Машина часу
Chapter 8
‘SuddenlyWeenacameveryclosetomyside. Sosuddenlythatshestartledme. HaditnotbeenforherIdonotthinkIshouldhavenoticedthatthefloorofthegalleryslopedatall. TheendIhadcomeinatwasquiteaboveground,andwaslitbyrareslit-likewindows. Asyouwentdownthelength,thegroundcameupagainstthesewindows,untilatlasttherewasapitlikethe"area"ofaLondonhousebeforeeach,andonlyanarrowlineofdaylightatthetop. Iwentslowlyalong,puzzlingaboutthemachines,andhadbeentoointentuponthemtonoticethegradualdiminutionofthelight,untilWeena’sincreasingapprehensionsdrewmyattention. ThenIsawthatthegalleryrandownatlastintoathickdarkness. Ihesitated,andthen,asIlookedroundme,Isawthatthedustwaslessabundantanditssurfacelesseven. Furtherawaytowardsthedimness,itappearedtobebrokenbyanumberofsmallnarrowfootprints. MysenseoftheimmediatepresenceoftheMorlocksrevivedatthat. IfeltthatIwaswastingmytimeintheacademicexaminationofmachinery. Icalledtomindthatitwasalreadyfaradvancedintheafternoon,andthatIhadstillnoweapon,norefuge,andnomeansofmakingafire. AndthendownintheremoteblacknessofthegalleryIheardapeculiarpattering,andthesameoddnoisesIhadhearddownthewell.
‘ItookWeena’shand. Then,struckwithasuddenidea,Ileftherandturnedtoamachinefromwhichprojectedalevernotunlikethoseinasignal-box. Clamberinguponthestand,andgraspingthisleverinmyhands,Iputallmyweightuponitsideways. SuddenlyWeena,desertedinthecentralaisle,begantowhimper. Ihadjudgedthestrengthoftheleverprettycorrectly,foritsnappedafteraminute’sstrain,andIrejoinedherwithamaceinmyhandmorethansufficient,Ijudged,foranyMorlockskullImightencounter.
