English
'Ihavealreadytoldyouofthesicknessandconfusionthatcomeswithtimetravelling.
AndthistimeIwasnotseatedproperlyinthesaddle,butsidewaysandinanunstablefashion.
ForanindefinitetimeIclungtothemachineasitswayedandvibrated,quiteunheedinghowIwent,andwhenIbroughtmyselftolookatthedialsagainIwasamazedtofindwhereIhadarrived.
Onedialrecordsdays,andanotherthousandsofdays,anothermillionsofdays,andanotherthousandsofmillions.
Now,insteadofreversingthelevers,Ihadpulledthemoversoastogoforwardwiththem,andwhenIcametolookattheseindicatorsIfoundthatthethousandshandwassweepingroundasfastasthesecondshandofawatch—intofuturity.
'AsIdroveon,apeculiarchangecreptovertheappearanceofthings.
Thepalpitatinggreynessgrewdarker;then—thoughIwasstilltravellingwithprodigiousvelocity—theblinkingsuccessionofdayandnight,whichwasusuallyindicativeofaslowerpace,returned,andgrewmoreandmoremarked.Thispuzzledmeverymuchatfirst.
Thealternationsofnightanddaygrewslowerandslower,andsodidthepassageofthesunacrossthesky,untiltheyseemedtostretchthroughcenturies.
Atlastasteadytwilightbroodedovertheearth,atwilightonlybrokennowandthenwhenacometglaredacrossthedarklingsky.
Thebandoflightthathadindicatedthesunhadlongsincedisappeared;forthesunhadceasedtoset—itsimplyroseandfellinthewest,andgreweverbroaderandmorered.Alltraceofthemoonhadvanished.
Thecirclingofthestars,growingslowerandslower,hadgivenplacetocreepingpointsoflight.
Atlast,sometimebeforeIstopped,thesun,redandverylarge,haltedmotionlessuponthehorizon,avastdomeglowingwithadullheat,andnowandthensufferingamomentaryextinction.
Atonetimeithadforalittlewhileglowedmorebrilliantlyagain,butitspeedilyrevertedtoitssullenredheat.
Iperceivedbythisslowingdownofitsrisingandsettingthattheworkofthetidaldragwasdone.
Theearthhadcometorestwithonefacetothesun,evenasinourowntimethemoonfacestheearth.
Verycautiously,forIrememberedmyformerheadlongfall,Ibegantoreversemymotion.
Slowerandslowerwentthecirclinghandsuntilthethousandsoneseemedmotionlessandthedailyonewasnolongerameremistuponitsscale.
Stillslower,untilthedimoutlinesofadesolatebeachgrewvisible.
'IstoppedverygentlyandsatupontheTimeMachine,lookinground.Theskywasnolongerblue.
North–eastwarditwasinkyblack,andoutoftheblacknessshonebrightlyandsteadilythepalewhitestars.
OverheaditwasadeepIndianredandstarless,andsouth–eastwarditgrewbrightertoaglowingscarletwhere,cutbythehorizon,laythehugehullofthesun,redandmotionless.
Therocksaboutmewereofaharshreddishcolour,andallthetraceoflifethatIcouldseeatfirstwastheintenselygreenvegetationthatcoveredeveryprojectingpointontheirsouth–easternface.
Itwasthesamerichgreenthatoneseesonforestmossoronthelichenincaves:plantswhichlikethesegrowinaperpetualtwilight.
'Themachinewasstandingonaslopingbeach.
Theseastretchedawaytothesouth–west,toriseintoasharpbrighthorizonagainstthewansky.
Therewerenobreakersandnowaves,fornotabreathofwindwasstirring.
Onlyaslightoilyswellroseandfelllikeagentlebreathing,andshowedthattheeternalseawasstillmovingandliving.
Andalongthemarginwherethewatersometimesbrokewasathickincrustationofsalt—pinkundertheluridsky.
Therewasasenseofoppressioninmyhead,andInoticedthatIwasbreathingveryfast.
Thesensationremindedmeofmyonlyexperienceofmountaineering,andfromthatIjudgedtheairtobemorerarefiedthanitisnow.
'FarawayupthedesolateslopeIheardaharshscream,andsawathinglikeahugewhitebutterflygoslantingandflutteringupintotheskyand,circling,disappearoversomelowhillocksbeyond.
ThesoundofitsvoicewassodismalthatIshiveredandseatedmyselfmorefirmlyuponthemachine.
Lookingroundmeagain,Isawthat,quitenear,whatIhadtakentobeareddishmassofrockwasmovingslowlytowardsme.
ThenIsawthethingwasreallyamonstrouscrab–likecreature.
Canyouimagineacrabaslargeasyondertable,withitsmanylegsmovingslowlyanduncertainly,itsbigclawsswaying,itslongantennae,likecarters'whips,wavingandfeeling,anditsstalkedeyesgleamingatyouoneithersideofitsmetallicfront?
Itsbackwascorrugatedandornamentedwithungainlybosses,andagreenishincrustationblotchedithereandthere.
Icouldseethemanypalpsofitscomplicatedmouthflickeringandfeelingasitmoved.
'AsIstaredatthissinisterapparitioncrawlingtowardsme,Ifeltaticklingonmycheekasthoughaflyhadlightedthere.
Itriedtobrushitawaywithmyhand,butinamomentitreturned,andalmostimmediatelycameanotherbymyear.
Istruckatthis,andcaughtsomethingthreadlike.Itwasdrawnswiftlyoutofmyhand.
Withafrightfulqualm,Iturned,andIsawthatIhadgraspedtheantennaofanothermonstercrabthatstoodjustbehindme.
Itsevileyeswerewrigglingontheirstalks,itsmouthwasallalivewithappetite,anditsvastungainlyclaws,smearedwithanalgalslime,weredescendinguponme.
Inamomentmyhandwasonthelever,andIhadplacedamonthbetweenmyselfandthesemonsters.
ButIwasstillonthesamebeach,andIsawthemdistinctlynowassoonasIstopped.
Dozensofthemseemedtobecrawlinghereandthere,inthesombrelight,amongthefoliatedsheetsofintensegreen.
'Icannotconveythesenseofabominabledesolationthathungovertheworld.
Theredeasternsky,thenorthwardblackness,thesaltDeadSea,thestonybeachcrawlingwiththesefoul,slow–stirringmonsters,theuniformpoisonous–lookinggreenofthelichenousplants,thethinairthathurtsone'slungs:allcontributedtoanappallingeffect.
Imovedonahundredyears,andtherewasthesameredsun—alittlelarger,alittleduller—thesamedyingsea,thesamechillair,andthesamecrowdofearthycrustaceacreepinginandoutamongthegreenweedandtheredrocks.
Andinthewestwardsky,Isawacurvedpalelinelikeavastnewmoon.
'SoItravelled,stoppingeverandagain,ingreatstridesofathousandyearsormore,drawnonbythemysteryoftheearth'sfate,watchingwithastrangefascinationthesungrowlargeranddullerinthewestwardsky,andthelifeoftheoldearthebbaway.
Atlast,morethanthirtymillionyearshence,thehugered–hotdomeofthesunhadcometoobscurenearlyatenthpartofthedarklingheavens.
ThenIstoppedoncemore,forthecrawlingmultitudeofcrabshaddisappeared,andtheredbeach,saveforitslividgreenliverwortsandlichens,seemedlifeless.Andnowitwasfleckedwithwhite.Abittercoldassailedme.
Rarewhiteflakeseverandagaincameeddyingdown.
Tothenorth–eastward,theglareofsnowlayunderthestarlightofthesableskyandIcouldseeanundulatingcrestofhillockspinkishwhite.
Therewerefringesoficealongtheseamargin,withdriftingmassesfurtherout;butthemainexpanseofthatsaltocean,allbloodyundertheeternalsunset,wasstillunfrozen.
'Ilookedaboutmetoseeifanytracesofanimalliferemained.
Acertainindefinableapprehensionstillkeptmeinthesaddleofthemachine.
ButIsawnothingmoving,inearthorskyorsea.
Thegreenslimeontherocksalonetestifiedthatlifewasnotextinct.
Ashallowsandbankhadappearedintheseaandthewaterhadrecededfromthebeach.
IfanciedIsawsomeblackobjectfloppingaboutuponthisbank,butitbecamemotionlessasIlookedatit,andIjudgedthatmyeyehadbeendeceived,andthattheblackobjectwasmerelyarock.
Thestarsintheskywereintenselybrightandseemedtometotwinkleverylittle.
'SuddenlyInoticedthatthecircularwestwardoutlineofthesunhadchanged;thataconcavity,abay,hadappearedinthecurve.Isawthisgrowlarger.
ForaminuteperhapsIstaredaghastatthisblacknessthatwascreepingovertheday,andthenIrealizedthataneclipsewasbeginning.
EitherthemoonortheplanetMercurywaspassingacrossthesun'sdisk.
Naturally,atfirstItookittobethemoon,butthereismuchtoinclinemetobelievethatwhatIreallysawwasthetransitofaninnerplanetpassingveryneartotheearth.
'Thedarknessgrewapace;acoldwindbegantoblowinfresheninggustsfromtheeast,andtheshoweringwhiteflakesintheairincreasedinnumber.
Fromtheedgeoftheseacamearippleandwhisper.
Beyondtheselifelesssoundstheworldwassilent.Silent?
Itwouldbehardtoconveythestillnessofit.
Allthesoundsofman,thebleatingofsheep,thecriesofbirds,thehumofinsects,thestirthatmakesthebackgroundofourlives—allthatwasover.
Asthedarknessthickened,theeddyingflakesgrewmoreabundant,dancingbeforemyeyes;andthecoldoftheairmoreintense.
Atlast,onebyone,swiftly,oneaftertheother,thewhitepeaksofthedistanthillsvanishedintoblackness.Thebreezerosetoamoaningwind.
Isawtheblackcentralshadowoftheeclipsesweepingtowardsme.
Inanothermomentthepalestarsalonewerevisible.Allelsewasraylessobscurity.Theskywasabsolutelyblack.
'Ahorrorofthisgreatdarknesscameonme.
Thecold,thatsmotetomymarrow,andthepainIfeltinbreathing,overcameme.
Ishivered,andadeadlynauseaseizedme.
Thenlikeared–hotbowintheskyappearedtheedgeofthesun.
Igotoffthemachinetorecovermyself.
Ifeltgiddyandincapableoffacingthereturnjourney.
AsIstoodsickandconfusedIsawagainthemovingthingupontheshoal—therewasnomistakenowthatitwasamovingthing—againsttheredwaterofthesea.
Itwasaroundthing,thesizeofafootballperhaps,or,itmaybe,bigger,andtentaclestraileddownfromit;itseemedblackagainstthewelteringblood–redwater,anditwashoppingfitfullyabout.ThenIfeltIwasfainting.
ButaterribledreadoflyinghelplessinthatremoteandawfultwilightsustainedmewhileIclambereduponthesaddle.
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