Машина времени
Chapter 10
‘AtthatIstoppedshortbeforethem,hesitatingtoenter.
‘Withinwasasmallapartment,andonaraisedplaceinthecornerofthiswastheTimeMachine. Ihadthesmallleversinmypocket. Sohere,afterallmyelaboratepreparationsforthesiegeoftheWhiteSphinx,wasameeksurrender. Ithrewmyironbaraway,almostsorrynottouseit.
‘AsuddenthoughtcameintomyheadasIstoopedtowardstheportal. Foronce,atleast,IgraspedthementaloperationsoftheMorlocks. Suppressingastronginclinationtolaugh,IsteppedthroughthebronzeframeanduptotheTimeMachine. Iwassurprisedtofindithadbeencarefullyoiledandcleaned. IhavesuspectedsincethattheMorlockshadevenpartiallytakenittopieceswhiletryingintheirdimwaytograspitspurpose.
‘NowasIstoodandexaminedit,findingapleasureinthemeretouchofthecontrivance,thethingIhadexpectedhappened. Thebronzepanelssuddenlyslidupandstrucktheframewithaclang. Iwasinthedark—trapped. SotheMorlocksthought. AtthatIchuckledgleefully.
‘Icouldalreadyheartheirmurmuringlaughterastheycametowardsme. VerycalmlyItriedtostrikethematch. Ihadonlytofixontheleversanddepartthenlikeaghost. ButIhadoverlookedonelittlething. Thematcheswereofthatabominablekindthatlightonlyonthebox.
‘Youmayimaginehowallmycalmvanished. Thelittlebruteswerecloseuponme. Onetouchedme. Imadeasweepingblowinthedarkatthemwiththelevers,andbegantoscrambleintothesaddleofthemachine. Thencameonehanduponmeandthenanother. ThenIhadsimplytofightagainsttheirpersistentfingersformylevers,andatthesametimefeelforthestudsoverwhichthesefitted.
