Over, clutch, bump, clutch, bump, over . .

Came thud, and half buried under the bale possessions, and for space everything was still Then hear Cavor puffing and grunting, snapping of shutter in its sash an effort, thrust back our blanket-wrapped luggage, and emerged from beneath it Our open windows were just visible as deeper black set with stars

We were still alive, and we were lying darkness shadow wall great crater into which we had fallen

We sat getting our breath again, and feeling the bruises limbs I don't think either of us had had very clear expectation rough handling had received I struggled painfully to my feet "And now," said I, "to look landscape moon But It's tremendously dark, Cavor ! "

The glass was dewy, and as I spoke I wiped at it with my blanket "We're half an hour or so beyond the day," " wait "

impossible to distinguish anything We in sphere of steel for all that we My rubbing blanket simply smeared the glass, and as fast as I wiped it, it became opaque again with freshly condensed moisture mixed with an increasing quantity of blanket hairs I ought not used the blanket In my efforts to clear the glass I slipped damp surface, and hurt my shin against oxygen cylinders that protruded bale

The thing was exasperating - absurd Here we were just arrived moon, amidst not what wonders, and all we gray and streaming wall bubble we had come

"Confound it ! " , "but rate stopped at home;" and I squatted bale and shivered, and drew my blanket closer about me

Abruptly the moisture turned to spangles and fronds of frost " reach the electric heater," said Cavor "Yes - that black knob Or freeze "

wait told twice "And now," said I, we ? "

"Wait," lie said

"Wait ? "

" to wait until our air gets warm again, and then this glass will clear 't do anything till then It's night here yet; wait day to overtake us Meanwhile, don't you feel hungry ? "

For space answer him, but sat fretting I turned reluctantly smeared puzzle glass and stared at his face " Yes," , " hungry somehow enormously disappointed I had expected - I don't know what I had expected, but not this "

I summoned my philosophy, and rearranging my blanket about me sat down bale again and began my first meal moon I don't think I finished it - I forget Presently, first in patches, then running rapidly together into wider spaces, came the clearing glass, came the drawing misty veil that hid the moon world eyes

We peered out landscape moon

Chapter 7

Sunrise Moon

saw it first it wildest and most desolate of scenes We were in an enormous amphitheatre, vast circular plain the floor giant crater Its cliff-like walls closed us in on every side westward the light unseen sun fell upon them, reaching very foot cliff, and showed disordered escarpment of drab and grayish rock, lined here and there with banks and crevices of snow perhaps dozen miles away, but at first no intervening atmosphere diminished slightest the minutely detailed brilliancy these things glared at us They stood out clear and dazzling against background of starry blackness that seemed to our earthly eyes rather gloriously spangled velvet curtain spaciousness sky

The eastward cliff was at first merely starless selvedge starry dome No rosy flush, no creeping pallor, announced the commencing day Only the Corona, the Zodiacal light, huge cone-shaped, luminous haze, pointing up towards the splendour morning star, warned us imminent nearness sun

Whatever light was about us was reflected westward cliffs It showed huge undulating plain, cold and gray, gray that deepened eastward absolute raven darkness cliff shadow Innumerable rounded gray summits, ghostly hummocks, billows of snowy substance, stretching crest beyond crest remote obscurity, our first inkling distance crater wall These hummocks looked like snow they were snow But they - they were mounds and masses of frozen air ?

So at first, and then, sudden, swift, and amazing, came the lunar day

The sunlight had crept down the cliff, it touched the drifted masses at its base and incontinently came striding with seven-leagued boots towards us The distant cliff seemed to shift and quiver, and touch dawn reek of gray vapour poured upward crater floor, whirls and puffs and drifting wraiths of gray, thicker and broader and denser, until at last the whole westward plain was steaming like wet handkerchief held fire, westward cliffs were no more than refracted glare beyond

" air," said Cavor "It air - or it - rise like this - mere touch of sun-beam And pace . . "

He peered upwards "Look ! "

"What ? " I asked

" sky Already blackness - little touch of blue See ! The stars seem larger little ones and all those dim nebulosities we saw in empty space - hidden ! "

Swiftly, steadily, the day approached us Gray summit after gray summit was overtaken blaze, and turned to smoking white intensity At last nothing west of us but bank of surging fog, the tumultuous advance and ascent of cloudy haze The distant cliff had receded farther and farther, had loomed and changed whirl, and foundered and vanished at last in its confusion

Nearer came that steaming advance, nearer and nearer, coming as fast shadow of cloud south-west wind About us rose thin anticipatory haze

Cavor gripped my arm " What ? "

"Look ! The sunrise ! The sun ! "

He turned me about and pointed brow eastward cliff, looming above the haze about us, scarce lighter darkness sky But now its line was marked by strange reddish shapes, tongues of vermilion flame that writhed and danced I fancied It spirals of vapour that had caught the light and made this crest of fiery tongues against the sky, but indeed it solar prominences , crown of fire sun forever hidden from earthly eyes by our atmospheric veil

And then - the sun !

Steadily, inevitably came brilliant line, came thin edge of intolerable effulgence that took circular shape, became bow, became blazing sceptre, and hurled shaft of heat at us spear

It seemed verily to stab my eyes ! I cried aloud and turned about blinded, groping blanket beneath the bale

And incandescence came sound, the first sound that had reached us from without since we left the earth, hissing and rustling, the stormy trailing aerial garment advancing day And coming sound light the sphere lurched, and blinded and dazzled we staggered helplessly against It lurched again, hissing grew louder I had shut my eyes perforce, making clumsy efforts my head with my blanket, and this second lurch sent me helplessly off my feet I fell against the bale, and opening my eyes had momentary glimpse air just outside our glass running - boiling - like snow into which white-hot rod is thrust What solid air had suddenly touch 'sun become paste, mud, slushy liquefaction, that hissed and bubbled into gas

There came still more violent whirl sphere and we had clutched one another In another moment we were spun about again Pound we went and over, and then on all fours The lunar dawn had hold of us It meant to show us little men what the moon could do

I caught second glimpse of things without, puffs of vapour, half liquid slush, excavated, sliding, falling, sliding We dropped into darkness I went down with Cavor's knees in my chest Then to fly away from me, and for moment I lay with all the breath out body staring upward toppling crag melting stuff had splashed over us, buried us, and now it thinned and boiled off us the bubbles dancing glass above I heard Cavor exclaiming feebly

Then some huge landslip thawing air had caught us, and spluttering expostulation, we began to roll down slope, rolling faster and faster, leaping crevasses and rebounding from banks, faster and faster, westward white-hot boiling tumult lunar day