“Ɖ eṇmi I dredd me ṣprîz y. It wz ɖ darcnis v ɖ ny mūn. Wīna hd pt ɖs intu mî hed bî sm at frst incomprihnsibl rmarcs abt ɖ Darc Nîts. It wz nt nǎ sć a vri dificlt probḷm t ges ẃt ɖ cmñ Darc Nîts mt mīn. Ɖ mūn wz on ɖ wen: ć nît ɖr wz a longr inṭvl v darcnis. N I nǎ unḍstd t sm slît dgri at lìst ɖ rīzn v ɖ fir v ɖ litl Uṗwrld ppl fr ɖ darc. I wundrd vegli ẃt fǎl viḷni it mt b ɖt ɖ Morlocs dd undr ɖ ny mūn. I flt priti śr nǎ ɖt mî secnd hîpoʈ̇sis wz ol roñ. Ɖ Uṗwrld ppl mt wns hv bn ɖ fevrd aṛstocṛsi, n ɖ Morlocs ɖer mcanicl srvnts: bt ɖt hd loñ sins pást awe. Ɖ tū spīśīz ɖt hd rzultd fṛm ɖ iṿluśn v man wr slîdñ dǎn twdz, or hd olrdi arîvd at, an oltgɖr ny rleśnśp. Ɖ Īlô, lîc ɖ Caṛlinjn cñz, hd dceid t a mir bytifl fytiḷti. Ɖe stl pzest ɖ ŕʈ on sufṛns: sins ɖ Morlocs, subṭreńn fr ińmṛbl jeṇreśnz, hd cm at last t fînd ɖ dêlit srfis intolṛbl. N ɖ Morlocs md ɖer garmnts, I infŕd, n mntend ɖm in ɖer hbićl nīdz, phps ʈru ɖ svîvl v an old habit v srvis. Ɖe dd it az a standñ hors pwz wɖ hiz ft, or az a man injôz cilñ animlz in sport: bcz enćnt n dpartd nseṣtiz hd imprest it on ɖ orġnizm. Bt, clirli, ɖ old ordr wz olrdi in part rvrst. Ɖ Neṃsis v ɖ delic̣t wnz wz crīpñ on apes. Ejz ago, ʈǎzndz v jeṇreśnz ago, man hd ʈrust hiz bruɖr man ǎt v ɖ īz n ɖ sunśîn. N nǎ ɖt bruɖr wz cmñ bac ćenjd! Olrdi ɖ Īlô hd bgun t lrn wn old lesn any. Ɖe wr bcmñ ri’qentd wɖ Fir. N sudnli ɖr cem intu mî hed ɖ meṃri v ɖ mìt I hd sìn in ɖ Unḍwrld. It sīmd od hǎ it flotd intu mî mînd: nt strd p az it wr bî ɖ cuṛnt v mî medteśnz, bt cmñ in olmst lîc a qsćn fṛm ǎtsd. I traid t rcōl ɖ form v it. I hd a veg sns v smʈñ fmiłr, bt I cd nt tel ẃt it wz at ɖ tîm.

“Stl, hvr hlplis ɖ litl ppl in ɖ prezns v ɖer mstirịs Fir, I wz difṛntli consttytd. I cem ǎt v ɖs ej v ǎrz, ɖs rîp prîm v ɖ hymn res, ẃn Fir dz nt paṛlîz n misṭri hz lost its terrz. I at lìst wd dfnd mslf. Wɖǎt frɖr dle I dtrmind t mc mslf armz n a fastnis ẃr I mt slīp. Wɖ ɖt refyj az a bes, I cd fes ɖs strenj wrld wɖ sm v ɖt confidns I hd lost in riylîzñ t ẃt crīćrz nît bî nît I le xpozd. I flt I cd nvr slīp agn untl mî bed wz ṣkr fṛm ɖm. I śudrd wɖ horr t ʈnc hǎ ɖe mst olrdi hv xamind m.

“I wondrd jrñ ɖ afṭnun alñ ɖ vali v ɖ Tmz, bt faund nʈñ ɖt cmndd itslf t mî mînd az in’xesibl. Ol ɖ bildñz n triz sīmd īẓli practicbl t sć dxtṛs clîmrz az ɖ Morlocs, t juj bî ɖer wlz, mst b. Ɖen ɖ tōl piṇclz v ɖ Palis v Grīn Porṣlin n ɖ poliśt glīm v its wōlz cem bac t mî meṃri; n in ɖ īvnñ, tecñ Wīna lîc a ćîld upn mî śoldr, I wnt p ɖ hilz twdz ɖ sǎʈ-wst. Ɖ distns, I hd recnd, wz sevn or et mîlz, bt it mst hv bn nirr etīn. I hd frst sìn ɖ ples on a môst afṭnun ẃn distnsz r dsptvli dminiśt. In adiśn, ɖ hìl v wn v mî śuz wz lūs, n a nêl wz wrcñ ʈru ɖ sol—ɖe wr cumftbl old śuz I wòr abt indorz—so ɖt I wz lem. N it wz olrdi loñ past súnset ẃn I cem in sît v ɖ palis, siluétd blac agnst ɖ pel yelo v ɖ scî.

“Wīna hd bn hyjli dlîtd ẃn I bgan t cari hr, bt aftr a ẃl ś dzîrd m t let hr dǎn, n ran alñ bî ɖ sîd v m, oceźṇli dartñ of on îɖr hand t pic flǎrz t stic in mî pocits. Mî pocits hd olwz puzld Wīna, bt at ɖ last ś hd cncludd ɖt ɖe wr an xntric cnd v vāz fr floṛl dec̣reśn. At lìst ś yṭlîzd ɖm fr ɖt prṗs. N ɖt rmîndz m! In ćenjñ mî jacit I faund…”

Ɖ Tîmtravlr pōzd, pt hiz hand intu hiz pocit, n sîḷntli plest tū wiɖrd flǎrz, nt unlîc vri larj ẃît maloz, upn ɖ litl tebl. Ɖen h rzymd hiz naṛtv.

“Az ɖ huś v īvnñ crept ovr ɖ wrld n w pṛsidd ovr ɖ hilcrest twdz Wimbldn, Wīna grù tîrd n wontd t rtrn t ɖ hǎs v gre ston. Bt I pôntd ǎt ɖ distnt piṇclz v ɖ Palis v Grīn Porṣlin t hr, n cntrîvd t mc hr unḍstand ɖt w wr sīcñ a refyj ɖr fṛm hr Fir. Y nǒ ɖt gret pōz ɖt cmz upn ʈñz bfr ɖ dusc? Īvn ɖ brīz stops in ɖ triz. T m ɖr z olwz an er v xpcteśn abt ɖt īvnñstilnis. Ɖ scî wz clir, rmot, n emti sev fr a fy hoṛzontl barz far dǎn in ɖ súnset. Wel, ɖt nît ɖ xpcteśn tc ɖ culr v mî firz. In ɖt darclñ cām mî snsz sīmd prīṭnaćṛli śarpnd. I fansid I cd īvn fīl ɖ holonis v ɖ grǎnd bnʈ mî fīt: cd, indd, olmst si ʈru it ɖ Morlocs on ɖer anthil gwñ hɖr n ɖɖr n wêtñ fr ɖ darc. In mî xîtmnt I fansid ɖt ɖe wd rsiv mî inveźn v ɖer buroz az a decḷreśn v wor. N ẃ hd ɖe tecn mî Tîm̦śīn?

“So w wnt on in ɖ qayt, n ɖ twîlît dīpnd intu nît. Ɖ clir blu v ɖ distns fedd, n wn star aftr anɖr cem ǎt. Ɖ grǎnd grù dim n ɖ triz blac. Wīna’z firz n hr ftīg grù upn hr. I tc hr in mî armz n tōct t hr n c̣rest hr. Ɖen, az ɖ darcnis grù dīpr, ś pt hr armz rnd mî nec, n, clozñ hr îz, tîtli prest hr fes agnst mî śoldr. So w wnt dǎn a loñ slǒp intu a vali, n ɖr in ɖ dimnis I olmst wōct intu a litl rivr. Ɖs I wêdd, n wnt p ɖ opzit sîd v ɖ vali, past a numbr v slīpñ hǎzz, n bî a staću—a Fòn, or sm sć figr, mîṇs ɖ hed. Hir tù wr aceṣ́z. So far I hd sìn nʈñ v ɖ Morlocs, bt it wz yt ŕli in ɖ nît, n ɖ darcr aurz bfr ɖ old mūn rouz wr stl t cm.

“Fṛm ɖ brǎ v ɖ nxt hil I sw a ʈic wŭd spredñ wîd n blac bfr m. I heztetd at ɖs. I cd si no end t it, îɖr t ɖ rît or ɖ left. Fīlñ tîrd—mî fīt, in ptiklr, wr vri sor—I cerf̣li lowrd Wīna fṛm mî śoldr az I hōltd, n sat dǎn upn ɖ trf. I cd no longr si ɖ Palis v Grīn Porṣlin, n I wz in dǎt v mî drex́n. I lct intu ɖ ʈicnis v ɖ wŭd n ʈt v ẃt it mt hîd. Undr ɖt dns tangl v branćz wn wd b ǎt v sît v ɖ starz. Īvn wr ɖr no uɖr lrcñ denjr—a denjr I dd nt cer t let mî imaɉneśn lūs upn—ɖr wd stl b ol ɖ rūts t stumbl ovr n ɖ trīboulz t strîc agnst.

“I wz vri tîrd, tù, aftr ɖ xîtmnts v ɖ de; so I dsîdd ɖt I wd nt fes it, bt wd pas ɖ nît upn ɖ opn hil.

“Wīna, I wz glad t fînd, wz fast aslip. I cerf̣li rápt hr in mî jacit, n sat dǎn bsd hr t wêt fr ɖ mūnrîz. Ɖ hilsîd wz qayt n dzrtd, bt fṛm ɖ blac v ɖ wŭd ɖr cem nǎ n ɖen a str v livñ ʈñz. Abv m śon ɖ starz, fr ɖ nît wz vri clir. I flt a srtn sns v frendli cumf̣t in ɖer twnclñ. Ol ɖ old consṭleśnz hd gn fṛm ɖ scî, hvr: ɖt slo muvmnt ẃć z imṗsptibl in a hundṛd hymn lîftîmz, hd loñ sinz ri’renjd ɖm in unfmiłr grūpñz. Bt ɖ Milci We, it sīmd t m, wz stl ɖ sem tatrd strīmr v stardust az v yor. Sǎʈẉd (az I jujd it) wz a vri brît red star ɖt wz ny t m; it wz īvn mor splendid ɖn ǎr ǒn grīn Sírịs. N amd ol ɖz sinṭletñ pônts v lît wn brît planit śon cîndli n steḍli lîc ɖ fes v an old frend.

“Lcñ at ɖz starz sudnli dworft mî ǒn trublz n ol ɖ graṿtiz v ṭrestrịl lîf. I ʈt v ɖer unfaɖṃbl distns, n ɖ slo inevitbl drift v ɖer muvmnts ǎt v ɖ uņoun past intu ɖ uņoun fyćr. I ʈt v ɖ gret priseśnl sîcl ɖt ɖ pol v ɖ ŕʈ dscrîbz. Onli forti tîmz hd ɖt sîḷnt reṿluśn ocŕd jrñ ol ɖ yirz ɖt I hd tṛvrst. N jrñ ɖz fy reṿluśnz ol ɖ activti, ol ɖ tṛdiśnz, ɖ complex orġnîześnz, ɖ neśnz, lanḡjz, litṛćrz, asṗreśnz, īvn ɖ mir meṃri v Man az I ń him, hd bn swept ǎt v xistns. Instd wr ɖz frel crīćrz hu hd fgotn ɖer hî ansstri, n ɖ ẃît Ʈñz v ẃć I wnt in terr. Ɖen I ʈt v ɖ Gret Fir ɖt wz btwn ɖ tū spīśīz, n fr ɖ frst tîm, wɖ a sudn śivr, cem ɖ clir nolij v ẃt ɖ mìt I hd sìn mt b. Yt it wz tù horibl! I lct at litl Wīna slīpñ bsd m, hr fes ẃît n starlîc undr ɖ starz, n fʈwʈ dsmist ɖ ʈt.

“Ʈru ɖt loñ nît I hld mî mînd of ɖ Morlocs az wel az I cd, n ẃîld awe ɖ tîm bî trayñ t fansi I cd fînd sînz v ɖ old consṭleśnz in ɖ ny cnfyźn. Ɖ scî cept vri clir, xpt fr a hezi clǎd or so. No dǎt I dozd at tîmz. Ɖen, az mî vijil wòr on, cem a fentnis in ɖ īstẉd scî, lîc ɖ rflex́n v sm culrlis fîr, n ɖ old mūn rouz, ʈin n pīct n ẃît. N clos bhnd, n oṿtecñ it, n oṿflowñ it, ɖ dōn cem, pel at frst, n ɖen growñ pnc n worm. No Morlocs hd aproćt s. Indd, I hd sìn nn upn ɖ hil ɖt nît. N in ɖ confidns v rnyd de it olmst sīmd t m ɖt mî fir hd bn unrīzṇbl. I std p n faund mî ft wɖ ɖ lūs hìl swoḷn at ɖ ancl n penfl undr ɖ hìl; so I sat dǎn agn, tc of mî śuz, n fluñ ɖm awe.

“I awecnd Wīna, n w wnt dǎn intu ɖ wŭd, nǎ grīn n pleznt instd v blac n fbidñ. W faund sm frūt ẃr-wɖ t brec ǎr fast. W sn met uɖrz v ɖ denti wnz, lafñ n dansñ in ɖ súnlît az ɖo ɖr wz no sć ʈñ in nećr az ɖ nît. N ɖen I ʈt wns mor v ɖ mìt ɖt I hd sìn. I flt aśurd nǎ v ẃt it wz, n fṛm ɖ botm v mî hart I pitid ɖs last fībl ril fṛm ɖ gret flud v hymaṇti. Clirli, at sm tîm in ɖ Loñ-Ago v hymn dce ɖ Morlocs’ fūd hd run śort. Poṣbli ɖe hd livd on rats n sćlîc vrmin. Īvn nǎ man z far les dscriṃnetñ n xclūsiv in hiz fūd ɖn h wz—far les ɖn eni munci. Hiz preɉdis agnst hymn fleś z no dīp-sītd instñt. N so ɖz inhymn sunz v men——! I traid t lc at ɖ ʈñ in a sạntifc spirit. Aftr ol, ɖe wr les hymn n mor rmot ɖn ǎr caniḅlansestrz v ʈri or for ʈǎznd yirz ago. N ɖ intelijns ɖt wd hv md ɖs stet v ʈñz a torment hd gn. Ẃ śd I trubl mslf? Ɖz Īlô wr mir fatd catl, ẃć ɖ antlîc Morlocs prizrvd n préid upn—probbli sw t ɖ brīdñ v. N ɖr wz Wīna dansñ at mî sîd!

“Ɖen I traid t prizrv mslf fṛm ɖ horr ɖt wz cmñ upn m, bî rgardñ it az a rigṛs puniśmnt v hymn slfiśnis. Man hd bn cntnt t liv in īz n dlît upn ɖ lebrz v hiz felo-man, hd tecn Nseṣti az hiz woćwrd n xks, n in ɖ flnis v tîm Nseṣti hd cm hom t him. I īvn traid a Carlîļîc scorn v ɖs rećid aṛstocṛsi in dce. Bt ɖs attyd v mînd wz imposibl. Hvr gret ɖer inṭlecćl degṛdeśn, ɖ Īlô hd cept tù mć v ɖ hymn form nt t clem mî simṗʈi, n t mc m pfors a śerr in ɖer degṛdeśn n ɖer Fir.

“I hd at ɖt tîm vri veg îdiyz az t ɖ cors I śd psy. Mî frst wz t ṣkr sm sef ples v refyj, n t mc mslf sć armz v metl or ston az I cd cntrîv. Ɖt nseṣti wz imījt. In ɖ nxt ples, I hopt t pṛkr sm mīnz v fîr, so ɖt I śd hv ɖ wepn v a torć at hand, fr nʈñ, I ń, wd b mor ifiśnt agnst ɖz Morlocs. Ɖen I wontd t arenj sm cntrîvns t brec opn ɖ dorz v bronz undr ɖ Ẃît Sfnx. I hd in mînd a baṭrñram. I hd a psweźn ɖt f I cd entr ɖoz dorz n cari a blêz v lît bfr m I śd dscuvr ɖ Tîm̦śīn n iscep. I cd nt imajn ɖ Morlocs wr stroñ inuf t muv it far awe. Wīna I hd rzolvd t brñ wɖ m t ǎr ǒn tîm. N trnñ sć scīmz ovr in mî mînd I psyd ǎr we twdz ɖ bildñ ẃć mî fansi hd ćozn az ǎr dwelñ.