In dimensions it reminded me of the tunnels beside the opal path with
which I was already familiar, but it was otherwise different. There was
no vertical rod, such as that which had drawn the eyes, and stayed the
pursuit of the Frog-Mouths. There was no difference between floor and
walls, but all were marble-smooth, and hard, and cold. They were
opalescent, but of a kind and colour which I had not seen previously.
The sides and roof were of the dim green of the under-surface of an
arching wave, and like a wave they curved over, differing from the
upright walls and flat ceiling of the earlier tunnels. The floor gave an
impression of dark green depths through which we could have seen to the
remoteness of the earth’s interior, had the faint light allowed it.
We had ceased to think as we moved forward, so that I might once again
give to my companion the benefit of the sight she lacked, and it must
have been my own volition that caused us to take a few steps within the
entrance of the cavity. But as we did so, her thought broke sharply
across my own, “You need show no more: I can see here.” It was a relief
that did not lessen the marvel. She showed me that the blackness still
fell like a curtain over the very mouth of the cavity, where I looked
out into sunlight, but the gloom within was alike to both of us, and in
the relief of this renewed equality we sat down, not very prudently,
against the wall of the passage, forgetting its potential dangers in the
pleasure of needed rest, and in the necessity of reconsidering our
position.
“The question is,” I began immediately, “shall we continue the plan we
made before we knew that this tunnel existed, or shall we do better to
attempt to descend it?”
“It is one question, among several,” my companion answered, “but it is
hard to answer. We have some facts now of which we were ignorant when we
decided two nights ago. If we exchange our thoughts at once, we shall
make confusion only. Let us think separately till we have each resolved
what is best, and have made our reasons clear to ourselves. Then, should
we differ, and either prove unable to convince the other, I will give
way very willingly.”
I assented to this, knowing it to be unlikely that such a difference
would arise or continue, and we remained silent for a considerable time,
for my own thoughts were chaotic, and I was anxious not to interrupt the
exhaustive logic of the mind beside me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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