Chapter 7

           Now,indeed,Iseemedinaworsecasethanbefore. Hitherto,exceptduringmynight’sanguishatthelossoftheTimeMachine,Ihadfeltasustaininghopeofultimateescape,butthathopewasstaggeredbythesenewdiscoveries. HithertoIhadmerelythoughtmyselfimpededbythechildishsimplicityofthelittlepeople,andbysomeunknownforceswhichIhadonlytounderstandtoovercome; buttherewasanaltogethernewelementinthesickeningqualityoftheMorlocks—asomethinginhumanandmalign. InstinctivelyIloathedthem. Before,Ihadfeltasamanmightfeelwhohadfallenintoapit: myconcernwaswiththepitandhowtogetoutofit. NowIfeltlikeabeastinatrap,whoseenemywouldcomeuponhimsoon. 

           ‘TheenemyIdreadedmaysurpriseyou. Itwasthedarknessofthenewmoon. WeenahadputthisintomyheadbysomeatfirstincomprehensibleremarksabouttheDarkNights. ItwasnotnowsuchaverydifficultproblemtoguesswhatthecomingDarkNightsmightmean. Themoonwasonthewane:eachnighttherewasalongerintervalofdarkness. AndInowunderstoodtosomeslightdegreeatleastthereasonofthefearofthelittleUpper-worldpeopleforthedark. IwonderedvaguelywhatfoulvillainyitmightbethattheMorlocksdidunderthenewmoon. Ifeltprettysurenowthatmysecondhypothesiswasallwrong. TheUpper-worldpeoplemightoncehavebeenthefavouredaristocracy,andtheMorlockstheirmechanicalservants:butthathadlongsincepassedaway. Thetwospeciesthathadresultedfromtheevolutionofmanwereslidingdowntowards,orhadalreadyarrivedat,analtogethernewrelationship. TheEloi,liketheCarolingiankings,haddecayedtoamerebeautifulfutility. Theystillpossessedtheearthonsufferance:sincetheMorlocks,subterraneanforinnumerablegenerations,hadcomeatlasttofindthedaylitsurfaceintolerable.