtamperingwithitinthatwaywhentheywereremoved. Ithadmoved,andwashid,onlyinspace. Butthen,wherecoulditbe? 

           ‘IthinkImusthavehadakindoffrenzy. Irememberrunningviolentlyinandoutamongthemoonlitbushesallroundthesphinx,andstartlingsomewhiteanimalthat,inthedimlight,Itookforasmalldeer. Iremember,too,latethatnight,beatingthebusheswithmyclenchedfistuntilmyknucklesweregashedandbleedingfromthebrokentwigs. 

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