Chapter 21

           ‘Idon’tsupposeanyofyouhaveeverheardofPatusan?’Marlowresumed,afterasilenceoccupiedinthecarefullightingofacigar.‘Itdoesnotmatter;there’smanyaheavenlybodyinthelotcrowdinguponusofanightthatmankindhadneverheardof,itbeingoutsidethesphereofitsactivitiesandofnoearthlyimportancetoanybodybuttotheastronomerswhoarepaidtotalklearnedlyaboutitscomposition,weight,paththeirregularitiesofitsconduct,theaberrationsofitslightasortofscientificscandal-mongering.ThuswithPatusan.ItwasreferredtoknowinglyintheinnergovernmentcirclesinBatavia,especiallyastoitsirregularitiesandaberrations,anditwasknownbynametosomefew,veryfew,inthemercantileworld.Nobody,however,hadbeenthere,andIsuspectnoonedesiredtogothereinpersonjustasanastronomer,Ishouldfancy,wouldstronglyobjecttobeingtransportedintoadistantheavenlybody,where,partedfromhisearthlyemoluments,hewouldbebewilderedbytheviewofanunfamiliarheaven.However,neitherheavenlybodiesnorastronomershaveanythingtodowithPatusan.ItwasJimwhowentthere.IonlymeantyoutounderstandthathadSteinarrangedtosendhimintoastarofthefifthmagnitudethechangecouldnothavebeengreater.Helefthisearthlyfailingsbehindhimandwhatsortofreputationhehad,andtherewasatotallynewsetofconditionsforhisimaginativefacultytoworkupon.Entirelynew,entirelyremarkable.Andhegotholdoftheminaremarkableway.

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