Машина часу
Chapter 5
Asthesecatastrophesoccur,thesunwillblazewithrenewedenergy; anditmaybethatsomeinnerplanethadsufferedthisfate. Whateverthereason,thefactremainsthatthesunwasverymuchhotterthanweknowit.
‘Well,oneveryhotmorning—myfourth,Ithink—asIwasseekingshelterfromtheheatandglareinacolossalruinnearthegreathousewhereIsleptandfed,therehappenedthisstrangething: Clamberingamongtheseheapsofmasonry,Ifoundanarrowgallery,whoseendandsidewindowswereblockedbyfallenmassesofstone. Bycontrastwiththebrilliancyoutside,itseemedatfirstimpenetrablydarktome. Ientereditgroping,forthechangefromlighttoblacknessmadespotsofcolourswimbeforeme. SuddenlyIhaltedspellbound. Apairofeyes,luminousbyreflectionagainstthedaylightwithout,waswatchingmeoutofthedarkness.
‘Theoldinstinctivedreadofwildbeastscameuponme. Iclenchedmyhandsandsteadfastlylookedintotheglaringeyeballs. Iwasafraidtoturn. Thenthethoughtoftheabsolutesecurityinwhichhumanityappearedtobelivingcametomymind. AndthenIrememberedthatstrangeterrorofthedark. Overcomingmyfeartosomeextent,Iadvancedastepandspoke. Iwilladmitthatmyvoicewasharshandill-controlled. Iputoutmyhandandtouchedsomethingsoft. Atoncetheeyesdartedsideways,andsomethingwhiteranpastme. Iturnedwithmyheartinmymouth,andsawaqueerlittleape-likefigure,itsheadhelddowninapeculiarmanner,runningacrossthesunlitspacebehindme. Itblunderedagainstablockofgranite,staggeredaside,andinamomentwashiddeninablackshadowbeneathanotherpileofruinedmasonry.
‘Myimpressionofitis,ofcourse,imperfect; butIknowitwasadullwhite,andhadstrangelargegreyish-redeyes; alsothattherewasflaxenhaironitsheadanddownitsback.
