For some time Barbicane and his companions, mute and pensive, looked at this world, which they had only seen from a distance, like Moses saw Canaan, and from which they were going away for ever. The position of the projectile relatively to the moon was modified, and now its lower end was turned towards the earth. This change, verified by Barbicane, surprised him greatly. If the bullet was going to gravitate round the satellite in an elliptical orbit, why was not its heaviest part turned towards it like the moon to the earth? There again was an obscure point. By watching the progress of the projectile they could see that it was following away from the moon an analogous curve to that by which it approached her. It was, therefore, describing a very long ellipsis which would probably extend to the point of equal attraction, where the influences of the earth and her satellite are neutralised. Such was the conclusion which Barbicane correctly drew from the facts observed, a conviction which his two friends shared with him. Questions immediately began to shower upon him. "What will become of us after we have reached the neutral point?" asked Michel Ardan. "That is unknown!" answered Barbicane. "But we can make suppositions, I suppose?" "We can make two," answered Barbicane. "Either the velocity of the projectile will then be insufficient, and it will remain entirely motionless on that line of double attraction--" "I would rather have the other supposition, whatever it is," replied Michel. "Or the velocity will be sufficient," resumed Barbicane, "and it will continue its elliptical orbit, and gravitate eternally round the orb of night." "Not very consoling that revolution," said Michel, "to become the humble servants of a moon whom we are in the habit of considering our servant. And is that the future that awaits us?" Neither Barbicane nor Nicholl answered. "Why do you not answer?" asked the impatient Michel. "There is nothing to answer," said Nicholl. "Can nothing be done?" "No," answered Barbicane. "Do you pretend to struggle with the impossible?" "Why not? Ought a Frenchman and two Americans to recoil at such a word?" "But what do you want to do?" "Command the motion that is carrying us along!" "Command it?" "Yes," resumed Michel, getting animated, "stop it or modify it; use it for the accomplishment of our plans." "And how, pray?" "That is your business! If artillerymen are not masters of their bullets they are no longer artillerymen. If the projectile commands the gunner, the gunner ought to be rammed instead into the cannon! Fine _savants_, truly! who don't know now what to do after having induced me--" "Induced!" cried Barbicane and Nicholl. "Induced! What do you mean by that?" "No recriminations!" said Michel. "I do not complain. The journey pleases me. The bullet suits me. But let us do all that is humanly possible to fall somewhere, if only upon the moon."