The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells
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irresistible that_it_was these creatures which owned the great quasi- human buildings and_the magnificent garden that made the broad valley so splendid . and Mr cave perceived that_the buildings, with other peculiarities, had no doors, but that_the great circular windows, which opened freely, gave the creatures egress and entrance . they_would alight upon their tentacles, fold their wings to a smallness almost rod- like, and hop into_the interior . but among them was a multitude of smaller- winged creatures, like great dragon-flies and moths and flying beetles, and across the greensward brilliantly-coloured gigantic ground-beetles crawled lazily to and fro . moreover, on_the causeways and terraces, large- headed creatures similar to_the greater winged flies, but wingless, were visible, hopping busily upon their hand- like tangle of tentacles .

allusion has already been made to_the glittering objects upon masts that stood upon_the terrace of_the nearer building . it dawned upon Mr cave, after regarding one_of_these masts very fixedly on one particularly vivid day that_the glittering object there_was a crystal exactly like that into which he peered . and a still more careful scrutiny convinced him that each_one in a vista of nearly twenty carried a similar object .

occasionally one_of_the large flying creatures would flutter up_to one, and folding its wings and coiling a number of_its tentacles about_the mast, would regard the crystal fixedly for a space,--sometimes for as long as fifteen minutes . and a series of observations, made at_the suggestion of Mr Wace, convinced both watchers that, so_far as_this visionary world was concerned, the crystal into which they peered actually stood at_the summit of_the end- most mast on_the terrace, and_that on one occasion at_least one_of_these inhabitants of_this other world had looked into Mr cave's face while he_was making these observations .

so_much for_the essential facts of_this very singular story . unless we dismiss it all as_the ingenious fabrication of Mr Wace, we_have to_believe one of two things: either that Mr cave's crystal was in two worlds at once, and_that while it_was carried about in one, it remained stationary in_the other, which seems altogether absurd; or else that_it had some peculiar relation of sympathy with another and exactly similar crystal in_this other world, so_that what_was seen in_the interior of_the one in_this world was, under suitable conditions, visible to an observer in_the corresponding crystal in_the other world; and vice versa . at present, indeed, we_do_not know of any_way in_which two crystals could so come en rapport_, but nowadays we_know enough to understand that_the thing is_not altogether impossible . this view of_the crystals as en rapport was_the supposition that occurred to Mr Wace, and to_me at_least it seems extremely plausible .. .

and where was_this other world ? on_this, also, the alert intelligence of Mr Wace speedily threw light . after sunset, the sky darkened rapidly-- there_was a very brief twilight interval indeed-- and_the stars shone out . they were recognisably the same as_those we see, arranged in_the same constellations .Mr cave recognised the bear, the Pleiades, Aldebaran, and Sirius; so that_the other world must_be somewhere in_the solar system, and, at_the utmost, only a few hundreds of millions of miles from_our own .Following up this clue, Mr Wace learned that_the midnight sky was a darker blue even than our midwinter sky, and_that the sun seemed a little smaller . and there were two small moons ! " like our moon but smaller, and quite differently marked," one of_which moved so rapidly that its motion was clearly visible as one regarded it . these moons were never high in_the sky, but vanished as_they rose: that_is, every time they revolved they were eclipsed because they were so near their primary planet . and all this answers quite completely, although Mr cave did_not know it, to what must_be the condition of things on Mars .

indeed, it seems an exceedingly plausible conclusion that peering into_this crystal Mr cave did actually see the planet Mars and its inhabitants . and if_that be the case, then the evening star that shone so brilliantly in_the sky of_that distant vision was neither more nor less_than our own familiar earth .

for a time the Martians-- if_they were Martians-- do_not seem to_have known of Mr cave's inspection . once_or_twice one would come to peer, and go away very shortly to some other mast, as_though the vision was unsatisfactory . during this_time Mr cave was able to watch the proceedings of_these winged people without being disturbed by their attentions, and although his report is necessarily vague and fragmentary, it_is nevertheless very suggestive . imagine the impression of humanity a Martian observer would get who, after a difficult process of preparation and with considerable fatigue to_the eyes, was able to peer at London from_the steeple of St . Martin's church for stretches, at longest, of four minutes at_a_time .Mr cave was unable to ascertain if_the winged Martians were the same as_the Martians who hopped about_the causeways and terraces, and if_the latter could put on wings at will . he several_times saw certain clumsy bipeds, dimly suggestive of apes, white and partially translucent, feeding among certain of_the lichenous trees, and once some_of_these fled before one_of_the hopping, round- headed Martians . the latter caught one in its tentacles, and then the picture faded suddenly and left Mr cave most tantalisingly in_the dark . on another occasion a vast thing, that Mr cave thought at first was some gigantic insect, appeared advancing along the causeway beside the canal with extraordinary rapidity . as_this drew nearer Mr cave perceived that_it_was a mechanism of shining metals and of extraordinary complexity . and then, when he looked again, it had passed out of sight .

after a time Mr Wace aspired to attract the attention of_the Martians, and_the next_time that_the strange eyes of one_of_them appeared close to_the crystal Mr cave cried out and sprang away, and_they immediately turned on_the light and began to gesticulate in a manner suggestive of signalling . but when at last Mr cave examined the crystal again the Martian had departed .

thus far these observations had progressed in early November, and then Mr cave, feeling that_the suspicions of_his family about_the crystal were allayed, began to_take it to and fro with_him in_order_that, as occasion arose in_the daytime or night, he might comfort himself with what_was fast becoming the most real thing in_his existence .

in December Mr Wace's work in connection with a forthcoming examination became heavy, the sittings were reluctantly suspended for a week, and for ten or eleven days-- he_is_not quite_sure which-- he_saw nothing of cave . he then grew anxious to resume these investigations, and, the stress of_his seasonal labours being abated, he went down to Seven Dials . at_the corner he noticed a shutter before a bird fancier's window, and then another at acobbler's .Mr cave's shop was closed .

he rapped and_the door was opened by_the step- son in black . he at once called Mrs cave, who was, Mr Wace could_not but observe, in cheap but ample widow's weeds of_the most imposing pattern . without any very great surprise Mr Wace learnt that cave was dead and already buried . she was in tears, and her voice was a little thick . she had just returned from Highgate . her mind seemed occupied with her own prospects and_the honourable details of_the obsequies, but Mr Wace was at last able to learn the particulars of cave's death . he had_been found dead in_his shop in_the early morning, the day after his last visit to Mr Wace, and_the crystal had_been clasped in_his stone- cold hands . his face was smiling, said Mrs cave, and_the velvet cloth from_the minerals lay on_the floor at his feet . he_must_have been dead five or six hours when he_was found .

this came as a great shock to Wace, and he began to reproach himself bitterly for having neglected the plain symptoms of_the old man's ill- health . but his chief thought was of_the crystal . he approached that topic in a gingerly manner, because he_knew Mrs cave's peculiarities . he_was dumfounded to learn that_it_was sold .

Mrs cave's first impulse, directly cave's body had_been taken upstairs, had_been to write to_the mad clergyman who had offered five pounds for_the crystal, informing him of_its recovery; but after a violent hunt, in_which her daughter joined her, they were convinced of_the loss of_his address . as_they were without the means required to mourn and bury cave in_the elaborate style the dignity of an old Seven Dials inhabitant demands, they had appealed to a friendly fellow- tradesman in great Portland street . he had very kindly taken over a portion of_the stock at a valuation . the valuation was his own, and_the crystal egg was included in one_of_the lots .Mr Wace, after a few suitable condolences, a little off-handedly proffered perhaps, hurried at once to great Portland street . but there he learned that_the crystal egg had already been sold to a tall, dark man in grey . and there the material facts in_this curious, and to_me at_least very suggestive, story come abruptly to an end . the great Portland street dealer did_not know who the tall dark man in grey was, nor had he observed him with sufficient attention to describe him minutely . he_did_not even know which_way this person had gone after leaving the shop . for a time Mr Wace remained in_the shop, trying the dealer's patience with hopeless questions, venting his own exasperation . and at last, realising abruptly that_the whole thing had passed out of_his hands, had vanished like a vision of_the night, he returned to_his own rooms, a little astonished to_find the notes he had made still tangible and visible upon, his untidy table .

his annoyance and disappointment were naturally very great . he_made a second call ( equally ineffectual) upon_the great Portland street dealer, and he resorted to advertisements in_such periodicals as were lively to_come into_the hands of a bric-a-brac collector . he also wrote letters to_the daily chronicle and Nature_, but both those periodicals, suspecting a hoax, asked him to reconsider his action before_they printed, and he_was advised that such a strange story, unfortunately so bare of supporting evidence, might imperil his reputation as an investigator . moreover, the calls of_his proper work were urgent . so_that after a month or so, save for an occasional reminder to certain dealers, he had reluctantly to abandon the quest for_the crystal egg, and from_that day to_this it remains undiscovered . occasionally, however, he tells me, and I_can quite believe him, he has bursts of zeal, in_which he abandons his more urgent occupation and resumes the search .

whether or not it_will remain lost for ever, with_the material and origin of it, are things equally speculative at_the present time . if_the present purchaser is a collector, one would_have expected the enquiries of Mr Wace to_have reached him through_the dealers . he has_been_able to discover Mr cave's clergyman and " oriental"-- no other_than the Rev .James Parker and_the young prince of Bosso-Kuni in Java . I_am obliged to_them for certain particulars . the object of_the prince was simply curiosity-- and extravagance . he_was so eager to_buy because cave was so oddly reluctant to_sell . it_is just as possible that_the buyer in_the second instance was simply a casual purchaser and not a collector at all, and_the crystal egg, for all I_know, may at_the present moment be within a mile of me, decorating adrawing- room or serving as a paper- weight-- its remarkable functions all unknown . indeed, it_is partly with_the idea of_such a possibility that I_have thrown this narrative into a form that_will give it a chance of being read by_the ordinary consumer of fiction .

my own ideas in_the matter are practically identical with those of Mr Wace .I believe the crystal on_the mast in Mars and_the crystal egg of Mr cave's to_be in some physical, but at present quite inexplicable, way _en rapport_, and we both believe further that_the terrestrial crystal must_have been-- possibly at some remote date--sent hither from_that planet, in_order to_give the Martians a near view of_our affairs . possibly the fellows to_the crystals on_the other masts are also on_our globe . no theory of hallucination suffices for_the facts .

Section [1 | 2 | 3]