Машина времени

           ‘Ilookedaboutmetoseeifanytracesofanimalliferemained. Acertainindefinableapprehensionstillkeptmeinthesaddleofthemachine. ButIsawnothingmoving,inearthorskyorsea. Thegreenslimeontherocksalonetestifiedthatlifewasnotextinct. Ashallowsandbankhadappearedintheseaandthewaterhadrecededfromthebeach. IfanciedIsawsomeblackobjectfloppingaboutuponthisbank,butitbecamemotionlessasIlookedatit,andIjudgedthatmyeyehadbeendeceived,andthattheblackobjectwasmerelyarock. Thestarsintheskywereintenselybrightandseemedtometotwinkleverylittle. 

           ‘SuddenlyInoticedthatthecircularwestwardoutlineofthesunhadchanged; thataconcavity,abay,hadappearedinthecurve. Isawthisgrowlarger. ForaminuteperhapsIstaredaghastatthisblacknessthatwascreepingovertheday,andthenIrealizedthataneclipsewasbeginning. EitherthemoonortheplanetMercurywaspassingacrossthesun’sdisk. Naturally,atfirstItookittobethemoon,butthereismuchtoinclinemetobelievethatwhatIreallysawwasthetransitofaninnerplanetpassingveryneartotheearth. 

           ‘Thedarknessgrewapace; acoldwindbegantoblowinfresheninggustsfromtheeast,andtheshoweringwhiteflakesintheairincreasedinnumber. Fromtheedgeoftheseacamearippleandwhisper. Beyondtheselifelesssoundstheworldwassilent. Silent? Itwouldbehardtoconveythestillnessofit. Allthesoundsofman,thebleatingofsheep,thecriesofbirds,thehumofinsects,thestirthatmakesthebackgroundofourlives—allthatwasover. Asthedarknessthickened,theeddyingflakesgrewmoreabundant,dancingbeforemyeyes;andthecoldoftheairmoreintense.