Prospecting Begins

We ceased to gaze. We turned to each other, the same thought, the same question in our eyes. For these plants to grow, there must be some air, however attenuated, air that we also should be able to breathe.

We stopped staring. We turned to each other, the same thought, the same question in our eyes. For these plants to grow, there had to be some air, however thin. We should be able to breathe that air too.

“The manhole?” I said.

“The manhole?” I said.

“Yes!” said Cavor, “if it is air we see!”

“Yes!” said Cavor. “If what we see is air!”

“In a little while,” I said, “these plants will be as high as we are. Suppose—suppose after all— Is it certain? How do you know that stuff is air? It may be nitrogen—it may be carbonic acid even!”

“In a little while,” I said, “these plants will be as tall as we are. Suppose... suppose after all... Is it certain? How do you know that stuff is air? It may be nitrogen. It may even be carbon dioxide!”

“That’s easy,” he said, and set about proving it. He produced a big piece of crumpled paper from the bale, lit it, and thrust it hastily through the man-hole valve. I bent forward and peered down through the thick glass for its appearance outside, that little flame on whose evidence depended so much!

“That’s easy,” he said, and set out to prove it. He took a large piece of crumpled paper from the bale, lit it, and quickly pushed it through the manhole valve. I leaned forward and peered through the thick glass, watching for the flame to appear outside. So much depended on what that little flame would show!

I saw the paper drop out and lie lightly upon the snow. The pink flame of its burning vanished. For an instant it seemed to be extinguished. And then I saw a little blue tongue upon the edge of it that trembled, and crept, and spread!

I saw the paper fall out and land lightly on the snow. Its pink flame disappeared. For a moment, the fire seemed to be out. Then I saw a little blue flame on the edge of the paper. It flickered, crept, and spread!

Quietly the whole sheet, save where it lay in immediate contact with the snow, charred and shrivelled and sent up a quivering thread of smoke. There was no doubt left to me; the atmosphere of the moon was either pure oxygen or air, and capable therefore—unless its tenuity was excessive—of supporting our alien life. We might emerge—and live!

Quietly, the whole sheet charred and shriveled, except where it lay directly against the snow. A thin, trembling thread of smoke rose from it. I had no doubt left. The moon’s atmosphere was either pure oxygen or air. Unless it was too thin, it could support our alien life. We could come out and live!

I sat down with my legs on either side of the manhole and prepared to unscrew it, but Cavor stopped me. “There is first a little precaution,” he said. He pointed out that although it was certainly an oxygenated atmosphere outside, it might still be so rarefied as to cause us grave injury. He reminded me of mountain sickness, and of the bleeding that often afflicts aeronauts who have ascended too swiftly, and he spent some time in the preparation of a sickly-tasting drink which he insisted on my sharing. It made me feel a little numb, but otherwise had no effect on me. Then he permitted me to begin unscrewing.

I sat down with my legs on either side of the manhole and prepared to unscrew it, but Cavor stopped me. “First, there is a small precaution,” he said. He pointed out that although the atmosphere outside certainly contained oxygen, it might still be thin enough to seriously harm us. He reminded me of mountain sickness and the bleeding that often affects people who rise too quickly in balloons. He spent some time preparing a sickly-tasting drink and insisted that I share it. The drink made me feel a little numb, but otherwise had no effect on me. Then he let me begin unscrewing the manhole.

Presently the glass stopper of the manhole was so far undone that the denser air within our sphere began to escape along the thread of the screw, singing as a kettle sings before it boils. Thereupon he made me desist. It speedily became evident that the pressure outside was very much less than it was within. How much less it was we had no means of telling.

Soon the glass stopper in the manhole was unscrewed far enough for the denser air inside our sphere to escape along the screw thread. It sang like a kettle before it boils. At that point, he told me to stop. It quickly became clear that the pressure outside was much lower than inside. We had no way of telling how much lower.

I sat grasping the stopper with both hands, ready to close it again if, in spite of our intense hope, the lunar atmosphere should after all prove too rarefied for us, and Cavor sat with a cylinder of compressed oxygen at hand to restore our pressure. We looked at one another in silence, and then at the fantastic vegetation that swayed and grew visibly and noiselessly without. And ever that shrill piping continued.

I sat holding the stopper with both hands, ready to close it again. Despite our intense hope, the Moon’s atmosphere might still prove too thin for us. Cavor sat with a cylinder of compressed oxygen at hand to restore the pressure. We looked at each other in silence. Then we looked at the strange plants outside, swaying and growing visibly and silently. And all the while, the shrill piping continued.

My blood-vessels began to throb in my ears, and the sound of Cavor’s movements diminished. I noted how still everything had become, because of the thinning of the air.

The blood vessels in my ears began to throb, and the sounds of Cavor’s movements grew fainter. I noticed how quiet everything had become because the air was thinning.

As our air sizzled out from the screw the moisture of it condensed in little puffs.

As our air hissed out through the screw, its moisture condensed into little puffs.

Presently I experienced a peculiar shortness of breath that lasted indeed during the whole of the time of our exposure to the moon’s exterior atmosphere, and a rather unpleasant sensation about the ears and finger-nails and the back of the throat grew upon my attention, and presently passed off again.

Soon I felt a strange shortness of breath. It lasted the whole time we were exposed to the moon’s outer atmosphere. I also became aware of a rather unpleasant sensation around my ears, fingernails, and the back of my throat. After a while, it passed.

But then came vertigo and nausea that abruptly changed the quality of my courage. I gave the lid of the manhole half a turn and made a hasty explanation to Cavor; but now he was the more sanguine. He answered me in a voice that seemed extraordinarily small and remote, because of the thinness of the air that carried the sound. He recommended a nip of brandy, and set me the example, and presently I felt better. I turned the manhole stopper back again. The throbbing in my ears grew louder, and then I remarked that the piping note of the outrush had ceased. For a time I could not be sure that it had ceased.

But then I felt dizzy and sick, and my courage suddenly changed. I gave the manhole lid half a turn and hurriedly explained myself to Cavor. But now he was more hopeful. His voice sounded unusually faint and distant because the air carrying it was so thin. He suggested a sip of brandy and took one himself. Soon I felt better. I turned the manhole stopper back again. The throbbing in my ears grew louder. Then I noticed that the high-pitched sound of the escaping air had stopped. For a while, I could not be sure it had stopped.

“Well?” said Cavor, in the ghost of a voice.

“Well?” Cavor said in a barely audible voice.

“Well?” said I.

“Well?” I said.

“Shall we go on?”

“Shall we go on?”

I thought. “Is this all?”

I thought. “Is this all?”

“If you can stand it.”

“If you can stand it.”

By way of answer I went on unscrewing. I lifted the circular operculum from its place and laid it carefully on the bale. A flake or so of snow whirled and vanished as that thin and unfamiliar air took possession of our sphere. I knelt, and then seated myself at the edge of the manhole, peering over it. Beneath, within a yard of my face, lay the untrodden snow of the moon.

Instead of answering, I kept unscrewing. I lifted the circular cover from its place and carefully laid it on the bale. A flake or two of snow whirled and vanished as the thin, unfamiliar air filled our sphere. I knelt, then sat at the edge of the manhole and peered out. Below me, less than a yard from my face, lay the untouched snow of the moon.

There came a little pause. Our eyes met.

There was a brief pause. Our eyes met.

“It doesn’t distress your lungs too much?” said Cavor.

“It doesn’t bother your lungs too much?” said Cavor.

“No,” I said. “I can stand this.”

“No,” I said. “I can stand this.”

He stretched out his hand for his blanket, thrust his head through its central hole, and wrapped it about him. He sat down on the edge of the manhole, he let his feet drop until they were within six inches of the lunar ground. He hesitated for a moment, then thrust himself forward, dropped these intervening inches, and stood upon the untrodden soil of the moon.

He reached for his blanket, pushed his head through the hole in its center, and wrapped it around himself. He sat on the edge of the manhole and lowered his feet until they were six inches above the moon’s surface. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed himself forward and dropped the remaining six inches. He stood on the untouched soil of the moon.

As he stepped forward he was refracted grotesquely by the edge of the glass. He stood for a moment looking this way and that. Then he drew himself together and leapt.

As he stepped forward, the edge of the glass distorted him grotesquely. He stood for a moment, looking around. Then he gathered himself and jumped.

The glass distorted everything, but it seemed to me even then to be an extremely big leap. He had at one bound become remote. He seemed twenty or thirty feet off. He was standing high upon a rocky mass and gesticulating back to me. Perhaps he was shouting—but the sound did not reach me. But how the deuce had he done this? I felt like a man who has just seen a new conjuring trick.

The glass distorted everything, but even so, the leap seemed enormous to me. In a single bound, he had moved far away. He seemed to be twenty or thirty feet off. He stood high on a rocky mass, gesturing back at me. Perhaps he was shouting, but I could not hear him. But how on earth had he done it? I felt like a man who had just seen a new magic trick.

In a puzzled state of mind I too dropped through the manhole. I stood up. Just in front of me the snowdrift had fallen away and made a sort of ditch. I made a step and jumped.

Puzzled, I dropped through the manhole too. I stood up. Just in front of me, the snowdrift had fallen away, forming a sort of ditch. I took a step and jumped.

I found myself flying through the air, saw the rock on which he stood coming to meet me, clutched it and clung in a state of infinite amazement.

I found myself flying through the air. I saw the rock he stood on coming toward me. I grabbed it and held on, utterly amazed.

I gasped a painful laugh. I was tremendously confused. Cavor bent down and shouted in piping tones for me to be careful.

I gasped out a painful laugh. I was extremely confused. Cavor bent down and shouted in a high-pitched voice for me to be careful.

I had forgotten that on the moon, with only an eighth part of the earth’s mass and a quarter of its diameter, my weight was barely a sixth what it was on earth. But now that fact insisted on being remembered.

I had forgotten that on the moon, I weighed barely a sixth of what I did on earth. The moon has only an eighth of the earth’s mass and a quarter of its diameter. But now that fact demanded my attention.

“We are out of Mother Earth’s leading-strings now,” he said.

“We’re no longer tied to Mother Earth,” he said.

With a guarded effort I raised myself to the top, and moving as cautiously as a rheumatic patient, stood up beside him under the blaze of the sun. The sphere lay behind us on its dwindling snowdrift thirty feet away.

I carefully climbed to the top. Moving as cautiously as someone with rheumatism, I stood beside him in the blazing sun. The sphere lay thirty feet behind us on its shrinking snowdrift.

As far as the eye could see over the enormous disorder of rocks that formed the crater floor, the same bristling scrub that surrounded us was starting into life, diversified here and there by bulging masses of a cactus form, and scarlet and purple lichens that grew so fast they seemed to crawl over the rocks. The whole area of the crater seemed to me then to be one similar wilderness up to the very foot of the surrounding cliff.

As far as the eye could see, the crater floor was covered in a vast jumble of rocks. Everywhere, the same bristling scrub that surrounded us was coming to life. Here and there, bulging cactus-like masses grew among it. Scarlet and purple lichens grew so fast that they seemed to crawl over the rocks. The whole crater seemed to me then to be the same kind of wilderness, all the way to the foot of the surrounding cliff.

This cliff was apparently bare of vegetation save at its base, and with buttresses and terraces and platforms that did not very greatly attract our attention at the time. It was many miles away from us in every direction; we seemed to be almost at the centre of the crater, and we saw it through a certain haziness that drove before the wind. For there was even a wind now in the thin air, a swift yet weak wind that chilled exceedingly but exerted little pressure. It was blowing round the crater, as it seemed, to the hot illuminated side from the foggy darkness under the sunward wall. It was difficult to look into this eastward fog; we had to peer with half-closed eyes beneath the shade of our hands, because of the fierce intensity of the motionless sun.

The cliff seemed bare of vegetation except at its base. Its buttresses, terraces, and platforms did not attract much of our attention at the time. The cliff was many miles away from us in every direction, and we seemed to be almost at the center of the crater. We saw it through a haze that drifted before the wind. There was even a wind now in the thin air. It was swift but weak, bitterly cold but exerting little pressure. It seemed to blow around the crater, from the foggy darkness beneath the sunward wall toward the hot, illuminated side. It was hard to see into the fog to the east. We had to shade our eyes with our hands and peer through half-closed eyes because of the fierce intensity of the motionless sun.

“It seems to be deserted,” said Cavor, “absolutely desolate.”

“It seems deserted,” said Cavor, “completely desolate.”

I looked about me again. I retained even then a clinging hope of some quasi-human evidence, some pinnacle of building, some house or engine, but everywhere one looked spread the tumbled rocks in peaks and crests, and the darting scrub and those bulging cacti that swelled and swelled, a flat negation as it seemed of all such hope.

I looked around again. Even then, I still clung to some hope of finding evidence of something like human life. Perhaps a building's peak, a house, or a machine. But everywhere I looked, there were jumbled rocks rising in peaks and ridges, darting scrub, and those bulging cacti that swelled and swelled. It all seemed to deny any such hope outright.

“It looks as though these plants had it to themselves,” I said. “I see no trace of any other creature.”

“It looks as though these plants have the place to themselves,” I said. “I see no sign of any other creature.”

“No insects—no birds, no! Not a trace, not a scrap nor particle of animal life. If there was—what would they do in the night? ... No; there’s just these plants alone.”

“No insects, no birds, no! Not a trace, not a scrap or particle of animal life. If there were any, what would they do at night? ... No, there are just these plants alone.”

I shaded my eyes with my hand. “It’s like the landscape of a dream. These things are less like earthly land plants than the things one imagines among the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Look at that yonder! One might imagine it a lizard changed into a plant. And the glare!”

I shaded my eyes with my hand. “It’s like a landscape from a dream. These things are less like plants on Earth than what you might imagine among rocks on the ocean floor. Look at that over there! You could imagine it was a lizard turned into a plant. And the glare!”

“This is only the fresh morning,” said Cavor.

“This is just the fresh morning,” said Cavor.

He sighed and looked about him. “This is no world for men,” he said. “And yet in a way—it appeals.”

He sighed and looked around. “This is no world for men,” he said. “And yet, in a way, it appeals to me.”

He became silent for a time, then commenced his meditative humming.

He was silent for a while, then began humming thoughtfully.

I started at a gentle touch, and found a thin sheet of livid lichen lapping over my shoe. I kicked at it and it fell to powder, and each speck began to grow.

I flinched at a gentle touch and saw a thin sheet of pale lichen curling over my shoe. I kicked it, and it crumbled into powder. Each speck began to grow.

I heard Cavor exclaim sharply, and perceived that one of the fixed bayonets of the scrub had pricked him. He hesitated, his eyes sought among the rocks about us. A sudden blaze of pink had crept up a ragged pillar of crag. It was a most extraordinary pink, a livid magenta.

I heard Cavor cry out sharply and saw that one of the scrub's fixed bayonets had pricked him. He hesitated and searched the rocks around us with his eyes. A sudden blaze of pink had crept up a jagged pillar of rock. It was an extraordinary pink, a livid magenta.

“Look!” said I, turning, and behold Cavor had vanished.

“Look!” I said, turning around, but Cavor had vanished.

For an instant I stood transfixed. Then I made a hasty step to look over the verge of the rock. But in my surprise at his disappearance I forgot once more that we were on the moon. The thrust of my foot that I made in striding would have carried me a yard on earth; on the moon it carried me six—a good five yards over the edge. For the moment the thing had something of the effect of those nightmares when one falls and falls. For while one falls sixteen feet in the first second of a fall on earth, on the moon one falls two, and with only a sixth of one’s weight. I fell, or rather I jumped down, about ten yards I suppose. It seemed to take quite a long time, five or six seconds, I should think. I floated through the air and fell like a feather, knee-deep in a snow-drift in the bottom of a gully of blue-grey, white-veined rock.

For a moment I stood frozen. Then I hurried forward to look over the edge of the rock. But in my surprise at his disappearance, I forgot once again that we were on the moon. The push of my foot would have carried me one yard on Earth. On the moon it carried me six, a good five yards over the edge. For a moment, it felt something like those nightmares where you fall and fall. On Earth, you fall sixteen feet in the first second. On the moon, you fall two feet, and you weigh only a sixth as much. I fell, or rather jumped down, about ten yards, I suppose. It seemed to take quite a long time, five or six seconds, I should think. I floated through the air and fell like a feather, landing knee-deep in a snowdrift. It lay at the bottom of a gully in blue-grey rock streaked with white.

I looked about me. “Cavor!” I cried; but no Cavor was visible.

I looked around. “Cavor!” I cried, but Cavor was nowhere in sight.

“Cavor!” I cried louder, and the rocks echoed me.

“Cavor!” I shouted louder, and the rocks echoed my voice.

I turned fiercely to the rocks and clambered to the summit of them. “Cavor!” I cried. My voice sounded like the voice of a lost lamb.

I turned fiercely toward the rocks and scrambled to the top. “Cavor!” I cried. My voice sounded like a lost lamb’s.

The sphere, too, was not in sight, and for a moment a horrible feeling of desolation pinched my heart.

The sphere was also out of sight. For a moment, a terrible feeling of loneliness gripped my heart.

Then I saw him. He was laughing and gesticulating to attract my attention. He was on a bare patch of rock twenty or thirty yards away. I could not hear his voice, but “jump” said his gestures. I hesitated, the distance seemed enormous. Yet I reflected that surely I must be able to clear a greater distance than Cavor.

Then I saw him. He was laughing and waving his arms to get my attention. He was on a bare patch of rock twenty or thirty yards away. I could not hear his voice, but his gestures said “jump”. I hesitated. The distance seemed enormous. Yet I thought I surely must be able to jump farther than Cavor.

I made a step back, gathered myself together, and leapt with all my might. I seemed to shoot right up in the air as though I should never come down.

I stepped back, gathered myself, and jumped with all my might. I seemed to shoot straight up into the air, as if I would never come down.

It was horrible and delightful, and as wild as a nightmare, to go flying off in this fashion. I realised my leap had been altogether too violent. I flew clean over Cavor’s head and beheld a spiky confusion in a gully spreading to meet my fall. I gave a yelp of alarm. I put out my hands and straightened my legs.

Flying off like that was horrible and delightful, and as wild as a nightmare. I realized I had leaped much too hard. I flew right over Cavor’s head and saw a tangle of spikes in a gully below me. I let out a yelp of alarm. I reached out my hands and straightened my legs.

I hit a huge fungoid bulk that burst all about me, scattering a mass of orange spores in every direction, and covering me with orange powder. I rolled over spluttering, and came to rest convulsed with breathless laughter.

I hit a huge mass of fungus that burst around me. It scattered orange spores in every direction and covered me in orange powder. I rolled over, spluttering, and came to a stop, shaking with breathless laughter.

I became aware of Cavor’s little round face peering over a bristling hedge. He shouted some faded inquiry. “Eh?” I tried to shout, but could not do so for want of breath. He made his way towards me, coming gingerly among the bushes.

I noticed Cavor’s little round face peering over a prickly hedge. He shouted a question I could barely hear. “Eh?” I tried to shout, but I was too out of breath. He made his way toward me, stepping carefully among the bushes.

“We’ve got to be careful,” he said. “This moon has no discipline. She’ll let us smash ourselves.”

“We have to be careful,” he said. “This moon has no discipline. She’ll let us smash ourselves.”

He helped me to my feet. “You exerted yourself too much,” he said, dabbing at the yellow stuff with his hand to remove it from my garments.

He helped me to my feet. “You pushed yourself too hard,” he said, dabbing at the yellow stuff with his hand to remove it from my clothes.

I stood passive and panting, allowing him to beat off the jelly from my knees and elbows and lecture me upon my misfortunes. “We don’t quite allow for the gravitation. Our muscles are scarcely educated yet. We must practise a little, when you have got your breath.”

I stood still, panting, while he brushed the jelly off my knees and elbows and lectured me about my troubles. “We haven’t quite accounted for gravity. Our muscles are still barely trained. We must practice a little once you’ve caught your breath.”

I pulled two or three little thorns out of my hand, and sat for a time on a boulder of rock. My muscles were quivering, and I had that feeling of personal disillusionment that comes at the first fall to the learner of cycling on earth.

I pulled two or three small thorns from my hand and sat on a boulder for a while. My muscles were trembling. I felt the same disappointment in myself that a person learning to ride a bicycle feels after their first fall on Earth.

It suddenly occurred to Cavor that the cold air in the gully, after the brightness of the sun, might give me a fever. So we clambered back into the sunlight. We found that beyond a few abrasions I had received no serious injuries from my tumble, and at Cavor’s suggestion we were presently looking round for some safe and easy landing-place for my next leap. We chose a rocky slab some ten yards off, separated from us by a little thicket of olive-green spikes.

Cavor suddenly realized that the cold air in the gully, after the bright sunshine, might give me a fever. So we climbed back into the sunlight. We found that my fall had left me with only a few scrapes and no serious injuries. At Cavor’s suggestion, we soon began looking for a safe, easy place for me to land on my next leap. We chose a flat rock about ten yards away, with a small thicket of olive-green spikes between us and the rock.

“Imagine it there!” said Cavor, who was assuming the airs of a trainer, and he pointed to a spot about four feet from my toes. This leap I managed without difficulty, and I must confess I found a certain satisfaction in Cavor’s falling short by a foot or so and tasting the spikes of the scrub. “One has to be careful, you see,” he said, pulling out his thorns, and with that he ceased to be my mentor and became my fellow-learner in the art of lunar locomotion.

“Imagine it there!” said Cavor, acting like a trainer. He pointed to a spot about four feet from my toes. I made the jump easily. I must admit I was rather pleased when Cavor fell about a foot short and landed in the prickly bushes. “You have to be careful, you see,” he said, pulling out the thorns. With that, he stopped being my teacher and joined me in learning how to move around on the Moon.

We chose a still easier jump and did it without difficulty, and then leapt back again, and to and fro several times, accustoming our muscles to the new standard. I could never have believed had I not experienced it, how rapid that adaptation would be. In a very little time indeed, certainly after fewer than thirty leaps, we could judge the effort necessary for a distance with almost terrestrial assurance.

We chose an even easier jump and made it without difficulty. Then we jumped back and forth several times, getting our muscles used to the new conditions. If I had not experienced it myself, I could never have believed how quickly we adapted. Very soon, certainly after fewer than thirty jumps, we could judge how much effort a distance required almost as confidently as on Earth.

And all this time the lunar plants were growing around us, higher and denser and more entangled, every moment thicker and taller, spiked plants, green cactus masses, fungi, fleshy and lichenous things, strangest radiate and sinuous shapes. But we were so intent upon our leaping, that for a time we gave no heed to their unfaltering expansion.

All this time, the lunar plants were growing around us. They grew taller, denser, and more tangled with every moment. There were spiky plants, masses of green cacti, fungi, and fleshy, lichen-like growths in the strangest radiating and twisting shapes. But we were so focused on leaping that, for a while, we paid no attention to their steady growth.

An extraordinary elation had taken possession of us. Partly, I think, it was our sense of release from the confinement of the sphere. Mainly, however, the thin sweetness of the air, which I am certain contained a much larger proportion of oxygen than our terrestrial atmosphere. In spite of the strange quality of all about us, I felt as adventurous and experimental as a cockney would do placed for the first time among mountains and I do not think it occurred to either of us, face to face though we were with the unknown, to be very greatly afraid.

An extraordinary excitement had taken hold of us. I think it was partly because we were free from the confinement of the sphere. But it was mainly because of the thin, sweet air. I am certain it contained much more oxygen than the air on Earth. Everything around us was strange. Even so, I felt as eager for adventure and exploration as a Londoner seeing mountains for the first time. And though we faced the unknown, I do not think either of us thought to be very afraid.

We were bitten by a spirit of enterprise. We selected a lichenous kopje perhaps fifteen yards away, and landed neatly on its summit one after the other. “Good!” we cried to each other; “good!” and Cavor made three steps and went off to a tempting slope of snow a good twenty yards and more beyond. I stood for a moment struck by the grotesque effect of his soaring figure—his dirty cricket cap, and spiky hair, his little round body, his arms and his knicker-bockered legs tucked up tightly—against the weird spaciousness of the lunar scene. A gust of laughter seized me, and then I stepped off to follow. Plump! I dropped beside him.

We were seized by a spirit of adventure. We chose a small, lichen-covered hill perhaps fifteen yards away and landed neatly on its summit, one after the other. “Good!” we cried to each other. “Good!” Cavor took three steps and leaped toward an inviting slope of snow, a good twenty yards or more beyond. For a moment, I stood struck by how grotesque he looked as he soared across the strange, vast lunar landscape. He wore a dirty cricket cap over his spiky hair. His arms and knickerbocker-clad legs were tucked tightly against his little round body. A burst of laughter seized me, and then I stepped off to follow him. Plump! I dropped beside him.

We made a few gargantuan strides, leapt three or four times more, and sat down at last in a lichenous hollow. Our lungs were painful. We sat holding our sides and recovering our breath, looking appreciation to one another. Cavor panted something about “amazing sensations.” And then came a thought into my head. For the moment it did not seem a particularly appalling thought, simply a natural question arising out of the situation.

We took a few enormous strides, leaped three or four more times, and finally sat down in a hollow covered with lichen. Our lungs hurt. We held our sides and caught our breath, exchanging appreciative looks. Cavor panted something about “amazing sensations.” Then a thought came into my head. At the time, it did not seem particularly frightening. It was simply a natural question that arose from our situation.

“By the way,” I said, “where exactly is the sphere?”

“By the way,” I said, “where exactly is the sphere?”

Cavor looked at me. “Eh?”

Cavor looked at me. “Huh?”

The full meaning of what we were saying struck me sharply.

The full meaning of what we were saying suddenly hit me.

“Cavor!” I cried, laying a hand on his arm, “where is the sphere?”

“Cavor!” I cried, putting a hand on his arm. “Where is the sphere?”