Then as I strained to trace our later movements down to our present plight, the pain in my head became intolerable to an insurmountable barrier, an obstinate blank

"Cavor ! "

"Yes ? "

"Where are we ?

"How should ? "

"Are we dead ? "

"What nonsense ! "

"They've got us, then ! "

no answer but grunt The lingering traces poison seemed him oddly irritable

"What ? "

"How should what ? "

"Oh, ! " said I, and became silent Presently, roused from stupor "O Lord ! " I cried; " you'd stop that buzzing ! "

We lapsed into silence again, listening dull confusion of noises like the muffled sounds of street or factory that filled our ears make nothing of it, my mind pursued first one rhythm and then another, and questioned it in vain But after I became aware of new and sharper element, not mingling rest but standing out, as it were, against that cloudy background of sound series of relatively very little definite sounds, tappings and rubbings, like loose spray of ivy against window or bird moving about upon box We listened and peered about us, but the darkness was velvet pall There followed noise like the subtle movement wards of well-oiled lock And then there appeared before me, hanging as it seemed in an immensity of black, thin bright line

"Look ! " whispered Cavor very softly

" it ? "

"I don't know "

We stared

The thin bright line became band, and broader and paler It took upon itself the quality of bluish light falling upon white-washed wall It ceased parallel-sided; it developed deep indentation on one side I turned to remark this to Cavor, and was amazed his ear in brilliant illumination - all the rest of him in shadow I twisted my head round as my bonds would permit "Cavor," , "it's behind ! "

His ear vanished - gave place to an eye !

Suddenly the crack that admitting the light broadened out, and revealed itself space of an opening door Beyond was sapphire vista, and doorway stood grotesque outline silhouetted against the glare

We both made convulsive efforts , and failing, sat staring over our shoulders My first impression was of some clumsy quadruped with lowered head Then I perceived it slender pinched body and short and extremely attenuated bandy legs of Selenite, head depressed between his shoulders without the helmet and body covering they wear exterior

blank, black figure , but instictively our imaginations supplied features very human outline I, , took it instantly that somewhat hunchbacked, with high forehead and long features

forward three steps and paused for time His movements seemed absolutely noiseless Then forward again He walked like bird, his feet fell one in front other He stepped ray of light that came doorway, and it seemed he vanished altogether shadow

For moment my eyes sought him wrong place, and then I perceived him standing facing us both full light Only the human features I had attributed to him there at all !

I expected that, only I didn't It came as an absolute, for moment an overwhelming shock It seemed it wasn't face, it must needs be mask, horror, deformity, presently be disavowed or explained no nose, thing had dull bulging eyes side - silhouette I had supposed they were ears There were no ears . . to draw heads, but mouth, downwardly curved, like human mouth in face that stares ferociously . .

The neck the head was poised was jointed in three places, almost like the short joints leg of crab The joints limbs I , because puttee-like straps they were swathed, and which formed the only clothing the being wore

There the thing was, looking at us !

my mind was taken up mad impossibility creature I suppose he also was amazed, and with more reason, perhaps, for amazement than we Only, confound him ! show it know what had brought meeting of incompatible creatures But conceive how it would seem to decent Londoners, for example, upon couple of living things, as big as men and absolutely unlike earthly animals, careering about sheep in Hyde Park ! It taken him like that

Figure us ! We were bound hand and foot, fagged and filthy; our beards two inches long, our faces scratched and bloody Cavor imagine knickerbockers (torn in several places bayonet scrub) his Jaegar shirt and old cricket cap, his wiry hair wildly disordered, tail to every quarter heavens blue light his face look red but very dark, his lips drying blood upon my hands seemed black If possible in worse plight than he, on account yellow fungus into which I had jumped Our jackets were unbuttoned, shoes taken off and lay at our feet And we were sitting backs queer bluish light, peering at such monster as Durer invented

Cavor broke the silence; started , went hoarse, and cleared his throat Outside began terrific bellowing, mooncalf were in trouble It ended in shriek, and everything was still again

Presently the Selenite turned about, flickered shadow, stood for moment retrospective door, and then closed it on us; and once more we were murmurous mystery of darkness into which we had awakened

Chapter 13

Mr Cavor Makes Some Sugestions

FOR time neither of us spoke To focus together all the things we had brought upon ourselves, seemed beyond my mental powers

"They've got us," at last

"It fungus "

"Well - if I hadn't taken it fainted and starved "

" found the sphere "

I lost my temper at his persistence, and swore to myself For time we hated one another in silence I drummed with my fingers floor between my knees, and gritted the links fetters together Presently forced again

"What make of it, anyhow ? " I asked humbly

" reasonable creatures - make things and do things Those lights we saw . "

He stopped clear make nothing of it

When he spoke again to confess, "After all, more human than we had right to expect I suppose -"

He stopped irritatingly

"Yes ? "

"I suppose, anyhow - on any planet where an intelligent animal - carry its brain case upward, hands, and walk erect "

Presently he broke away in another direction

" some way in," "I mean - perhaps couple of thousand feet or more "

"Why ? "

"It's cooler voices are louder That faded quality - it has altogether gone feeling in one's ears and throat "

I noted that, but now

"The air is denser some depths - mile even, - inside the moon "

"We never thought of world inside the moon "

"No "

"How could we ? "

" done gets into habits of mind "

He thought for time

"Now," , "it seems such an obvious thing "

" ! The moon enormously cavernous, with an atmosphere within, and centre caverns sea