A Voyage to Arcturus

nchspell was already declining. He climbed to the top of the crater edge and looked away toward Ifda

ale; a spirit of rashness, daring, and adventure seemed to call to him from them. It was at that

cavern to say goo

es. “Is this selfishness, Maskull?” she asked, “or

d before I have found out something about this surprising new planet of yours. Re

make me

othing difficult, for I h

ur hand against a living creature, either to strike, pluck, or e

undertake something more tangible. I will never lift my hand ag

w if Panawe knew that Panawe

y. “You would not talk like that

s blood in my veins. . . . Now let us bid him adieu. Let us p

ull on his way

replied Maskull.

ng shorten

turned

her softly. “You won’t think ba

essed spirit,

tle spring was encountered. Its water was colourless, transparent, but gaseous. As soon as Maskull had satisfied his thirst he felt himself different. His su

rystalline and, looking upward, it was as if he were gazing through a roof of glass. The moment they got underneath the trees the light rays of the sun continued to

et an avenue, perfectly straight and not very

e out whether he was singing or speaking. From his lips issued a slow musical recitative, exactly like a bewitching adagio from a low toned stringed instrument — but there was a difference. Instead of the repetition and variation of one or two short th

not with the intelligibility of words, but in the way one sympathises with another’s moods and feelings; and Maskull felt that something important was ab

eased his recitative. He slowed his pace and stopped, in the fash

e of this countr

he Lusio

ture of a temptation — do

before you, and

en? What work do

med like somethin

ike Shaping

words, Maskull wondered why he had done so

no surprise. “Shaping yo

eaming,

are a

t,” he said, rousing himself. “Now I wil

l to the foot of the Marest tomorrow; but tonight yo

But do you wish to say

r you go, help to make the wo

e man, and have no ambitions in the way of beautifying

ect where they had stopped, and watched Pan

. The late-afternoon sunshine, unobstructed, wrapped his frame in voluptuo

slowly swelled, and came nearer and nearer at the same time that it increased in volume. Still the same note sounded, but now it was as if blown by a g

were forgotten. The forest, the sun, the day did not exist for him. He was unconscious of h

. Maskull observed that his countenance possessed none of the special organs of Tormance, to which he had not even yet become reconciled. He was smooth-fa

t had a double tone. The primary one sounded far away; the

is individual. He believed that something good was happening to him. He f

ok well at m

you are

m Su

meet his eyes, but felt a

Why do you think I have brought y

uld no lon

ock of its stern, eternal rhythm, its beauty and sublimity, which are n

not mo

stions, and I wi

ve no

me, Maskull. Do you not understa

ll not

my sake, and

up at the vault of the sky, he saw the whole expanse of vision filled by Surtur’s form — not as a concrete man, bu

travelled slowly toward him with regularly increasing intensity, passed overhead at its loudest, and then grew more and more quiet, wonderful, and solemn, as it fel

th the rapidity of lightning into a blue vault of immeasurable height. He breathed

already beginning to stand out from the rest — huge, shapeless, and grand, like the growing

before leaving Earth — the clearer and more indisputable it became, that he could not be here

a stupendous ball of red fire — now he could realise at his ease what a sun i

its banks. Maskull stood there, and regarded the lapping, gurgling waters pensively. On the opposite bank, the forest continued. Miles to the south, Poolingdr

ntified with the crags of the Marest. They seemed to have the same magical attraction for his will as the lodestone for iron. He kept biting his nails, as he turned his eyes in that direction — wondering if it would not be possible to c

leep. By this time, so far had his idea progressed, that he cared no

however, he was awakened by a crimson glow in the sky. He opened his eyes, and wondered where he was. He felt heaviness and pa

The object which emitted the crimson rays was lying on the ground, several yards away from her. It

but a third arm, terminating in a hand. Her face, which was upturned, was wild, powerful, and exceedingly handsome. But he saw with surprise that in p

er ones were dull and vacant — mere carriers of vision. The middle, upper one alone expressed her inner nature. Its haughty, unflinching glare had

sa

ked. “I wouldn’t put such a questi

t I can’t read your mind? I

ring, musical voice, which

you have

which is better?” And she p

is you

eax

e do you

daw

o irritate him, and yet the mere s

here tomorrow

against her will, b

went on. “I am a strang

ge, from your ab

at once,” said Maskull bluntly, “a

ing. “Why should we be friends? If I thought y

ook elsewhe

! Now go away, and

n to the ground, but did

doing here?” h

e to sleep, for there often enough it is

tal stranger, it would be merely courteous if you were

indifferent to what become

in the morning?”

I wi

will go t

ead of making plans for other people

, tel

will. I would try to convert my women’s org

more pl

ugh Ifdawn without a sorb, you are simply committin

re talking about, Oceaxe. But

to the light-emitting st

for a good while, perhaps it will start the change, and perhap

ly turned her b

and took it in his hand. It was a pebble the size of a hen’s egg, radiant with crimson l

rude first to his magn, and then to his breve. He experienced a