Chapter 12

The Selenite’s Face

7 min

I found myself sitting crouched together in a tumultuous darkness. For a long time I could not understand where I was, nor how I had come to this perplexity. I thought of the cupboard into which I had been thrust at times when I was a child, and then of a very dark and noisy bedroom in which I had slept during an illness. But these sounds about me were not the noises I had known, and there was a thin flavour in the air like the wind of a stable. Then I supposed we must still be at work upon the sphere, and that somehow I had got into the cellar of Cavor’s house. I remembered we had finished the sphere, and fancied I must still be in it and travelling through space.

I found myself sitting hunched up in noisy darkness. For a long time, I could not understand where I was or how I had come to be there. I thought of the cupboard where I had sometimes been shut as a child. Then I thought of a very dark, noisy bedroom where I had slept while I was ill. But the sounds around me were not ones I knew, and the air had a faint smell like a stable. Then I thought we must still be working on the sphere, and that somehow I had gotten into the cellar of Cavor’s house. I remembered that we had finished the sphere. I imagined I must still be inside it, traveling through space.

“Cavor,” I said, “cannot we have some light?”

“Cavor,” I said, “can we have some light?”

There came no answer.

There was no answer.

“Cavor!” I insisted.

I was answered by a groan. “My head!” I heard him say; “my head!”

He answered with a groan. “My head!” I heard him say. “My head!”

I attempted to press my hands to my brow, which ached, and discovered they were tied together. This startled me very much. I brought them up to my mouth and felt the cold smoothness of metal. They were chained together. I tried to separate my legs and made out they were similarly fastened, and also that I was fastened to the ground by a much thicker chain about the middle of my body.

I tried to press my hands to my aching forehead and discovered they were tied together. This startled me. I brought my hands to my mouth and felt the cold, smooth metal. They were chained together. I tried to separate my legs and realized they were fastened too. A much thicker chain around my body also fastened me to the ground.

I was more frightened than I had yet been by anything in all our strange experiences. For a time I tugged silently at my bonds. “Cavor!” I cried out sharply. “Why am I tied? Why have you tied me hand and foot?”

I was more frightened than I had been by anything else in all our strange experiences. For a while, I silently pulled at my bonds. “Cavor!” I cried sharply. “Why am I tied up? Why have you tied my hands and feet?”

“I haven’t tied you,” he answered. “It’s the Selenites.”

“I didn’t tie you up,” he answered. “It was the Selenites.”

The Selenites! My mind hung on that for a space. Then my memories came back to me: the snowy desolation, the thawing of the air, the growth of the plants, our strange hopping and crawling among the rocks and vegetation of the crater. All the distress of our frantic search for the sphere returned to me.... Finally the opening of the great lid that covered the pit!

The Selenites! I dwelled on that for a while. Then my memories came back: the snowy wasteland, the thawing air, the growing plants. I remembered how strangely we had hopped and crawled among the rocks and plants in the crater. All the distress of our frantic search for the sphere came back to me.... Finally, I remembered the opening of the great lid that covered the pit!

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

Then, as I tried to remember how we had come to our present predicament, the pain in my head became unbearable. I hit a barrier I could not get past, a stubborn blank.

“Cavor!”

“Yes?”

“Where are we?”

“How should I know?”

“Are we dead?”

“What nonsense!”

“They’ve got us, then!”

He made no answer but a grunt. The lingering traces of the poison seemed to make him oddly irritable.

He answered only with a grunt. The lingering effects of the poison seemed to make him oddly irritable.

“What do you mean to do?”

“What do you plan to do?”

“How should I know what to do?”

“Oh, very well!” said I, and became silent. Presently, I was roused from a stupor. “O Lord!” I cried; “I wish you’d stop that buzzing!”

“Oh, all right!” I said, and fell silent. After a while, I was roused from a daze. “Oh, Lord!” I cried. “I wish you’d stop that buzzing!”

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

We fell silent again, listening to the dull jumble of noises that filled our ears. They sounded like the muffled sounds of a street or factory. I could make no sense of them. My mind followed first one rhythm, then another, trying in vain to understand them. But after a long time, I noticed a new, sharper sound. It did not blend with the rest but stood out against that cloudy background of noise. It was a series of relatively faint but distinct sounds, taps and rubbing noises. They sounded like a loose sprig of ivy brushing against a window or a bird moving around on a box. We listened and peered around us, but the darkness was like a velvet shroud. Then came a noise like the delicate movement of the parts inside a well-oiled lock. And then a thin, bright line appeared before me, seeming to hang in an immense blackness.

“Look!” whispered Cavor very softly.

“Look!” Cavor whispered very softly.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

We stared.

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

The thin, bright line became a band, growing wider and paler. It looked like bluish light falling on a whitewashed wall. Its sides were no longer parallel. A deep notch appeared on one side. I turned to point this out to Cavor. To my amazement, his ear was brilliantly lit, while the rest of him was in shadow. I turned my head as far as my restraints allowed. “Cavor,” I said, “it’s behind!”

His ear vanished—gave place to an eye!

His ear vanished, and an eye appeared in its place!

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

Suddenly, the crack letting in the light widened. It was the gap of a door opening. Beyond it stretched a sapphire-blue vista. In the doorway stood a grotesque figure, silhouetted against the glare.

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

We both tried desperately to turn, but failed and sat staring over our shoulders at it. At first, I thought it was some clumsy four-legged creature with its head lowered. Then I saw that it was a Selenite with a slender, pinched body and short, extremely thin, bowed legs. His head was lowered between his shoulders. He was not wearing the helmet and body covering they wear outside.

He was a blank, black figure to us, but instinctively our imaginations supplied features to his very human outline. I, at least, took it instantly that he was somewhat hunchbacked, with a high forehead and long features.

To us, he was a featureless black figure. But instinctively, we imagined features on his very human outline. I, at least, immediately pictured him as somewhat hunched, with a high forehead and a long face.

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

He took three steps forward and paused for a while. His movements seemed completely silent. Then he moved forward again. He walked like a bird, putting one foot in front of the other. He stepped out of the beam of light coming through the doorway. He seemed to vanish completely into the shadows.

For a moment my eyes sought him in the wrong place, and then I perceived him standing facing us both in the full light. Only the human features I had attributed to him were not there at all!

For a moment, I looked for him in the wrong place. Then I saw him standing in full light, facing us both. But the human features I had imagined he had were not there at all!

Of course I ought to have expected that, only I didn’t. It came to me as an absolute, for a moment an overwhelming shock. It seemed as though it wasn’t a face, as though it must needs be a mask, a horror, a deformity, that would presently be disavowed or explained. There was no nose, and the thing had dull bulging eyes at the side—in the silhouette I had supposed they were ears. There were no ears.... I have tried to draw one of these heads, but I cannot. There was a mouth, downwardly curved, like a human mouth in a face that stares ferociously....

Of course I should have expected that, but I didn’t. It came as a complete shock, overwhelming me for a moment. It didn’t seem to be a face. It seemed more like a mask, a horror, a deformity that would soon be disowned or explained. There was no nose, and the thing had dull, bulging eyes on the sides of its head. In the silhouette, I had thought they were ears. There were no ears.... I have tried to draw one of these heads, but I cannot. There was a downward-curving mouth, like a human mouth on a face staring ferociously....

The neck on which the head was poised was jointed in three places, almost like the short joints in the leg of a crab. The joints of the limbs I could not see, because of the puttee-like straps in which they were swathed, and which formed the only clothing the being wore.

The neck holding up the head had three joints, almost like the short joints in a crab’s leg. I could not see the joints in its limbs because they were wrapped in straps like leg bandages. The straps were the only clothing the being wore.

There the thing was, looking at us!

There it was, looking at us!

At the time my mind was taken up by the mad impossibility of the creature. I suppose he also was amazed, and with more reason, perhaps, for amazement than we. Only, confound him! he did not show it. We did at least know what had brought about this meeting of incompatible creatures. But conceive how it would seem to decent Londoners, for example, to come upon a couple of living things, as big as men and absolutely unlike any other earthly animals, careering about among the sheep in Hyde Park! It must have taken him like that.

At the time, I was completely absorbed by how wildly impossible the creature was. I suppose he was amazed too, and perhaps he had more reason to be than we did. But, damn him, he did not show it! At least we knew what had brought such incompatible creatures together. But imagine how respectable Londoners, for example, would feel if they came upon two living creatures in Hyde Park. Imagine the creatures were as big as men and completely unlike any other earthly animals, racing around among the sheep! It must have struck him that way.

Figure us! We were bound hand and foot, fagged and filthy; our beards two inches long, our faces scratched and bloody. Cavor you must imagine in his knickerbockers (torn in several places by the bayonet scrub) his Jaegar shirt and old cricket cap, his wiry hair wildly disordered, a tail to every quarter of the heavens. In that blue light his face did not look red but very dark, his lips and the drying blood upon my hands seemed black. If possible I was in a worse plight than he, on account of the yellow fungus into which I had jumped. Our jackets were unbuttoned, and our shoes had been taken off and lay at our feet. And we were sitting with our backs to this queer bluish light, peering at such a monster as Durer might have invented.

Picture us! Our hands and feet were tied, and we were exhausted and filthy. Our beards were two inches long, and our faces were scratched and bloody. Imagine Cavor in his knickerbockers, torn in several places by the bayonet scrub. He wore his Jaegar shirt and old cricket cap. His wiry hair was wildly disordered, with tufts sticking out in every direction. In the blue light, his face looked very dark rather than red. His lips and the drying blood on my hands seemed black. If anything, I was in worse shape than he was because of the yellow fungus I had jumped into. Our jackets were unbuttoned, and our shoes had been taken off and lay at our feet. We sat with our backs to this strange bluish light, peering at a monster Durer might have invented.

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

Cavor broke the silence. He started to speak, but his voice turned hoarse, and he cleared his throat. Outside, a terrible bellowing began, as if a mooncalf were in trouble. It ended in a shriek, and everything was quiet again.

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

Soon the Selenite turned and slipped into the shadows. At the door, it paused for a moment to look back, then closed the door on us. Once again, we were in the mysterious, murmuring darkness where we had awakened.