CHAPTER 8

The Mooncalf Pastures

Lost in that moon jungle, we crawled in terror before the sounds that had come upon us. A long time passed before we saw either Selenite or Mooncalf, though the bellowing of these latter was continually drawing nearer.

Our first view was but a passing glimpse. Cavor was crawling in front at the time, and he first was aware of their nearness. He stopped dead, and signalled me to do the same.

There was a smashing of bushes behind us, followed by a fearful bellow. Turning about, we saw the mooncalf's shining sides and the long line of its back.

Its size was enormous; its length was about two hundred feet. Its sides rose and fell with its heavy breathing. Its skin was white and wrinkled. The head was almost brainless, with a fat neck, little nostrils and tight shut eyes. We had a glimpse of a vast red pit as it opened its mouth to bellow again, and then the monster dragged forward along the ground and disappeared into the jungle. Another appeared farther, and then another, and then, as though he was driving these beasts to their pasture, a Selenite came into view. I gripped Cavor's foot at the sight of him, and we remained motionless and peering long after he had passed out of sight.

By contrast with the mooncalves he seemed a trivial being, scarcely five feet high. He was wearing close-fitting garments of some leathery substance, so that no part of his body appeared. He looked very much like an insect, with tentacles and a projecting arm. On his head he wore a spiked helmet—we discovered afterwards that he used the spikes for pricking the mooncalves—and his face was covered with a mask and a pair of dark sun-glasses. His legs were short and thin, and wrapped in warm coverings. He seemed to be angry and in haste, and he was making a clanging noise with his arm. Soon after we had lost sight of him we heard the bellow of a mooncalf change suddenly to a sharp cry of pain, and then the moon world was still.

When next we saw mooncalves they were feeding on a spotted green plant. They ate greedily and noisily, and seemed clumsy, fat monsters.

Presently we came upon another herd of them, and then we passed over a place of sounds, sounds of beating machinery, as if some huge factory came near the surface there. And while these sounds were still about us, we came to the edge of a great open space, perhaps about two hundred yards in diameter, and perfectly level. We went down upon it and began very cautiously to walk along its edge.

For a little while the noises from below ceased, and then suddenly there began an uproar, louder and nearer than any we had so far heard. There was no doubt it came from below. Louder grew this beating until the whole moon world seemed to be shaking.

"Cover," whispered Cavor, and I turned towards the bushes.

At that instant came a noise like that caused by the firing of a gun, and then a strange thing happened. The whole of that flat open space began sliding sideways into a slot prepared for it, revealing an immeasurably deep pit below.

Had it not been for Cavor I should have remained there, hanging over the edge of this lid and staring into the enormous pit, until at last the edges of the slot scraped me off and hurled me into its depths. But Cavor had been a little distance from the edge when the lid had first opened, and he seized me and pulled me backward. I crawled away from the edge and ran after him across the thundering sheet of metal into the jungle. For a long time we lay panting, not daring to approach the pit.

But at last very cautiously we crept into a position from which we could look down. A strong breeze was blowing down the pit. We could see nothing at first except smooth upright walls descending at last into black darkness. And then very gradually we became aware of faint and little lights going to and fro.

As we grew more accustomed to the darkness we could make out very small, dim shapes moving about among those little lights.

"What can it be?" I asked; "what can it be?"

"The engines! They must live in these caves during the night, and come out during the day."

"Cavor!" I said. "Can they be men?"

"That was not a man."

"We dare risk nothing!"

"We dare do nothing until we find the sphere!"

We struck out through the jungle. For a time we crawled resolutely, then with decreasing energy. I could hardly go without food much longer.

"Cavor," I said, "I must have food."

He turned a face full of dismay towards me. "It's a case for holding out," he said.

"But I must," I said, "and look at my lips!"

"I've been thirsty some time."

"If only some of that snow had remained!"

"It's all gone! There is nothing for it but the sphere."

We roused ourselves to another effort of crawling. My mind ran entirely on food and drink. We came to flat places overgrown with fleshy red things; as we pushed against them they broke. I noted the quality of the broken surfaces. The stuff certainly looked fit to eat, and it smelt rather well. I picked up a piece and sniffed at it.

"Cavor," I said in a low voice.

"Don't," he said. I put it down, and we crawled on through these tempting plants for a space.

"Cavor," I asked, "why not?"

"Poison," he said.

"I'll risk it," said I.

I stuffed my mouth full. He tried too late to prevent me; "It's good," I said.

He watched me eat, his face wrinkled between desire and disapproval, then suddenly gave way to appetite and began to tear off huge mouthfuls. For a time we did nothing but eat.

The stuff was not unlike mushroom, and, as one swallowed it, it warmed the throat. Our blood began to run warmer, and then new ideas came bubbling up in our heads.

"It's good," said I. "Wonderfully good! What a home for our surplus population!"

I was in high spirits. The fear and discomfort in which I had been living vanished entirely. I forgot the Selenites, the mooncalves, the lid and the noises completely. I was dizzy, but I thought this was due to the effect of food after a long fast. "Ess'lent discov'ry yours, Cavor," said I. "Se'nd on'y to the 'tato."

"Whajer mean?" asked Cavor. "'Scovery of the moon—se'nd on'y to the 'tato?"

I looked at him, shocked at his suddenly hoarse voice and his indistinct speech. It occurred to me that he was drunk, possibly owing to the fungus. It also occurred to me that he was wrong in imagining that he had discovered the moon; he had not discovered it, he had only reached it. I tried to lay my hand on his arm and explain this to him, but it was too difficult for him to understand. It was also unexpectedly difficult for me to express.

In some way that I have now forgotten, my mind was led back to. projects of colonization. "We must take possession of this moon," I said. "This is an empire Caesar never dreamt of. Cavorecia. Bedfordecia. Bedfordecia Limited. Mean—unlimited! Practically."

From that point my memory of the action of the fungus becomes confused. I remember vaguely that we declared that we were not going to be frightened by any confounded insects, that we decided that it would be shameful for us to hide upon a mere Satellite, that we equipped ourselves with huge armfuls of the fungus and started forth into the sunshine.

Almost immediately we must have come upon the Selenites. There were six of them, and they were marching in single file over a rocky place, making the most remarkable piping sounds. They all seemed to become aware of us at once, all instantly became silent and motionless, like animals, with their faces turned towards us.

For a moment I was sobered.

"Insects," murmured Cavor, "insects! And they think I'm going to crawl on my stomach!"

Then suddenly, with a shout of fury, he took three vast steps and leapt towards them. He leapt badly; he flew right over them, and vanished with an enormous splash amidst the cactus plants. What the Selenites made of this amazing incident I have no means of guessing. I seem to remember the sight of their backs as they ran in all directions, but I am not sure. I know I made a step to follow Cavor, and stumbled and fell headlong among the rocks. I was, I am certain, suddenly very ill. I seem to remember a violent struggle, and being gripped by metallic clasps ... 

The next thing I remember is that we were prisoners at we knew not what depths beneath the moon's surface; we were in darkness amidst strange noises; our bodies were covered with scratches and bruises, and we suffered from a terrible headache.