Машина часу
Chapter 7
Ifeltassurednowofwhatitwas,andfromthebottomofmyheartIpitiedthislastfeeblerillfromthegreatfloodofhumanity. Clearly,atsometimeintheLong-AgoofhumandecaytheMorlocks’foodhadrunshort. Possiblytheyhadlivedonratsandsuch-likevermin. Evennowmanisfarlessdiscriminatingandexclusiveinhisfoodthanhewas—farlessthananymonkey. Hisprejudiceagainsthumanfleshisnodeep-seatedinstinct. Andsotheseinhumansonsofmen—— Itriedtolookatthethinginascientificspirit. Afterall,theywerelesshumanandmoreremotethanourcannibalancestorsofthreeorfourthousandyearsago. Andtheintelligencethatwouldhavemadethisstateofthingsatormenthadgone. WhyshouldItroublemyself? TheseEloiweremerefattedcattle,whichtheant-likeMorlockspreservedandpreyedupon—probablysawtothebreedingof. AndtherewasWeenadancingatmyside!
‘ThenItriedtopreservemyselffromthehorrorthatwascominguponme,byregardingitasarigorouspunishmentofhumanselfishness. Manhadbeencontenttoliveineaseanddelightuponthelaboursofhisfellow-man,hadtakenNecessityashiswatchwordandexcuse,andinthefullnessoftimeNecessityhadcomehometohim. IeventriedaCarlyle-likescornofthiswretchedaristocracyindecay. Butthisattitudeofmindwasimpossible. Howevergreattheirintellectualdegradation,theEloihadkepttoomuchofthehumanformnottoclaimmysympathy,andtomakemeperforceasharerintheirdegradationandtheirFear.
‘IhadatthattimeveryvagueideasastothecourseIshouldpursue. Myfirstwastosecuresomesafeplaceofrefuge,andtomakemyselfsucharmsofmetalorstoneasIcouldcontrive. Thatnecessitywasimmediate.
