The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
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wanderings that had preceded my capture .

" upon_the condition of_the less central portion of_the moon I_have_not_yet arrived at very precise knowledge . there_is an enormous system of caverns in_which_the mooncalves shelter during the night; and there_are abattoirs and_the like - in one_of_these it was_that I and Bedford fought with_the selenite butchers - and I_have since seen balloons laden with meat descending out_of_the upper dark . I_have as_yet scarcely learnt as_much of_these things as a Zulu in London would learn about_the British corn supplies in_the same time . it_is clear, however, that_these vertical shafts and_the vegetation of_the surface must play an essential role in ventilating and keeping fresh the atmosphere of_the moon . at one_time, and particularly on my first emergence from my prison, there_was certainly a cold wind blowing down the shaft, and later there_was a kind of sirocco upward that corresponded with my fever . for at_the end of about three weeks I fell ill of an indefinable sort of fever, and in_spite of sleep and_the quinine tabloids that very fortunately I had brought in my pocket, I remained ill and fretting miserably, almost to_the time when i_was taken into_the presence of_the grand lunar, who_is master of_the moon .

" i_will_not dilate on_the wretchedness of_my condition," he remarks, " during those days of ill- health ." and he goes on with great amplitude with details I omit here ." my temperature," he concludes, " kept abnormally high for_a_long_time, and I lost all desire for food .I had stagnant waking intervals, and sleep tormented by dreams, and at one phase i_was, I remember, so weak as to_be earth- sick and almost hysterical .I longed almost intolerably for colour to break the everlasting blue .. ."

he reverts again presently to_the topic of_this sponge caught lunar atmosphere . I_am told by astronomers and physicists that all he tells is in absolute accordance with what_was already known of_the moon's condition . had earthly astronomers had the courage and imagination to push home a bold induction, says Mr Wendigee, they_might have foretold almost everything that Cavor has_to say of_the general structure of_the moon . they know now pretty certainly that moon and earth are_not so_much satellite and primary as smaller and greater sisters, made out of one mass, and consequently made of_the same material . and since_the density of_the moon is only three-fifths that of_the earth, there can_be nothing for_it but that she_is hollowed out by a great system of caverns . there_was no necessity, said sir Jabez flap, F .R .S ., that most entertaining exponent of_the facetious side of_the stars, that we_should ever have_gone to_the moon to_find out such easy inferences, and points the pun with an allusion to Gruyere, but he certainly might_have announced his knowledge of_the hollowness of_the moon before . and if_the moon is hollow, then the apparent absence of air and water is, of_course, quite easily explained . the sea lies within at_the bottom of_the caverns, and_the air travels through_the great sponge of galleries, in accordance with simple physical laws . the caverns of_the moon, on_the whole, are very windy places . as_the sunlight comes round the moon the air in_the outer galleries on_that side is heated, its pressure increases, some flows out on_the exterior and mingles with_the evaporating air of_the craters ( where the plants remove its carbonic acid), while the greater portion flows round through_the galleries to replace the shrinking air of_the cooling side that_the sunlight has left . there_is, therefore, a constant eastward breeze in_the air of_the outer galleries, and an upflow during the lunar day up the shafts, complicated, of_course, very greatly by_the varying shape of_the galleries, and_the ingenious contrivances of_the selenite mind .. ..

chapter 24

the natural history of_the Selenites

the messages of Cavor from_the sixth up_to_the sixteenth are for_the most part so_much broken, and_they abound so in repetitions, that_they scarcely form a consecutive narrative . they_will_be given in full, of_course, in_the scientific report, but here it_will_be far more convenient to_continue simply to abstract and quote as in_the former chapter . we_have subjected every word to a keen critical scrutiny, and my own brief memories and impressions of lunar things have_been of inestimable help in interpreting what would otherwise have_been impenetrably dark . and, naturally, as living beings, our interest centres far more upon_the strange community of lunar insects in_which he_was living, it would seem, as an honoured guest than upon_the mere physical condition of_their world .

I_have already made it clear, i_think, that_the Selenites I_saw resembled man in maintaining the erect attitude, and in having four limbs, and I_have compared the general appearance of_their heads and_the jointing of_their limbs to_that of insects . I_have mentioned, too, the peculiar consequence of_the smaller gravitation of_the moon on their fragile slightness .Cavor confirms me upon all these points . he calls them "animals," though of_course they fall under no division of_the classification of earthly creatures, and he points out " the insect type of anatomy had, fortunately for men, never exceeded a relatively very_small size on earth ." the largest terrestrial insects, living or extinct, do_not, as a matter of fact, measure 6 in . in length; " but here, against the lesser gravitation of_the moon, a creature certainly as_much an insect as vertebrate seems to have_been_able to attain to human and ultra- human dimensions ."

he_does_not mention the ant, but throughout his allusions the ant is continually being brought before my mind, in its sleepless activity, in its intelligence and social organisation, in its structure, and more particularly in_the fact that_it displays, in_addition_to_the two forms, the male and_the female form, that almost all other animals possess, a number of other sexless creatures, workers, soldiers, and_the like, differing from one another in structure, character, power, and use, and yet all members of_the same species . for_these Selenites, also, have a great variety of forms . of_course, they_are_not only colossally greater in size than ants, but also, in Cavor's opinion at_least, in intelligence, morality, and social wisdom are they colossally greater than men . and instead of_the four or five different forms of ant that_are found, there_are almost innumerably different forms of selenite .I had endeavoured to indicate the very considerable difference observable in_such Selenites of_the outer crust as I happened to encounter; the differences in size and proportions were certainly as wide as_the differences between_the most widely separated races of men . but such differences as I_saw fade absolutely to nothing in comparison with_the huge distinctions of_which Cavor tells . it would seem the exterior Selenites I_saw were, indeed, mostly engaged in kindred occupations - mooncalf herds, butchers, fleshers, and_the like . but within_the moon, practically unsuspected by me, there_are, it seems, a number of other sorts of selenite, differing in size, differing in_the relative size of part to part, differing in power and appearance, and yet not different species of creatures, but only different forms of one species, and retaining through all their variations a certain common likeness that marks their specific unity . the moon is, indeed, a sort of vast ant- hill, only, instead of there being only four or five sorts of ant, there_are many hundred different sorts of selenite, and almost every gradation between one sort and another .

it would seem the discovery came upon Cavor very speedily .I infer rather than learn from_his narrative that he_was captured by_the mooncalf herds under the direction of_these other Selenites who " have larger brain cases (heads ? ) and very_much shorter legs ." Finding he_would_not walk even under the goad, they carried him into darkness, crossed a narrow, plank- like bridge that_may have_been the identical bridge I had refused, and put him down in something that must_have seemed at first to_be some sort of lift . this_was the balloon - it had certainly been absolutely invisible to_us in_the darkness - and what had seemed to_me amere plank-walking into_the void was really, no_doubt, the passage of_the gangway . in_this he descended towards constantly more luminous caverns of_the moon . at first they descended in silence - save for_the twitterings of_the Selenites - and then into a stir of windy movement . in a little while the profound blackness had made his eyes so sensitive that he began to_see more and more of_the things about him, and at last the vague took shape .

" conceive an enormous cylindrical space," says Cavor, in_his seventh message, " a quarter of a mile across, perhaps; very dimly lit at first and then brighter, with big platforms twisting down its sides in a spiral that vanishes at last below in a blue profundity; and lit even more brightly - one could_not tell how or why . think of_the well of_the very largest spiral staircase or lift- shaft that you_have ever looked down, and magnify that by a hundred . imagine it at twilight seen through blue glass . imagine yourself looking down that; only imagine also that you feel extraordinarily light, and_have got rid of any giddy feeling you might_have on earth, and you_will_have the first conditions of_my impression . round this enormous shaft imagine a broad gallery running in a much steeper spiral than would_be credible on earth, and forming a steep road protected from_the gulf only by a little parapet that vanishes at last in perspective a couple of miles below .

" looking up, I_saw the very fellow of_the downward vision; it had, of_course, the effect of looking into a very steep cone .a wind was blowing down the shaft, and far above I fancy I heard, growing fainter and fainter, the bellowing of_the mooncalves that were being driven down again from their evening pasturage on_the exterior . and up and down the spiral galleries were scattered numerous moon people, pallid, faintly luminous beings, regarding our appearance or busied on unknown errands .

" either I fancied it or a flake of snow came drifting down on_the icy breeze . and then, falling like a snowflake, a little figure, a little man- insect, clinging to a parachute, drove down very swiftly towards the central places of_the moon .

" the big- headed selenite sitting beside me, seeing me move my head with_the gesture of one who saw, pointed with_his trunk- like ' hand' and indicated a sort of jetty coming into sight very far below: a little landing- stage, as it were, hanging into_the void . as it swept up towards us our pace diminished very rapidly, and in a few_moments, as it seemed, we were abreast of it, and at rest .amooring- rope was flung and grasped, and I_found myself pulled down to a level with a great crowd of Selenites, who jostled to_see me .

" it_was an incredible crowd . suddenly and violently there_was forced upon my attention the vast amount of difference there_is amongst these beings of_the moon .

" indeed, there seemed not two alike in all that jostling multitude . they differed in shape, they differed in size, they rang all the horrible changes on_the theme of selenite form ! some bulged and overhung, some ran about among_the feet of_their fellows . all of_them had a grotesque and disquieting suggestion of an insect that has somehow contrived to mock humanity; but all seemed to_present an incredible exaggeration of some particular feature: one had a vast right fore- limb, an enormous antennal arm, as it were; one seemed all leg, poised, as it were, on stilts; another protruded the edge of_his face mask into a nose- like organ that made him startlingly human until one saw his expressionless gaping mouth . the strange and ( except for_the want of mandibles and palps) most insect- like head of_the mooncalf-minders underwent, indeed, the most incredible transformations: here it_was broad and low, here high and narrow; here its leathery brow was drawn out into horns and strange features; here it_was whiskered and divided, and there with a grotesquely human profile . one distortion was particularly conspicuous . there were several brain cases distended like bladders to a huge size, with_the face mask reduced to quite small proportions . there were several amazing forms, with heads reduced to microscopic proportions and blobby bodies; and fantastic, flimsy things that existed, it would seem, only as a basis for vast, trumpet- like protrusions of_the lower part of_the mask . and oddest of all, as it seemed to_me for_the moment, two_or_three of_these weird inhabitants of a subterranean world, a world sheltered by innumerable miles of rock from sun or rain, carried umbrellas in their tentaculate hands - real terrestrial looking umbrellas ! and then i_thought of_the parachutist I had watched descend .

" these moon people behaved exactly as a human crowd might_have done in similar circumstances: they jostled and thrust one another, they shoved one another aside, they even clambered upon one another to_get a glimpse of me . every moment they increased in numbers, and pressed more urgently upon_the discs of_my ushers" - Cavor does_not explain what he means by_this - " every moment fresh shapes emerged from_the shadows and forced themselves upon my astounded attention . and presently i_was signed and helped into a sort of litter, and lifted up on_the shoulders of strong- armed bearers, and so borne through_the twilight over this seething multitude towards the apartments that were provided for_me in_the moon . all about me were eyes, faces, masks, a leathery noise like the rustling of beetle wings, and a great bleating and cricket- like twittering of selenite voices .

we gather he_was taken to a" hexagonal apartment," and there for a space he_was confined .Afterwards he_was given a much more considerable liberty; indeed, almost as_much freedom as one has in acivilised town on earth . and it would appear that_the mysterious being who is_the ruler and master of_the moon appointed two Selenites " with large heads" to guard and study him, and to establish whatever mental communications were possible with_him . and, amazing and incredible as it may seem, these two creatures, these fantastic men insects, these beings of

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