Отравленный пояс
Chapter III. Submerged
"IfyouallwanttoseeitthroughIamwithyou.It’sdoocedinterestin’,andnomistakeaboutthat.I’vehadmyshareofadventuresinmylife,andasmanythrillsasmostfolk,butI’mendin’onmytopnote."
"Grantingthecontinuityoflife,"saidChallenger.
"Alargeassumption!"criedSummerlee.Challengerstaredathiminsilentreproof.
"Grantingthecontinuityoflife,"saidhe,inhismostdidacticmanner,"noneofuscanpredicatewhatopportunitiesofobservationonemayhavefromwhatwemaycallthespiritplanetotheplaneofmatter.Itsurelymustbeevidenttothemostobtuseperson"(hereheglaredaSummerlee)"thatitiswhileweareourselvesmaterialthatwearemostfittedtowatchandformajudgmentuponmaterialphenomena.Thereforeitisonlybykeepingaliveforthesefewextrahoursthatwecanhopetocarryonwithustosomefutureexistenceaclearconceptionofthemoststupendouseventthattheworld,ortheuniversesofarasweknowit,haseverencountered.Tomeitwouldseemadeplorablethingthatweshouldinanywaycurtailbysomuchasaminutesowonderfulanexperience."
"Iamstronglyofthesameopinion,"criedSummerlee.
"Carriedwithoutadivision,"saidLordJohn."ByGeorge,thatpoordevilofachauffeurofyoursdownintheyardhasmadehislastjourney.Nousemakin’asallyandbringin’himin?"
"Itwouldbeabsolutemadness,"criedSummerlee.
"Well,Isupposeitwould,"saidLordJohn."Itcouldn’thelphimandwouldscatterourgasalloverthehouse,evenifweevergotbackalive.
