The Time Traveller Returns

“So I came back. For a long time I must have been insensible upon the machine. The blinking succession of the days and nights was resumed, the sun got golden again, the sky blue. I breathed with greater freedom. The fluctuating contours of the land ebbed and flowed. The hands spun backward upon the dials. At last I saw again the dim shadows of houses, the evidences of decadent humanity. These, too, changed and passed, and others came. Presently, when the million dial was at zero, I slackened speed. I began to recognise our own pretty and familiar architecture, the thousands hand ran back to the starting-point, the night and day flapped slower and slower. Then the old walls of the laboratory came round me. Very gently, now, I slowed the mechanism down.

“So I came back. I must have been unconscious on the machine for a long time. Days and nights began flashing past again. The sun turned golden again, and the sky turned blue. I breathed more freely. The shifting outlines of the land rose and fell. The hands spun backward on the dials. At last I again saw the faint shadows of houses, signs of humanity in decline. These houses, too, changed and disappeared, and others took their place. Soon, when the million dial reached zero, I slowed down. I began to recognize our own lovely, familiar architecture. The hand on the thousands dial moved back to its starting point. Night and day flickered past more and more slowly. Then the old laboratory walls appeared around me. Very gently now, I slowed the mechanism down.

“I saw one little thing that seemed odd to me. I think I have told you that when I set out, before my velocity became very high, Mrs. Watchett had walked across the room, travelling, as it seemed to me, like a rocket. As I returned, I passed again across that minute when she traversed the laboratory. But now her every motion appeared to be the exact inversion of her previous ones. The door at the lower end opened, and she glided quietly up the laboratory, back foremost, and disappeared behind the door by which she had previously entered. Just before that I seemed to see Hillyer for a moment; but he passed like a flash.

“I noticed one little thing that seemed odd to me. I think I told you that Mrs. Watchett walked across the room when I set out. I was not yet moving very fast, but she seemed to me to move like a rocket. As I returned, I passed through that same minute when she crossed the laboratory. But now every movement she made seemed to be the exact reverse of her earlier movements. The door at the far end opened, and she glided quietly backward through the laboratory. She disappeared behind the door she had entered through before. Just before she did, I seemed to see Hillyer for a moment, but he passed like a flash.

“Then I stopped the machine, and saw about me again the old familiar laboratory, my tools, my appliances just as I had left them. I got off the thing very shakily, and sat down upon my bench. For several minutes I trembled violently. Then I became calmer. Around me was my old workshop again, exactly as it had been. I might have slept there, and the whole thing have been a dream.

“Then I stopped the machine and saw my old, familiar laboratory around me again. My tools and equipment were just as I had left them. I climbed off the machine very shakily and sat down on my bench. For several minutes I shook violently. Then I grew calmer. I was back in my old workshop, exactly as I had left it. I might have fallen asleep there, and the whole experience might have been a dream.

“And yet, not exactly! The thing had started from the south-east corner of the laboratory. It had come to rest again in the north-west, against the wall where you saw it. That gives you the exact distance from my little lawn to the pedestal of the White Sphinx, into which the Morlocks had carried my machine.

“And yet, not exactly! The machine had started in the southeast corner of the laboratory. It had stopped again in the northwest corner, against the wall where you saw it. That movement gives you the exact distance from my little lawn to the White Sphinx’s pedestal. The Morlocks had carried my machine inside that pedestal.

“For a time my brain went stagnant. Presently I got up and came through the passage here, limping, because my heel was still painful, and feeling sorely begrimed. I saw the Pall Mall Gazette on the table by the door. I found the date was indeed today, and looking at the timepiece, saw the hour was almost eight o’clock. I heard your voices and the clatter of plates. I hesitated—I felt so sick and weak. Then I sniffed good wholesome meat, and opened the door on you. You know the rest. I washed, and dined, and now I am telling you the story.

“For a while, my mind went blank. After a time, I got up and came through the passage here. I was limping because my heel still hurt, and I felt terribly dirty. I saw the Pall Mall Gazette on the table by the door. I checked the date and found it really was today’s paper. Then I looked at the clock and saw it was almost eight o’clock. I heard your voices and the clatter of plates. I hesitated because I felt so sick and weak. Then I smelled good, wholesome meat and opened the door to join you. You know the rest. I washed and ate dinner, and now I am telling you the story.