The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
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and little and indistinct in_this glow, a number of body-servants sustained and supported him, and overshadowed and standing in a huge semicircle beneath him were his intellectual subordinates, his remembrancers and computators and searchers and servants, and all the distinguished insects of_the court of_the moon . still lower stood ushers and messengers, and then all down the countless steps of_the throne were guards, and at_the base, enormous, various, indistinct, vanishing at last into an absolute black, a vast swaying multitude of_the minor dignitaries of_the moon . their feet made a perpetual scraping whisper on_the rocky floor, as their limbs moved with arustling murmur .

" as I entered the penultimate hall the music rose and expanded into an imperial magnificence of sound, and_the shrieks of_the news-bearers died away .. ..

"I entered the last and greatest hall .. ..

" my procession opened out like a fan . my ushers and guards went right and left, and_the three litters bearing myself and Phi-oo and Tsi- puff marched across a shiny darkness of floor to_the foot of_the giant stairs . then began a vast throbbing hum, that mingled with_the music . the two Selenites dismounted, but i_was bidden remain seated - I imagine as a special honour . the music ceased, but not that humming, arid by a simultaneous movement of ten thousand respectful heads my attention was directed to_the enhaloed supreme intelligence that hovered above me .

" at first as I peered into_the radiating glow this quintessential brain looked very_much like an opaque, featureless bladder with dim, undulating ghosts of convolutions writhing visibly within . then beneath its enormity and just above the edge of_the throne one saw with a start minute elfin eyes peering out_of_the glow . no face, but eyes, as if_they peered through holes . at first I could_see no more than these two staring little eyes, and then below I distinguished the little dwarfed body and its insect- jointed limbs shrivelled and white . the eyes stared down at me with a strange intensity, and_the lower part of_the swollen globe was wrinkled . ineffectual- looking little hand-tentacles steadied this shape on_the throne .. ..

" it_was great . it_was pitiful . one forgot the hall and_the crowd .

"I ascended the staircase by jerks . it seemed to_me that_this darkly glowing brain case above us spread over me, and took more and more of_the whole effect into itself as I drew nearer . the tiers of attendants and helpers grouped about their master seemed to dwindle and fade into_the night . I_saw that shadowy attendants were busy spraying that great brain with acooling spray, and patting and sustaining it . for_my own part, I sat gripping my swaying litter and staring at_the grand lunar, unable to_turn my gaze aside . and at last, as I reached a little landing that was separated only by ten steps or so from_the supreme seat, the woven splendour of_the music reached a climax and ceased, and i_was left naked, as it were, in_that vastness, beneath the still scrutiny of_the grand lunar's eyes .

" he_was scrutinising the first man he had ever seen .. ..

" my eyes dropped at last from_his greatness to_the ant figures in_the blue mist about him, and then down the steps to_the massed Selenites, still and expectant in their thousands, packed on_the floor below . once again an unreasonable horror reached out towards me .. .. and passed .

" after_the pause came the salutation . i_was assisted from my litter, and stood awkwardly while a number of curious and no_doubt deeply symbolical gestures were vicariously performed for_me by two slender officials . the encyclopaedic galaxy of_the learned that had accompanied me to_the entrance of_the last hall appeared two steps above me and left and right of me, in readiness for_the grand lunar's need, and Phi-oo's pale brain placed itself about half- way up_to_the throne in_such a position as_to communicate easily between_us without turning his back on either the grand lunar or myself .Tsi- puff took up position behind him . dexterous ushers sidled sideways towards me, keeping a full face to_the presence .I seated myself Turkish fashion, and Phi-oo and Tsi- puff also knelt down above me . there came a pause . the eyes of_the nearer court went from me to_the grand lunar and came back to_me, and ahissing and piping of expectation passed across the hidden multitudes below and ceased .

" that humming ceased .

" for_the first and last time in my experience the moon was silent .

"I became aware of a faint wheezy noise . the grand lunar was addressing me . it_was like the rubbing of a finger upon a pane of glass .

"I watched him attentively for a time, and then glanced at_the alert Phi-oo . I_felt amidst these slender beings ridiculously thick and fleshy and solid; my head all jaw and black hair . my eyes went back to_the grand lunar . he had ceased; his attendants were busy, and_his shining superfices was glistening and running with cooling spray .

"Phi-oo meditated through an interval . he consulted Tsi- puff . then he began piping his recognisable English - at first a little nervously, so_that he_was not very clear .

"'M'm - the grand lunar - wishes to_say - wishes to_say - he gathers you_are - m'm - men - that you_are a man from_the planet earth . he wishes to_say that he welcomes you - welcomes you - and wishes to learn - learn, if I_may use the word - the state of your world, and_the reason why you came to_this .'

" he paused . i_was about to reply when he resumed . he proceeded to remarks of_which the drift was not very clear, though I_am inclined to_think they were intended to_be complimentary . he_told me that_the earth was to_the moon what the sun is to_the earth, and_that the Selenites desired very greatly to learn about_the earth and men . he then told me no_doubt in compliment also, the relative magnitude and diameter of earth and moon, and_the perpetual wonder and speculation with_which the Selenites had regarded our planet .I meditated with downcast eyes, and decided to reply that men too had wondered what might lie in_the moon, and had judged it dead, little recking of_such magnificence as I had seen that day . the grand lunar, in token of recognition, caused his long blue rays to rotate in a very confusing manner, and all about_the great hall ran the pipings and whisperings and rustlings of_the report of what I had said . he then proceeded to_put to Phi-oo a number of inquiries which were easier to answer .

" he understood, he explained, that we lived on_the surface of_the earth, that_our air and sea were outside the globe; the latter part, indeed, he already knew from_his astronomical specialists . he_was very anxious to_have more detailed information of what he_called this extraordinary state of affairs, for from_the solidity of_the earth there had always been a disposition regard it as uninhabitable . he endeavoured first to ascertain the extremes of temperature to_which we earth beings were exposed, and he_was deeply interested by my descriptive treatment of clouds and rain . his imagination was assisted by_the fact that_the lunar atmosphere in_the outer galleries of_the night side is_not infrequently very foggy . he_seemed inclined to marvel that we_did_not find the sunlight too intense for_our eyes, and was interested in my attempt to explain that_the sky was tempered to abluish colour through_the refraction of_the air, though I_doubt if he clearly understood that .I explained how the iris of_the human eyes can contract the pupil and save the delicate internal structure from_the excess of sunlight, and was allowed to approach within a few feet of_the presence in_order_that this structure might_be seen . this led to a comparison of_the lunar and terrestrial eyes . the former is not_only excessively sensitive to such light as men can_see, but it can also see heat, and every difference in temperature within_the moon renders objects visible to_it .

" the iris was quite a new organ to_the grand lunar . for a time he amused himself by flashing his rays into my face and watching my pupils contract . as a consequence, i_was dazzled and blinded for some little time .. ..

" but in_spite of_that discomfort I_found something reassuring by insensible degrees in_the rationality of_this business of question and answer . I_could shut my eyes, think of_my answer, and almost forget that_the the grand lunar has no face .. ..

" when I had descended again to my proper place the grand lunar asked how we sheltered ourselves from heat and storms, and I expounded to him the arts of building and furnishing . here we wandered into misunderstandings and cross-purposes, due largely, I_must admit, to_the looseness of_my expressions . for_a_long_time I had great difficulty in making him understand the nature of a house . to him and_his attendant Selenites it seemed, no_doubt, the most whimsical thing in_the_world that men should build houses when they_might descend into excavations, and an additional complication was introduced by_the attempt I_made to explain that men had originally begun their homes in caves, and that_they were now taking their railways and many establishments beneath the surface . here i_think a desire for intellectual completeness betrayed me . there_was also a considerable tangle due to an equally unwise attempt on my part to explain about mines .Dismissing this topic at last in an incomplete state, the grand lunar inquired what we_did with_the interior of_our globe .

"A tide of twittering and piping swept into_the remotest corners of_that great assembly then it_was last made clear that we men know absolutely nothing of_the contents of_the world upon_which the immemorial generations of_our ancestors had_been evolved . three times had I to repeat that of all the 4000 miles of distance between_the earth and its centre men knew only to_the depth of a mile, and_that very vaguely .I understood the grand lunar to ask why had I come to_the moon seeing we had scarcely touched our own planet yet, but he_did_not trouble me at_that_time to_proceed to an explanation, being too anxious to pursue the details of_this mad inversion of all his ideas .

" he reverted to_the question of weather, and I tried to describe the perpetually changing sky, and snow, and frost and hurricanes .' but when_the night comes,' he ed, ' is_it not cold ? '

" i_told him it_was colder than by day ."' and does_not your atmosphere freeze ? '

" i_told him not; that_it_was never cold enough for_that, because our nights were so short .

"' not even liquefy ? '

" i_was about to_say ' no,' but then it occurred to_me that one part at_least of_our atmosphere, the water vapour of it, does sometimes liquefy and form dew, and sometimes freeze and form frost - a process perfectly analogous to_the freezing of all the external atmosphere of_the moon during its longer night . I_made myself clear on_this point, and from_that the grand lunar went on to_speak with me of sleep . for_the need of sleep that comes so regularly every twenty-four hours to all things is part also of_our earthly inheritance . on_the moon they rest only at rare intervals, and after exceptional exertions . then I tried to describe to him the soft splendours of a summer night, and from_that I passed to a description of_those animals that prowl by night and sleep by day . i_told him of lions and tigers, and here it seemed as_though we had come to a deadlock . for, save in their waters, there_are no creatures in_the moon not absolutely domestic and subject to_his will, and so it_has_been for immemorial years . they_have monstrous water creatures, but no evil beasts, and_the idea of anything strong and large existing ' outside' in_the night is very difficult for_them .. ..

the record is here too broken to transcribe for_the space of perhaps twenty words or more .

" he talked with_his attendants, as I suppose, upon_the strange superficiality and unreasonableness of ( man) who lives on_the mere surface of a world, a creature of waves and winds, and all the chances of space, who_cannot even unite to overcome the beasts that prey upon his kind, and yet who dares to invade another planet . during this aside I sat thinking, and then at his desire i_told him of_the different sorts of men . he searched me with questions ." and for all sorts of work you_have the same sort of men . but who thinks ? who governs ? '

" I_gave him an outline of_the democratic method .

" when I had done he ordered cooling sprays upon his brow, and then requested me to repeat my explanation conceiving something had miscarried .

"' do they not do different things, then ? ' said Phi-oo .

" some, I admitted, were thinkers and some officials; some hunted, some were mechanics, some artists, some toilers .' but all rule,' I_said .

"' and_have they not different shapes to fit them to_their different duties ? '

"' none that you_can see,' I_said, ' except perhaps, for clothes . their minds perhaps differ a little,' I reflected .

"' their minds must differ a great deal,' said the grand lunar, ' or they_would all want to_do_the same things .'

" in_order to bring myself into a closer harmony with_his preconceptions, I_said that his surmise was right ' it_was all hidden in_the brain,' I_said; ' but the difference was there . perhaps if one could_see the minds and souls of men they_would_be as varied and unequal as_the Selenites . there were great men and small men, men who_could reach out far and wide, men who_could go swiftly; noisy, trumpet- minded men, and men who_could remember without thinking .. .. the record is indistinct for three words .

he interrupted

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