Chapter 11

           Ihavealreadytoldyouofthesicknessandconfusionthatcomeswithtimetravelling. AndthistimeIwasnotseatedproperlyinthesaddle,butsidewaysandinanunstablefashion. ForanindefinitetimeIclungtothemachineasitswayedandvibrated,quiteunheedinghowIwent,andwhenIbroughtmyselftolookatthedialsagainIwasamazedtofindwhereIhadarrived. Onedialrecordsdays,andanotherthousandsofdays,anothermillionsofdays,andanotherthousandsofmillions. Now,insteadofreversingthelevers,Ihadpulledthemoversoastogoforwardwiththem,andwhenIcametolookattheseindicatorsIfoundthatthethousandshandwassweepingroundasfastasthesecondshandofawatch—intofuturity. 

           ‘AsIdroveon,apeculiarchangecreptovertheappearanceofthings. Thepalpitatinggreynessgrewdarker; then—thoughIwasstilltravellingwithprodigiousvelocity—theblinkingsuccessionofdayandnight,whichwasusuallyindicativeofaslowerpace,returned,andgrewmoreandmoremarked. Thispuzzledmeverymuchatfirst. Thealternationsofnightanddaygrewslowerandslower,andsodidthepassageofthesunacrossthesky,untiltheyseemedtostretchthroughcenturies. Atlastasteadytwilightbroodedovertheearth,atwilightonlybrokennowandthenwhenacometglaredacrossthedarklingsky. Thebandoflightthathadindicatedthesunhadlongsincedisappeared; forthesunhadceasedtoset—itsimplyroseandfellinthewest,andgreweverbroaderandmorered. Alltraceofthemoonhadvanished. Thecirclingofthestars,growingslowerandslower,hadgivenplacetocreepingpointsoflight. Atlast,sometimebeforeIstopped,thesun,redandverylarge,haltedmotionlessuponthehorizon,avastdomeglowingwithadullheat,andnowandthensufferingamomentaryextinction.