The White Sphinx’s Trap

“About eight or nine in the morning I came to the same seat of yellow metal from which I had viewed the world upon the evening of my arrival. I thought of my hasty conclusions upon that evening and could not refrain from laughing bitterly at my confidence. Here was the same beautiful scene, the same abundant foliage, the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its fertile banks. The gay robes of the beautiful people moved hither and thither among the trees. Some were bathing in exactly the place where I had saved Weena, and that suddenly gave me a keen stab of pain. And like blots upon the landscape rose the cupolas above the ways to the Underworld. I understood now what all the beauty of the Overworld people covered. Very pleasant was their day, as pleasant as the day of the cattle in the field. Like the cattle, they knew of no enemies and provided against no needs. And their end was the same.

“About eight or nine in the morning, I returned to the same yellow metal seat. From there, I had looked out over the world on the evening of my arrival. I thought of the hasty conclusions I had drawn that evening and couldn't help laughing bitterly at my confidence. Here was the same beautiful scene, the same lush greenery, the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins. The same silver river flowed between its fertile banks. The beautiful people in their brightly colored robes moved back and forth among the trees. Some were bathing in the very place where I had saved Weena. The sight suddenly brought a sharp stab of pain. And like blots on the landscape, domes rose above the entrances to the Underworld. I now understood what all the beauty of the Overworld people concealed. Their days were very pleasant, as pleasant as those of cattle in a field. Like cattle, they knew of no enemies and made no provision for their needs. And their end was the same.”

“I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide. It had set itself steadfastly towards comfort and ease, a balanced society with security and permanency as its watchword, it had attained its hopes—to come to this at last. Once, life and property must have reached almost absolute safety. The rich had been assured of his wealth and comfort, the toiler assured of his life and work. No doubt in that perfect world there had been no unemployed problem, no social question left unsolved. And a great quiet had followed.

“I grieved to think how short the dream of human intelligence had been. It had killed itself. It had steadily pursued comfort and ease, a balanced society guided by security and permanence. It had achieved its hopes, only to end like this. At one time, life and property must have been almost completely safe. The rich had been guaranteed their wealth and comfort, and workers their lives and jobs. No doubt that perfect world had faced no unemployment problem and left no social issue unsolved. And a great stillness had followed.

“It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers.

“We overlook a law of nature: mental flexibility is what animals gain in return for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly suited to its environment is a perfect machine. Nature only calls on intelligence when habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need for change. Only animals that must face a huge variety of needs and dangers have intelligence.

“So, as I see it, the Upperworld man had drifted towards his feeble prettiness, and the Underworld to mere mechanical industry. But that perfect state had lacked one thing even for mechanical perfection—absolute permanency. Apparently as time went on, the feeding of an Underworld, however it was effected, had become disjointed. Mother Necessity, who had been staved off for a few thousand years, came back again, and she began below. The Underworld being in contact with machinery, which, however perfect, still needs some little thought outside habit, had probably retained perforce rather more initiative, if less of every other human character, than the Upper. And when other meat failed them, they turned to what old habit had hitherto forbidden. So I say I saw it in my last view of the world of Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One. It may be as wrong an explanation as mortal wit could invent. It is how the thing shaped itself to me, and as that I give it to you.

“So, as I see it, the Upperworld man had drifted towards a weak, delicate beauty. The Underworld man had become little more than a machine worker. But that perfect state lacked one thing, even for mechanical perfection: the ability to last forever. Apparently, as time went on, the supply of food to the Underworld began to break down, however it was managed. Mother Necessity had been kept away for a few thousand years. Now she returned, and she began below. The people of the Underworld worked with machinery. However perfect the machinery, using it still requires a little thought beyond habit. So they had probably been forced to keep rather more initiative than the people of the Upperworld. Yet they had less of every other human quality. And when other meat ran out, they turned to what long-standing habit had forbidden until then. That, I say, was how I understood my final view of the world of Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One. My explanation may be as wrong as any the human mind could invent. But that is how it all seemed to me, and I offer the explanation to you as such.

“After the fatigues, excitements, and terrors of the past days, and in spite of my grief, this seat and the tranquil view and the warm sunlight were very pleasant. I was very tired and sleepy, and soon my theorising passed into dozing. Catching myself at that, I took my own hint, and spreading myself out upon the turf I had a long and refreshing sleep.

“After the exhaustion, excitement, and terror of the past few days, the seat, peaceful view, and warm sunlight felt very pleasant. They comforted me despite my grief. I was very tired and sleepy, and soon I stopped forming theories and began to doze. When I caught myself dozing, I took the hint. I stretched out on the grass and had a long, refreshing sleep.

“I awoke a little before sunsetting. I now felt safe against being caught napping by the Morlocks, and, stretching myself, I came on down the hill towards the White Sphinx. I had my crowbar in one hand, and the other hand played with the matches in my pocket.

“I woke shortly before sunset. I now felt safe from being caught asleep by the Morlocks. I stretched and headed down the hill towards the White Sphinx. I held my crowbar in one hand and played with the matches in my pocket with the other.

“And now came a most unexpected thing. As I approached the pedestal of the sphinx I found the bronze valves were open. They had slid down into grooves.

“And then something completely unexpected happened. As I approached the sphinx’s pedestal, I found the bronze doors open. The doors had slid down into grooves.

“At that I stopped short before them, hesitating to enter.

“At that, I stopped suddenly in front of them, hesitating to go in.

“Within was a small apartment, and on a raised place in the corner of this was the Time Machine. I had the small levers in my pocket. So here, after all my elaborate preparations for the siege of the White Sphinx, was a meek surrender. I threw my iron bar away, almost sorry not to use it.

“Inside was a small room, with the Time Machine on a raised platform in the corner. I had the small levers in my pocket. So, after all my elaborate preparations to lay siege to the White Sphinx, here was a meek surrender. I threw away my iron bar, almost sorry not to use it.

“A sudden thought came into my head as I stooped towards the portal. For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks. Suppressing a strong inclination to laugh, I stepped through the bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned. I have suspected since that the Morlocks had even partially taken it to pieces while trying in their dim way to grasp its purpose.

“A sudden thought struck me as I bent toward the doorway. For once, at least, I understood how the Morlocks were thinking. Holding back a strong urge to laugh, I stepped through the bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find the machine carefully oiled and cleaned. Since then, I have suspected that the Morlocks had even partly taken the machine apart. They had done so while trying, with their limited understanding, to work out its purpose.

“Now as I stood and examined it, finding a pleasure in the mere touch of the contrivance, the thing I had expected happened. The bronze panels suddenly slid up and struck the frame with a clang. I was in the dark—trapped. So the Morlocks thought. At that I chuckled gleefully.

“Now as I stood examining it, enjoying the mere touch of the machine, what I had expected happened. The bronze panels suddenly slid up and hit the frame with a clang. I was in the dark, trapped. Or so the Morlocks thought. At that thought, I chuckled with delight.

“I could already hear their murmuring laughter as they came towards me. Very calmly I tried to strike the match. I had only to fix on the levers and depart then like a ghost. But I had overlooked one little thing. The matches were of that abominable kind that light only on the box.

“I could already hear their quiet laughter as they came towards me. Very calmly, I tried to strike the match. I only had to attach the levers and then leave like a ghost. But I had overlooked one little thing. The matches were the wretched kind that light only when struck on the box.

“You may imagine how all my calm vanished. The little brutes were close upon me. One touched me. I made a sweeping blow in the dark at them with the levers, and began to scramble into the saddle of the machine. Then came one hand upon me and then another. Then I had simply to fight against their persistent fingers for my levers, and at the same time feel for the studs over which these fitted. One, indeed, they almost got away from me. As it slipped from my hand, I had to butt in the dark with my head—I could hear the Morlock’s skull ring—to recover it. It was a nearer thing than the fight in the forest, I think, this last scramble.

“You can imagine how all my calm vanished. The little brutes were almost on top of me. One touched me. I swung the levers at them in the dark and began scrambling into the machine’s saddle. Then one hand grabbed me, and then another. Then I had to fight their persistent fingers for my levers while feeling for the studs the levers fitted onto. They nearly snatched one lever away from me. As the lever slipped from my hand, I had to headbutt a Morlock in the dark to recover it. I could hear the Morlock’s skull ring. I think this final struggle was an even closer call than the fight in the forest.”

“But at last the lever was fixed and pulled over. The clinging hands slipped from me. The darkness presently fell from my eyes. I found myself in the same grey light and tumult I have already described.

“But at last the lever was secured and pulled over. The hands gripping me slipped away. Soon the darkness cleared from my eyes. I found myself in the same grey light and turmoil I have already described.