Машина часу
Chapter 11
Atonetimeithadforalittlewhileglowedmorebrilliantlyagain,butitspeedilyrevertedtoitssullenredheat. Iperceivedbythisslowingdownofitsrisingandsettingthattheworkofthetidaldragwasdone. Theearthhadcometorestwithonefacetothesun,evenasinourowntimethemoonfacestheearth. Verycautiously,forIrememberedmyformerheadlongfall,Ibegantoreversemymotion. Slowerandslowerwentthecirclinghandsuntilthethousandsoneseemedmotionlessandthedailyonewasnolongerameremistuponitsscale. Stillslower,untilthedimoutlinesofadesolatebeachgrewvisible.
‘IstoppedverygentlyandsatupontheTimeMachine,lookinground. Theskywasnolongerblue. North-eastwarditwasinkyblack,andoutoftheblacknessshonebrightlyandsteadilythepalewhitestars. OverheaditwasadeepIndianredandstarless,andsouth-eastwarditgrewbrightertoaglowingscarletwhere,cutbythehorizon,laythehugehullofthesun,redandmotionless. Therocksaboutmewereofaharshreddishcolour,andallthetraceoflifethatIcouldseeatfirstwastheintenselygreenvegetationthatcoveredeveryprojectingpointontheirsouth-easternface. Itwasthesamerichgreenthatoneseesonforestmossoronthelichenincaves:plantswhichlikethesegrowinaperpetualtwilight.
‘Themachinewasstandingonaslopingbeach. Theseastretchedawaytothesouth-west,toriseintoasharpbrighthorizonagainstthewansky. Therewerenobreakersandnowaves,fornotabreathofwindwasstirring. Onlyaslightoilyswellroseandfelllikeagentlebreathing,andshowedthattheeternalseawasstillmovingandliving. Andalongthemarginwherethewatersometimesbrokewasathickincrustationofsalt—pinkundertheluridsky.
