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'Itmayseemoddtoyou,butitwastwodaysbeforeIcouldfollowupthenew–foundclueinwhatwasmanifestlytheproperway.
Ifeltapeculiarshrinkingfromthosepallidbodies.
Theywerejustthehalf–bleachedcolourofthewormsandthingsoneseespreservedinspiritinazoologicalmuseum.
Andtheywerefilthilycoldtothetouch.
ProbablymyshrinkingwaslargelyduetothesympatheticinfluenceoftheEloi,whosedisgustoftheMorlocksInowbegantoappreciate.
'ThenextnightIdidnotsleepwell.Probablymyhealthwasalittledisordered.
Iwasoppressedwithperplexityanddoubt.
OnceortwiceIhadafeelingofintensefearforwhichIcouldperceivenodefinitereason.
Iremembercreepingnoiselesslyintothegreathallwherethelittlepeopleweresleepinginthemoonlight—thatnightWeenawasamongthem—andfeelingreassuredbytheirpresence.
Itoccurredtomeeventhen,thatinthecourseofafewdaysthemoonmustpassthroughitslastquarter,andthenightsgrowdark,whentheappearancesoftheseunpleasantcreaturesfrombelow,thesewhitenedLemurs,thisnewverminthathadreplacedtheold,mightbemoreabundant.
AndonboththesedaysIhadtherestlessfeelingofonewhoshirksaninevitableduty.
IfeltassuredthattheTimeMachinewasonlytoberecoveredbyboldlypenetratingtheseundergroundmysteries.YetIcouldnotfacethemystery.
IfonlyIhadhadacompanionitwouldhavebeendifferent.
ButIwassohorriblyalone,andeventoclamberdownintothedarknessofthewellappalledme.
Idon'tknowifyouwillunderstandmyfeeling,butIneverfeltquitesafeatmyback.
'Itwasthisrestlessness,thisinsecurity,perhaps,thatdrovemefurtherandfurtherafieldinmyexploringexpeditions.
Goingtothesouth–westwardtowardstherisingcountrythatisnowcalledCombeWood,Iobservedfaroff,inthedirectionofnineteenth–centuryBanstead,avastgreenstructure,differentincharacterfromanyIhadhithertoseen.
ItwaslargerthanthelargestofthepalacesorruinsIknew,andthefacadehadanOrientallook:thefaceofithavingthelustre,aswellasthepale–greentint,akindofbluish–green,ofacertaintypeofChineseporcelain.
Thisdifferenceinaspectsuggestedadifferenceinuse,andIwasmindedtopushonandexplore.
Butthedaywasgrowinglate,andIhadcomeuponthesightoftheplaceafteralongandtiringcircuit;soIresolvedtoholdovertheadventureforthefollowingday,andIreturnedtothewelcomeandthecaressesoflittleWeena.
ButnextmorningIperceivedclearlyenoughthatmycuriosityregardingthePalaceofGreenPorcelainwasapieceofself–deception,toenablemetoshirk,byanotherday,anexperienceIdreaded.
IresolvedIwouldmakethedescentwithoutfurtherwasteoftime,andstartedoutintheearlymorningtowardsawellneartheruinsofgraniteandaluminium.
'LittleWeenaranwithme.Shedancedbesidemetothewell,butwhenshesawmeleanoverthemouthandlookdownward,sheseemedstrangelydisconcerted.
"Good–bye,littleWeena,"Isaid,kissingher;andthenputtingherdown,Ibegantofeelovertheparapetfortheclimbinghooks.
Ratherhastily,Imayaswellconfess,forIfearedmycouragemightleakaway!Atfirstshewatchedmeinamazement.
Thenshegaveamostpiteouscry,andrunningtome,shebegantopullatmewithherlittlehands.
Ithinkheroppositionnervedmerathertoproceed.
Ishookheroff,perhapsalittleroughly,andinanothermomentIwasinthethroatofthewell.
Isawheragonizedfaceovertheparapet,andsmiledtoreassureher.
ThenIhadtolookdownattheunstablehookstowhichIclung.
'Ihadtoclamberdownashaftofperhapstwohundredyards.
Thedescentwaseffectedbymeansofmetallicbarsprojectingfromthesidesofthewell,andthesebeingadaptedtotheneedsofacreaturemuchsmallerandlighterthanmyself,Iwasspeedilycrampedandfatiguedbythedescent.Andnotsimplyfatigued!
Oneofthebarsbentsuddenlyundermyweight,andalmostswungmeoffintotheblacknessbeneath.
ForamomentIhungbyonehand,andafterthatexperienceIdidnotdaretorestagain.
Thoughmyarmsandbackwerepresentlyacutelypainful,Iwentonclamberingdownthesheerdescentwithasquickamotionaspossible.
Glancingupward,Isawtheaperture,asmallbluedisk,inwhichastarwasvisible,whilelittleWeena'sheadshowedasaroundblackprojection.
Thethuddingsoundofamachinebelowgrewlouderandmoreoppressive.
Everythingsavethatlittlediskabovewasprofoundlydark,andwhenIlookedupagainWeenahaddisappeared.
'Iwasinanagonyofdiscomfort.Ihadsomethoughtoftryingtogouptheshaftagain,andleavetheUnder–worldalone.
ButevenwhileIturnedthisoverinmymindIcontinuedtodescend.
Atlast,withintenserelief,Isawdimlycomingup,afoottotherightofme,aslenderloopholeinthewall.
Swingingmyselfin,IfounditwastheapertureofanarrowhorizontaltunnelinwhichIcouldliedownandrest.Itwasnottoosoon.
Myarmsached,mybackwascramped,andIwastremblingwiththeprolongedterrorofafall.
Besidesthis,theunbrokendarknesshadhadadistressingeffectuponmyeyes.
Theairwasfullofthethrobandhumofmachinerypumpingairdowntheshaft.
'IdonotknowhowlongIlay.Iwasrousedbyasofthandtouchingmyface.
StartingupinthedarknessIsnatchedatmymatchesand,hastilystrikingone,IsawthreestoopingwhitecreaturessimilartotheoneIhadseenabovegroundintheruin,hastilyretreatingbeforethelight.
Living,astheydid,inwhatappearedtomeimpenetrabledarkness,theireyeswereabnormallylargeandsensitive,justasarethepupilsoftheabysmalfishes,andtheyreflectedthelightinthesameway.
Ihavenodoubttheycouldseemeinthatraylessobscurity,andtheydidnotseemtohaveanyfearofmeapartfromthelight.
But,sosoonasIstruckamatchinordertoseethem,theyfledincontinently,vanishingintodarkguttersandtunnels,fromwhichtheireyesglaredatmeinthestrangestfashion.
'Itriedtocalltothem,butthelanguagetheyhadwasapparentlydifferentfromthatoftheOver–worldpeople;sothatIwasneedslefttomyownunaidedefforts,andthethoughtofflightbeforeexplorationwaseventheninmymind.
ButIsaidtomyself,"Youareinforitnow,"and,feelingmywayalongthetunnel,Ifoundthenoiseofmachinerygrowlouder.
Presentlythewallsfellawayfromme,andIcametoalargeopenspace,andstrikinganothermatch,sawthatIhadenteredavastarchedcavern,whichstretchedintoutterdarknessbeyondtherangeofmylight.
TheviewIhadofitwasasmuchasonecouldseeintheburningofamatch.
'Necessarilymymemoryisvague.Greatshapeslikebigmachinesroseoutofthedimness,andcastgrotesqueblackshadows,inwhichdimspectralMorlocksshelteredfromtheglare.
Theplace,bytheby,wasverystuffyandoppressive,andthefainthalitusoffreshlyshedbloodwasintheair.
Somewaydownthecentralvistawasalittletableofwhitemetal,laidwithwhatseemedameal.
TheMorlocksatanyratewerecarnivorous!
Evenatthetime,IrememberwonderingwhatlargeanimalcouldhavesurvivedtofurnishtheredjointIsaw.
Itwasallveryindistinct:theheavysmell,thebigunmeaningshapes,theobscenefigureslurkingintheshadows,andonlywaitingforthedarknesstocomeatmeagain!
Thenthematchburneddown,andstungmyfingers,andfell,awrigglingredspotintheblackness.
'Ihavethoughtsincehowparticularlyill–equippedIwasforsuchanexperience.
WhenIhadstartedwiththeTimeMachine,IhadstartedwiththeabsurdassumptionthatthemenoftheFuturewouldcertainlybeinfinitelyaheadofourselvesinalltheirappliances.
Ihadcomewithoutarms,withoutmedicine,withoutanythingtosmoke—attimesImissedtobaccofrightfully—evenwithoutenoughmatches.IfonlyIhadthoughtofaKodak!
IcouldhaveflashedthatglimpseoftheUnderworldinasecond,andexamineditatleisure.
But,asitwas,IstoodtherewithonlytheweaponsandthepowersthatNaturehadendowedmewith—hands,feet,andteeth;these,andfoursafety–matchesthatstillremainedtome.
'Iwasafraidtopushmywayinamongallthismachineryinthedark,anditwasonlywithmylastglimpseoflightIdiscoveredthatmystoreofmatcheshadrunlow.
Ithadneveroccurredtomeuntilthatmomentthattherewasanyneedtoeconomizethem,andIhadwastedalmosthalftheboxinastonishingtheUpper–worlders,towhomfirewasanovelty.
Now,asIsay,Ihadfourleft,andwhileIstoodinthedark,ahandtouchedmine,lankfingerscamefeelingovermyface,andIwassensibleofapeculiarunpleasantodour.
IfanciedIheardthebreathingofacrowdofthosedreadfullittlebeingsaboutme.
Ifelttheboxofmatchesinmyhandbeinggentlydisengaged,andotherhandsbehindmepluckingatmyclothing.
Thesenseoftheseunseencreaturesexaminingmewasindescribablyunpleasant.
Thesuddenrealizationofmyignoranceoftheirwaysofthinkinganddoingcamehometomeveryvividlyinthedarkness.IshoutedatthemasloudlyasIcould.
Theystartedaway,andthenIcouldfeelthemapproachingmeagain.
Theyclutchedatmemoreboldly,whisperingoddsoundstoeachother.
Ishiveredviolently,andshoutedagain—ratherdiscordantly.
Thistimetheywerenotsoseriouslyalarmed,andtheymadeaqueerlaughingnoiseastheycamebackatme.
IwillconfessIwashorriblyfrightened.
Ideterminedtostrikeanothermatchandescapeundertheprotectionofitsglare.
Ididso,andekingouttheflickerwithascrapofpaperfrommypocket,Imadegoodmyretreattothenarrowtunnel.
ButIhadscarceenteredthiswhenmylightwasblownoutandintheblacknessIcouldheartheMorlocksrustlinglikewindamongleaves,andpatteringliketherain,astheyhurriedafterme.
'InamomentIwasclutchedbyseveralhands,andtherewasnomistakingthattheyweretryingtohaulmeback.
Istruckanotherlight,andwaveditintheirdazzledfaces.
Youcanscarceimaginehownauseatinglyinhumantheylooked—thosepale,chinlessfacesandgreat,lidless,pinkish–greyeyes!
—astheystaredintheirblindnessandbewilderment.
ButIdidnotstaytolook,Ipromiseyou:Iretreatedagain,andwhenmysecondmatchhadended,Istruckmythird.
IthadalmostburnedthroughwhenIreachedtheopeningintotheshaft.
Ilaydownontheedge,forthethrobofthegreatpumpbelowmademegiddy.
ThenIfeltsidewaysfortheprojectinghooks,and,asIdidso,myfeetweregraspedfrombehind,andIwasviolentlytuggedbackward.
Ilitmylastmatch...anditincontinentlywentout.
ButIhadmyhandontheclimbingbarsnow,and,kickingviolently,IdisengagedmyselffromtheclutchesoftheMorlocksandwasspeedilyclamberinguptheshaft,whiletheystayedpeeringandblinkingupatme:allbutonelittlewretchwhofollowedmeforsomeway,andwell–nighsecuredmybootasatrophy.
'Thatclimbseemedinterminabletome.Withthelasttwentyorthirtyfeetofitadeadlynauseacameuponme.
Ihadthegreatestdifficultyinkeepingmyhold.
Thelastfewyardswasafrightfulstruggleagainstthisfaintness.
Severaltimesmyheadswam,andIfeltallthesensationsoffalling.
Atlast,however,Igotoverthewell–mouthsomehow,andstaggeredoutoftheruinintotheblindingsunlight.Ifelluponmyface.Eventhesoilsmeltsweetandclean.
ThenIrememberWeenakissingmyhandsandears,andthevoicesofothersamongtheEloi.Then,foratime,Iwasinsensible.
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