Latest / Classic Sci Fi Books - Daily / 02 - The Time Machine - H G Wells

Transcript

02 - The Time Machine - H G Wells · Classic Sci Fi Books - Daily

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter two. I think that at the time none of
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: us quite believed in the time machine. The fact is,
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the time traveler was one of those men who are
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: too clever to be believed. You never felt that you
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: saw all round him. You always suspected some subtle reserve,
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: some ingenuity in ambush behind his lucid frankness. Had Philby
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: shown the model and explained the matter in the time
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Traveler's words, we should have shown him far less skepticism,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: for we should have perceived his motives. A pork butcher
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: could understand Philby. But the time Traveler had more than
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: a touch of whim among his elements, and we distrusted him.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Things that would have made the frame of a less
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: mistake to do things too easily. The serious people who
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: took him seriously never felt quite sure of his deportment.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: They were somehow aware that trusting their reputations for judgment
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: with him was like furnishing a nursery with egg shell china.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: So I didn't think any of us said very much
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: about time traveling in the interval between that Thursday and
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: the next, though its odd potentialities ran no doubt in
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: most of our minds its plausibility, that is, its practical incredibleness,
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: the curious possibilities of an acronism, and of utter confusion,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: it suggested. For my own part, I was particularly preoccupied
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: with the trick of the model that I remember discussing
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: with the medical man, whom I met on Friday at
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: the Linnaean. He said he had seen a similar thing
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: at Tubingen and laid considerable stress on the blowing out
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: of the candle, but how the trick was done he
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: could not explain. The next Thursday, I went again to Richmond.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: I suppose I was one of the time Traveler's most
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: constant guests, and arriving late, found four or five men
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: already assembled in his drawing room. The medical man was
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: standing before the fire with a sheet of paper in
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: one hand and his watch in the other. I looked
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: around for the time Traveler. And it's half past seven now,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: said the medical man. I suppose we'd better have dinner.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: Where's said I, naming our host. You've just come. It's
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: rather odd. He's unavoidably detained. He asks me in this
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: note to lead off with dinner at seven. If he's
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: not back, says he'll explain when he comes. It seems
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: a pity to let the dinner spoil, said the editor
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: of a well known daily paper, and thereupon the doctor
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: rang the bell. The psychologist was the only person besides
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: the doctor and myself who had attended the previous dinner.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: The other men were blank. The editor aforementioned, a certain journalist,
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: and another a quiet, shy man with a beard, whom
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: I didn't know, and who, as far as my observation went,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: never opened his mouth. All the evening there was some
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: speculation at the dinner table about the time traveler's absence,
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: and I suggested time traveling in a half jocular spirit.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: The editor wanted that explain to him, and the psychologist
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: volunteered a wooden account of the ingenious paradox and trick
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: we had witnessed that day week. He was in the
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: midst of his exposition when the door from the corridor
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: opened slowly and without noise. I was facing the door
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: and saw it first. Hello, I said, at last, and
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: the door opened wider, and the time traveler stood before us.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: I gave a cry of surprise. Good heavens man, what's
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: the matter, cried the medical man. Who saw him next.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: When the whole tableful turned towards the door, he was
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: in an amazing plight. His coat was dusty and dirty
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: and smeared with green down the sleeves. His hair disordered and,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: as it seemed to me, grayer, either with dust and
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: dirt or because its color had actually faded. His face
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: was ghastly pale. His chin had a brown cut on it,
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: a cut half heeled. His expression was haggard and drawn
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: as by intense suffering. For a moment, he hesitated in
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: the doorway, as if he had been dazzled by the light.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: Then he came into the room. He walked with just
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: such a limp as I have seen in footsore traps.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: We stared at him in silence, expecting him to speak.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: He said not a word, but came painfully to the
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: table and made a motion towards the wine. The editor
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: filled a glass of champagne and pushed it towards him.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: He drained it, and it seemed to do him good,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: for he looked round the table and the ghost of
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: his old smile flickered across his face. What on earth
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: have you been up to, man, said the doctor. The
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: time traveler did not seem to hear. Don't let me
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: disturb you, he said, with a certain faltering articulation. I'm
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: all right. He stopped, held out his glass for more,
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: and took it off at a draft. That's good, he said.
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: His eyes grew brighter, and a faint color came into
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: his cheeks. His glance flickered over our faces with a
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: certain dull approval, and then went round the warm and
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: comfortable room. Then he spoke again, still as it were,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: feeling his way among his words, I'm going to wash
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: and dress, and then i'll come down and explain things.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: Save me some of that mutton. I'm starving for a
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: bit of meat. He looked across at the editor, who
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: was a rare visitor, and hoped he was all right.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: The editor began a question. Tell you, presently, said the
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: time traveler. I'm funny. I'll be right in a minute.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: He put down his glass and walked towards the staircase door. Again.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: I remarked his lameness and the soft padding sound of
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: his footfall, and standing up in my place, I saw
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: his feet as he went out. He had nothing on
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: them but a pair of tattered, blood stained socks. Then
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: the door closed upon him. I had half a mind
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: to follow till I remembered how he detested any fuss
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: about himself. For a minute, perhaps my mind was wool gathering.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: Then remarkable behavior of an eminent scientist. I heard the
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: editor say, thinking after his wont in headlines, and this
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: brought my attention back to the bright dinner table. What's
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the game, said the journalist. Has he been doing the
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: amateur cadger, I don't follow. I met the eye of
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: the psychologist and read my own interpretation in his face.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: I thought of the time traveler limping painfully upstairs. I
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: don't think any one else had noticed his lameness. The
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: first to recover completely from this surprise was the medical
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: man who rang the bell. The time traveler hated to
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: have servants waiting at dinner for a hot plate. At
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: that the editor turned to his knife and fork with
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: a grunt, and the silent man followed suit. The dinner
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: was resumed. Conversation was exclamatory for a little while, with
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: gaps of wonderment, and then the editor got fervent in
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: his curiosity. Does our friend eke out his modest income
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: with a crossing? Or has he his nebuchadnazar phases, he inquired.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: I feel assured. It's this business of the time machine,
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: I said, and took up the psychologist's account of our
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: previous meeting. The new guests were frankly incredulous. The editor
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: raised objections, what was this time traveling? A man couldn't
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: cover himself with dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: And then, as the idea came home to him, he
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: resorted to caricature. Hadn't he any clothes brushes in the future.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: The journalist, too, would not believe at any price, and
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: join the editor in the easy work of heaping ridicule
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: on the whole thing. They were both the new kind
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: of journalist, very joyous, irreverent young men. Our special correspondent
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: in the Day after Tomorrow reports the journalist was saying,
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: or rather shouting, when the time traveler came back. He
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: was dressed in ordinary evening clothes, and nothing save his
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: haggard look remained of change that had startled me, I say,
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: said the editor, hilariously, these chaps here say you have
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: been traveling into the middle of next week. Tell us
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: all about little Roseberry. Will you? What will you take
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: for the lot. The time traveler came to the place
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: reserved for him without a word. He smiled quietly in
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: his old way. Where's my mutton? He said, What a
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: treat it is to stick a fork into meat again,
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: Story cried the editor. Story be damned, said the time traveler.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: I want something to eat. I won't say a word
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: until I get some peptone into my arteries. Thanks and
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: the salt. One word, said I have you been time traveling? Yes,
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: said the time traveler, with his mouth full, nodding his head.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: I'd give a shilling a line for a verbatim note,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: said the editor. The time traveler pushed his glass towards
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: the sight silet man and rang it with his finger nail,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: at which the silent man, who had been staring at
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: his face, started convulsively and poured in wine. The rest
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: of the dinner was uncomfortable for my own part. Sudden
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: questions kept rising to my lips, and I dare say
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: it was the same with the others. The journalist tried
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: to relieve the tension by telling anecdotes of Hetty Potter.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: The time traveler devoted his attention to his dinner and
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: displayed the appetite of a trap. The medical man smoked
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: a cigarette and watched the time traveler through his eyelashes.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: The silent man seemed even more clumsy than usual, and
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: drank champagne with regularity and determination out of sheer nervousness.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: At last, the time traveler pushed his plate away and
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: looked round us. I suppose I must apologize, he said,
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: I was simply starving. I've had a most amazing time.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: He reached out his hand for a cigar and cut
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: the end. But come into the smoking room. It's too
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: long a story to tell. Over greasy plates and ringing
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: the bell. In passing, he led the way into the
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: adjoining room. You have told blank and dash and chose
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: about the machine, he said to me, leaning back in
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: his easy chair and naming the three new guests. But
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: the thing's a mere paradox, said the editor. I can't
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: argue tonight. I don't mind telling you the story, but
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: I can't argue. I will, he went on, tell you
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: the story of what has happened to me, if you like,
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: but you must refrain from interruptions. I want to tell
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: it badly. Most of it will sound like lying, so
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: be it. It's true. Every word of it all the same.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: I was in my laboratory at four o'clock, and since
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: then I've lived a days, such days as no human
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: being ever lived before. I'm nearly worn out, but I
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: shan't sleep till I've told this thing over to you.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Then I shall go to bed. But no interruptions. Is
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: it agreed? Agreed? Said the editor, and the rest of
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: us echoed. Agreed. And with that the time traveler began
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: his story, as I've set it forth. He sat back
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: in his chair at first, and spoke like a weary man. Afterwards,
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: he got more animated in writing it down. I feel,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: with only too much keenness, the inadequacy of pen and ink,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: and above all my own inadequacy to express its quality.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: You read, I will suppose attentively enough. But you cannot
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: see the speaker's white, sincere face in the bright circle
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: of the little lamp, nor hear the intonation of his voice.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: Cannot know how his expression followed the turns of his story.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: Most of us hearers were in shadow, for the candles
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: in the smoking room had not been lighted, and only
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: the face of the journalist and the legs of the
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: silent man from the knees downward were illuminated. At first,
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: we glanced now and again at each other. After a time,
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: we ceased to do that and looked only at the
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: time traveler's face. End of Chapter two.