'ItoldsomeofyoulastThursdayoftheprinciplesoftheTimeMachine,andshowedyoutheactualthingitself,incompleteintheworkshop. Thereitisnow,alittletravel–worn,truly;andoneoftheivorybarsiscracked,andabrassrailbent;buttherestofit'ssoundenough. IexpectedtofinishitonFriday,butonFriday,whentheputtingtogetherwasnearlydone,Ifoundthatoneofthenickelbarswasexactlyoneinchtooshort,andthisIhadtogetremade;sothatthethingwasnotcompleteuntilthismorning. Itwasatteno'clockto–daythatthefirstofallTimeMachinesbeganitscareer. Igaveitalasttap,triedallthescrewsagain,putonemoredropofoilonthequartzrod,andsatmyselfinthesaddle. IsupposeasuicidewhoholdsapistoltohisskullfeelsmuchthesamewonderatwhatwillcomenextasIfeltthen. Itookthestartingleverinonehandandthestoppingoneintheother,pressedthefirst,andalmostimmediatelythesecond. Iseemedtoreel;Ifeltanightmaresensationoffalling;and,lookinground,Isawthelaboratoryexactlyasbefore.Hadanythinghappened? ForamomentIsuspectedthatmyintellecthadtrickedme.ThenInotedtheclock. Amomentbefore,asitseemed,ithadstoodataminuteorsopastten;nowitwasnearlyhalf–pastthree! 'Idrewabreath,setmyteeth,grippedthestartingleverwithbothhands,andwentoffwithathud.Thelaboratorygothazyandwentdark. Mrs.Watchettcameinandwalked,apparentlywithoutseeingme,towardsthegardendoor. Isupposeittookheraminuteorsototraversetheplace,buttomesheseemedtoshootacrosstheroomlikearocket. Ipressedtheleverovertoitsextremeposition. Thenightcameliketheturningoutofalamp,andinanothermomentcameto–morrow. Thelaboratorygrewfaintandhazy,thenfainterandeverfainter. To–morrownightcameblack,thendayagain,nightagain,dayagain,fasterandfasterstill. Aneddyingmurmurfilledmyears,andastrange,dumbconfusednessdescendedonmymind. 'IamafraidIcannotconveythepeculiarsensationsoftimetravelling.Theyareexcessivelyunpleasant. Thereisafeelingexactlylikethatonehasuponaswitchback—ofahelplessheadlongmotion! Ifeltthesamehorribleanticipation,too,ofanimminentsmash. AsIputonpace,nightfolloweddayliketheflappingofablackwing. Thedimsuggestionofthelaboratoryseemedpresentlytofallawayfromme,andIsawthesunhoppingswiftlyacrossthesky,leapingiteveryminute,andeveryminutemarkingaday. IsupposedthelaboratoryhadbeendestroyedandIhadcomeintotheopenair. Ihadadimimpressionofscaffolding,butIwasalreadygoingtoofasttobeconsciousofanymovingthings. Theslowestsnailthatevercrawleddashedbytoofastforme. Thetwinklingsuccessionofdarknessandlightwasexcessivelypainfultotheeye. Then,intheintermittentdarknesses,Isawthemoonspinningswiftlythroughherquartersfromnewtofull,andhadafaintglimpseofthecirclingstars. Presently,asIwenton,stillgainingvelocity,thepalpitationofnightanddaymergedintoonecontinuousgreyness;theskytookonawonderfuldeepnessofblue,asplendidluminouscolorlikethatofearlytwilight;thejerkingsunbecameastreakoffire,abrilliantarch,inspace;themoonafainterfluctuatingband;andIcouldseenothingofthestars,savenowandthenabrightercircleflickeringintheblue. 'Thelandscapewasmistyandvague.Iwasstillonthehill–sideuponwhichthishousenowstands,andtheshoulderroseabovemegreyanddim. Isawtreesgrowingandchanginglikepuffsofvapour,nowbrown,nowgreen;theygrew,spread,shivered,andpassedaway. Isawhugebuildingsriseupfaintandfair,andpasslikedreams. Thewholesurfaceoftheearthseemedchanged—meltingandflowingundermyeyes. Thelittlehandsuponthedialsthatregisteredmyspeedracedroundfasterandfaster. PresentlyInotedthatthesunbeltswayedupanddown,fromsolsticetosolstice,inaminuteorless,andthatconsequentlymypacewasoverayearaminute;andminutebyminutethewhitesnowflashedacrosstheworld,andvanished,andwasfollowedbythebright,briefgreenofspring. 'Theunpleasantsensationsofthestartwerelesspoignantnow. Theymergedatlastintoakindofhystericalexhilaration. Iremarkedindeedaclumsyswayingofthemachine,forwhichIwasunabletoaccount. Butmymindwastooconfusedtoattendtoit,sowithakindofmadnessgrowinguponme,Iflungmyselfintofuturity. AtfirstIscarcethoughtofstopping,scarcethoughtofanythingbutthesenewsensations. Butpresentlyafreshseriesofimpressionsgrewupinmymind—acertaincuriosityandtherewithacertaindread—untilatlasttheytookcompletepossessionofme. Whatstrangedevelopmentsofhumanity,whatwonderfuladvancesuponourrudimentarycivilization,Ithought,mightnotappearwhenIcametolooknearlyintothedimelusiveworldthatracedandfluctuatedbeforemyeyes! Isawgreatandsplendidarchitecturerisingaboutme,moremassivethananybuildingsofourowntime,andyet,asitseemed,builtofglimmerandmist. Isawarichergreenflowupthehill–side,andremainthere,withoutanywintryintermission. Eventhroughtheveilofmyconfusiontheearthseemedveryfair. Andsomymindcameroundtothebusinessofstopping. 'ThepeculiarrisklayinthepossibilityofmyfindingsomesubstanceinthespacewhichI,orthemachine,occupied. SolongasItravelledatahighvelocitythroughtime,thisscarcelymattered;Iwas,sotospeak,attenuated—wasslippinglikeavapourthroughtheintersticesofinterveningsubstances! Buttocometoastopinvolvedthejammingofmyself,moleculebymolecule,intowhateverlayinmyway;meantbringingmyatomsintosuchintimatecontactwiththoseoftheobstaclethataprofoundchemicalreaction—possiblyafar–reachingexplosion—wouldresult,andblowmyselfandmyapparatusoutofallpossibledimensions—intotheUnknown. ThispossibilityhadoccurredtomeagainandagainwhileIwasmakingthemachine;butthenIhadcheerfullyaccepteditasanunavoidablerisk—oneoftherisksamanhasgottotake! Nowtheriskwasinevitable,Inolongersawitinthesamecheerfullight. Thefactisthat,insensibly,theabsolutestrangenessofeverything,thesicklyjarringandswayingofthemachine,aboveall,thefeelingofprolongedfalling,hadabsolutelyupsetmynerve. ItoldmyselfthatIcouldneverstop,andwithagustofpetulanceIresolvedtostopforthwith. Likeanimpatientfool,Iluggedoverthelever,andincontinentlythethingwentreelingover,andIwasflungheadlongthroughtheair. 'Therewasthesoundofaclapofthunderinmyears.Imayhavebeenstunnedforamoment. Apitilesshailwashissingroundme,andIwassittingonsoftturfinfrontoftheoversetmachine. Everythingstillseemedgrey,butpresentlyIremarkedthattheconfusioninmyearswasgone.Ilookedroundme. Iwasonwhatseemedtobealittlelawninagarden,surroundedbyrhododendronbushes,andInoticedthattheirmauveandpurpleblossomsweredroppinginashowerunderthebeatingofthehail–stones. Therebounding,dancinghailhunginacloudoverthemachine,anddrovealongthegroundlikesmoke.InamomentIwaswettotheskin. "Finehospitality,"saidI,"toamanwhohastravelledinnumerableyearstoseeyou." 'PresentlyIthoughtwhatafoolIwastogetwet.Istoodupandlookedroundme. Acolossalfigure,carvedapparentlyinsomewhitestone,loomedindistinctlybeyondtherhododendronsthroughthehazydownpour. Butallelseoftheworldwasinvisible. 'Mysensationswouldbehardtodescribe. Asthecolumnsofhailgrewthinner,Isawthewhitefiguremoredistinctly. Itwasverylarge,forasilverbirch–treetoucheditsshoulder. Itwasofwhitemarble,inshapesomethinglikeawingedsphinx,butthewings,insteadofbeingcarriedverticallyatthesides,werespreadsothatitseemedtohover. Thepedestal,itappearedtome,wasofbronze,andwasthickwithverdigris. Itchancedthatthefacewastowardsme;thesightlesseyesseemedtowatchme;therewasthefaintshadowofasmileonthelips. Itwasgreatlyweather–worn,andthatimpartedanunpleasantsuggestionofdisease. Istoodlookingatitforalittlespace—halfaminute,perhaps,orhalfanhour. Itseemedtoadvanceandtorecedeasthehaildrovebeforeitdenserorthinner. AtlastItoremyeyesfromitforamomentandsawthatthehailcurtainhadwornthreadbare,andthattheskywaslighteningwiththepromiseofthesun. 'Ilookedupagainatthecrouchingwhiteshape,andthefulltemerityofmyvoyagecamesuddenlyuponme. Whatmightappearwhenthathazycurtainwasaltogetherwithdrawn?Whatmightnothavehappenedtomen? Whatifcrueltyhadgrownintoacommonpassion? Whatifinthisintervaltheracehadlostitsmanlinessandhaddevelopedintosomethinginhuman,unsympathetic,andoverwhelminglypowerful? Imightseemsomeold–worldsavageanimal,onlythemoredreadfulanddisgustingforourcommonlikeness—afoulcreaturetobeincontinentlyslain. 'AlreadyIsawothervastshapes—hugebuildingswithintricateparapetsandtallcolumns,withawoodedhill–sidedimlycreepinginuponmethroughthelesseningstorm.Iwasseizedwithapanicfear. IturnedfranticallytotheTimeMachine,andstrovehardtoreadjustit. AsIdidsotheshaftsofthesunsmotethroughthethunderstorm. Thegreydownpourwassweptasideandvanishedlikethetrailinggarmentsofaghost. Aboveme,intheintenseblueofthesummersky,somefaintbrownshredsofcloudwhirledintonothingness. Thegreatbuildingsaboutmestoodoutclearanddistinct,shiningwiththewetofthethunderstorm,andpickedoutinwhitebytheunmeltedhailstonespiledalongtheircourses.Ifeltnakedinastrangeworld. Ifeltasperhapsabirdmayfeelintheclearair,knowingthehawkwingsaboveandwillswoop.Myfeargrewtofrenzy. Itookabreathingspace,setmyteeth,andagaingrappledfiercely,wristandknee,withthemachine. Itgaveundermydesperateonsetandturnedover.Itstruckmychinviolently. Onehandonthesaddle,theotheronthelever,Istoodpantingheavilyinattitudetomountagain. 'Butwiththisrecoveryofapromptretreatmycouragerecovered. Ilookedmorecuriouslyandlessfearfullyatthisworldoftheremotefuture. Inacircularopening,highupinthewallofthenearerhouse,Isawagroupoffigurescladinrichsoftrobes. Theyhadseenme,andtheirfacesweredirectedtowardsme. 'ThenIheardvoicesapproachingme.ComingthroughthebushesbytheWhiteSphinxweretheheadsandshouldersofmenrunning. OneoftheseemergedinapathwayleadingstraighttothelittlelawnuponwhichIstoodwithmymachine. Hewasaslightcreature—perhapsfourfeethigh—cladinapurpletunic,girdledatthewaistwithaleatherbelt. Sandalsorbuskins—Icouldnotclearlydistinguishwhich—wereonhisfeet;hislegswerebaretotheknees,andhisheadwasbare. Noticingthat,Inoticedforthefirsttimehowwarmtheairwas. 'Hestruckmeasbeingaverybeautifulandgracefulcreature,butindescribablyfrail. Hisflushedfaceremindedmeofthemorebeautifulkindofconsumptive—thathecticbeautyofwhichweusedtohearsomuch. AtthesightofhimIsuddenlyregainedconfidence.Itookmyhandsfromthemachine. 
