Железный человек
The Space-Being and the Iron Man
Aircraftflewnearthisspace-bat-angel-dragon,takingphotographs. ItlayoverAustraliahigherthananymountains,higherthantheHinduKushinAsia, anditsheadalonewasthesizeofItaly.
Forawholeday,whilethepeopleoftheearthtrembledandweptandprayedtoGodtosavethem, thespace-bat-angel-dragonlayresting,itschinsunkintheIndianOcean, theseacomingnotquiteuptoitsbottomlip.
Butthenextmorning,early,itsgiantvoicecamerumblingroundtheworld. Thespace-bat-angel-dragonwasspeaking. Itwantedtobefed.Andwhatitwantedtoeatwas–livingthings. People,animals,forests,itdidn’tcarewhich,solongasthefoodwasalive. Butithadbetterbefedquickly,otherwiseitwouldrolloutitstonguelongerthantheTrans-Siberianrailway, andlickhugeswathesoflifeoffthesurfaceoftheearth –cities,forests,farmlands,whatevertherewas. Itwouldleavetheworldlookinglikeacharredpebble–unlessitwerefedandfedquickly.
Itsvoiceshookandrumbledaroundtheearthforawholehourasitdelivereditsmessage. Finallyitended,andlaywaiting.
Thepeoplesoftheworldgottogether. Iftheyfedit,howcouldtheyeversatisfyit? Itwouldneverbefull,andeverynewdayitwouldbeashungryasever.HowcanyoufeedabeastthesizeofAustralia? Australiaisavastland,allthecountriesofEuropewillfiteasilyintoAustralia. Themonster’sstomachalonemustbethesizeofGermany.
No,theywouldnotfeedit.
