Машина часу
Chapter 11
Inamomentmyhandwasonthelever,andIhadplacedamonthbetweenmyselfandthesemonsters. ButIwasstillonthesamebeach,andIsawthemdistinctlynowassoonasIstopped. Dozensofthemseemedtobecrawlinghereandthere,inthesombrelight,amongthefoliatedsheetsofintensegreen.
‘Icannotconveythesenseofabominabledesolationthathungovertheworld. Theredeasternsky,thenorthwardblackness,thesaltDeadSea,thestonybeachcrawlingwiththesefoul,slow-stirringmonsters,theuniformpoisonous-lookinggreenofthelichenousplants,thethinairthathurtsone’slungs: allcontributedtoanappallingeffect. Imovedonahundredyears,andtherewasthesameredsun—alittlelarger,alittleduller—thesamedyingsea,thesamechillair,andthesamecrowdofearthycrustaceacreepinginandoutamongthegreenweedandtheredrocks. Andinthewestwardsky,Isawacurvedpalelinelikeavastnewmoon.
‘SoItravelled,stoppingeverandagain,ingreatstridesofathousandyearsormore,drawnonbythemysteryoftheearth’sfate,watchingwithastrangefascinationthesungrowlargeranddullerinthewestwardsky,andthelifeoftheoldearthebbaway. Atlast,morethanthirtymillionyearshence,thehugered-hotdomeofthesunhadcometoobscurenearlyatenthpartofthedarklingheavens. ThenIstoppedoncemore,forthecrawlingmultitudeofcrabshaddisappeared,andtheredbeach,saveforitslividgreenliverwortsandlichens,seemedlifeless. Andnowitwasfleckedwithwhite. Abittercoldassailedme. Rarewhiteflakeseverandagaincameeddyingdown. Tothenorth-eastward,theglareofsnowlayunderthestarlightofthesableskyandIcouldseeanundulatingcrestofhillockspinkishwhite. Therewerefringesoficealongtheseamargin,withdriftingmassesfurtherout; butthemainexpanseofthatsaltocean,allbloodyundertheeternalsunset,wasstillunfrozen.
