H. Wells - The World Set Free

warn you I shall be coming. When I amaltogether stripped and my

disguises thrown away. Very soon now, old Sun, I shall launch

myselfat you, and I shall reach you and I shall put my foot on

your spotted face and tug you about by your fiery locks. One step

I shall take to the moon, and then I shall leap at you. I've

talked to you before, old Sun, I've talked to you a million

times, and now I ambeginning to remember. Yes-long ago, long

ago, before I had stripped off a few thousand generations, dust

now and forgotten, I was a hairy savage and I pointed my hand at

you and-clearly I rememberit!-I sawyou in a net. Have you

forgotten that, old Sun?…

'Old Sun, I gather myselftogether out of the pools of the

individual that have held me dispersed so long. I gather my

billion thoughtsinto science and my million wills into a common

purpose. Well may you slink down behind the mountains from me,

well may you cower…'

Section 10

Karenin desiredthat he might dream alonefor a little while

before he returned to the cell in which he was to sleep. He was

given relief for a painthat began to trouble him and wrapped

warmly about with furs, for a great coldness was creeping over

all things, and so they left him, and he sat for a long time

watching the afterglow give place to the darkness of night.

It seemed to those who had to watch over him unobtrusively lest

he should be in want of any attention, that he mused very deeply.

The white and purple peaks against the golden sky sank down into

cold, blue remoteness, glowed out again and faded again, and the

burning cressets of the Indian stars, that even the moonrise

cannot altogether quench, began their vigil. The moon rose

behind the towering screen of dark precipices to the east, and

long before it emerged above these, its slanting beams had filled

the deep gorges below with luminous mist and turned the towers

and pinnacles of Lio Porgyul to a magic dreamcastle of radiance

and wonder…

Came a great uprush of ghostly light above the black rim of

rocks, and then like a bubble that is blown and detachesitself

the moon floated off clear into the unfathomable dark sky…

And then Karenin stood up. He walked a few paces along the

terrace and remained for a time gazing up at that great silver

disc, that silvery shield that must needs be man's first conquest

in outer space…

Presently he turned about and stood with his hands folded behind

him, looking at the northward stars…

At length he went to his own cell. He lay down there and slept

peacefully till the morning. And early in the morning they came

to him and the anaesthetic was given him and the operation

performed.

It was altogether successful, but Karenin was weak and he had to

lie very still; and about seven days later a blood clot detached

itself from the healing scar and travelled to his heart, and he

died in an instant in the night.

The End