Машина времени

           ‘Thelandscapewasmistyandvague. Iwasstillonthehill-sideuponwhichthishousenowstands,andtheshoulderroseabovemegreyanddim. Isawtreesgrowingandchanginglikepuffsofvapour,nowbrown,nowgreen; theygrew,spread,shivered,andpassedaway. Isawhugebuildingsriseupfaintandfair,andpasslikedreams. Thewholesurfaceoftheearthseemedchanged—meltingandflowingundermyeyes. Thelittlehandsuponthedialsthatregisteredmyspeedracedroundfasterandfaster. PresentlyInotedthatthesunbeltswayedupanddown,fromsolsticetosolstice,inaminuteorless,andthatconsequentlymypacewasoverayearaminute; andminutebyminutethewhitesnowflashedacrosstheworld,andvanished,andwasfollowedbythebright,briefgreenofspring. 

           ‘Theunpleasantsensationsofthestartwerelesspoignantnow. Theymergedatlastintoakindofhystericalexhilaration. Iremarkedindeedaclumsyswayingofthemachine,forwhichIwasunabletoaccount. Butmymindwastooconfusedtoattendtoit,sowithakindofmadnessgrowinguponme,Iflungmyselfintofuturity. AtfirstIscarcethoughtofstopping,scarcethoughtofanythingbutthesenewsensations. Butpresentlyafreshseriesofimpressionsgrewupinmymind—acertaincuriosityandtherewithacertaindread—untilatlasttheytookcompletepossessionofme. Whatstrangedevelopmentsofhumanity,whatwonderfuladvancesuponourrudimentarycivilization,Ithought,mightnotappearwhenIcametolooknearlyintothedimelusiveworldthatracedandfluctuatedbeforemyeyes! Isawgreatandsplendidarchitecturerisingaboutme,moremassivethananybuildingsofourowntime,andyet,asitseemed,builtofglimmerandmist. Isawarichergreenflowupthehill-side,andremainthere,withoutanywintryintermission.