О дивный новый мир

           Andrapidly,withaseriesofritualgestures,heuncoiledtwowiresconnectedtotheportablebatterybuckledroundhiswaist;pluggedthemsimultaneouslyintothesidesofhisaluminumhat;touchedaspringonthecrown–andantennæshotupintotheair;touchedanotherspringonthepeakofthebrim–and,likeajack-in-the-box,outjumpedamicrophoneandhungthere,quivering,sixinchesinfrontofhisnose;pulleddownapairofreceiversoverhisears;pressedaswitchontheleftsideofthehat-andfromwithincameafaintwaspybuzzing;turnedaknobontheright–andthebuzzingwasinterruptedbyastethoscopicwheezeandcackle,byhiccoughsandsuddensqueaks."Hullo,"hesaidtothemicrophone,"hullo,hullo..."Abellsuddenlyranginsidehishat."Isthatyou,Edzel?PrimoMellonspeaking.Yes,I’vegotholdofhim.Mr.Savagewillnowtakethemicrophoneandsayafewwords.Won’tyou,Mr.Savage?"HelookedupattheSavagewithanotherofthosewinningsmilesofhis."Justtellourreaderswhyyoucamehere.WhatmadeyouleaveLondon(holdon,Edzel!)soverysuddenly.And,ofcourse,thatwhip."(TheSavagestarted.Howdidtheyknowaboutthewhip?)"We’reallcrazytoknowaboutthewhip.AndthensomethingaboutCivilization.Youknowthesortofstuff.’WhatIthinkoftheCivilizedGirl.’Justafewwords,averyfew..."

           TheSavageobeyedwithadisconcertingliteralness.Fivewordsheutteredandnomore-fivewords,thesameasthosehehadsaidtoBernardabouttheArch-Community-SongsterofCanterbury.