round the moon-第12节

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would　have　been　doubled　had　they　felt　how　their　speed　had　decreased。
It　would　have　seemed　to　them　quite　insufficient　to　carry　them　to
the　end。　　It　was　because　the　projectile　then　〃weighed〃　almost　nothing。
Its　weight　was　ever　decreasing；　and　would　be　entirely　annihilated　on
that　line　where　the　lunar　and　terrestrial　attractions　would
neutralize　each　other。

But　in　spite　of　his　preoccupation；　Michel　Ardan　did　not　forget
to　prepare　the　morning　repast　with　his　accustomed　punctuality。
They　ate　with　a　good　appetite。　　Nothing　was　so　excellent　as　the
soup　liquefied　by　the　heat　of　the　gas；　nothing　better　than　the
preserved　meat。　　Some　glasses　of　good　French　wine　crowned　the
repast；　causing　Michel　Ardan　to　remark　that　the　lunar　vines；
warmed　by　that　ardent　sun；　ought　to　distill　even　more　generous
wines；　that　is；　if　they　existed。　　In　any　case；　the　far…seeing
Frenchman　had　taken　care　not　to　forget　in　his　collection　some
precious　cuttings　of　the　Medoc　and　Cote　d'Or；　upon　which　he
founded　his　hopes。

Reiset　and　Regnaut's　apparatus　worked　with　great　regularity。
Not　an　atom　of　carbonic　acid　resisted　the　potash；　and　as　to
the　oxygen；　Captain　Nicholl　said　〃it　was　of　the　first　quality。〃
The　little　watery　vapor　enclosed　in　the　projectile　mixing　with
the　air　tempered　the　dryness；　and　many　apartments　in　London；
Paris；　or　New　York；　and　many　theaters；　were　certainly　not　in
such　a　healthy　condition。

But　that　it　might　act　with　regularity；　the　apparatus　must　be
kept　in　perfect　order；　so　each　morning　Michel　visited　the　escape
regulators；　tried　the　taps；　and　regulated　the　heat　of　the　gas　by
the　pyrometer。　　Everything　had　gone　well　up　to　that　time；　and
the　travelers；　imitating　the　worthy　Joseph　T。　Maston；　began　to
acquire　a　degree　of　embonpoint　which　would　have　rendered　them
unrecognizable　if　their　imprisonment　had　been　prolonged　to
some　months。　　In　a　word；　they　behaved　like　chickens　in　a　coop；
they　were　getting　fat。

In　looking　through　the　scuttle　Barbicane　saw　the　specter　of　the
dog；　and　other　divers　objects　which　had　been　thrown　from　the
projectile；　obstinately　following　them。　　Diana　howled
lugubriously　on　seeing　the　remains　of　Satellite；　which　seemed　as
motionless　as　if　they　reposed　on　solid　earth。

〃Do　you　know；　my　friends；〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃that　if　one　of　us
had　succumbed　to　the　shock　consequent　on　departure；　we　should
have　had　a　great　deal　of　trouble　to　bury　him？　　What　am　I　saying？
to　_etherize_　him；　as　here　ether　takes　the　place　of　earth。
You　see　the　accusing　body　would　have　followed　us　into　space　like
a　remorse。〃

〃That　would　have　been　sad；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Ah！〃　continued　Michel；　〃what　I　regret　is　not　being　able　to　take　a
walk　outside。　　What　voluptuousness　to　float　amid　this　radiant　ether；
to　bathe　oneself　in　it；　to　wrap　oneself　in　the　sun's　pure　rays。
If　Barbicane　had　only　thought　of　furnishing　us　with　a　diving
apparatus　and　an　air…pump；　I　could　have　ventured　out　and　assumed
fanciful　attitudes　of　feigned　monsters　on　the　top　of　the　projectile。〃

〃Well；　old　Michel；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃you　would　not　have　made
a　feigned　monster　long；　for　in　spite　of　your　diver's　dress；　swollen
by　the　expansion　of　air　within　you；　you　would　have　burst　like　a
shell；　or　rather　like　a　balloon　which　has　risen　too　high。　　So　do
not　regret　it；　and　do　not　forget　this　as　long　as　we　float　in
space；　all　sentimental　walks　beyond　the　projectile　are　forbidden。〃

Michel　Ardan　allowed　himself　to　be　convinced　to　a　certain　extent。
He　admitted　that　the　thing　was　difficult　but　not　impossible；
a　word　which　he　never　uttered。

The　conversation　passed　from　this　subject　to　another；　not　failing
him　for　an　instant。　　It　seemed　to　the　three　friends　as　though；
under　present　conditions；　ideas　shot　up　in　their　brains　as　leaves
shoot　at　the　first　warmth　of　spring。　　They　felt　bewildered。　　In　the
middle　of　the　questions　and　answers　which　crossed　each　other；
Nicholl　put　one　question　which　did　not　find　an　immediate　solution。

〃Ah；　indeed！〃　said　he；　〃it　is　all　very　well　to　go　to　the　moon；
but　how　to　get　back　again？〃

His　two　interlocutors　looked　surprised。　　One　would　have　thought
that　this　possibility　now　occurred　to　them　for　the　first　time。

〃What　do　you　mean　by　that；　Nicholl？〃　asked　Barbicane　gravely。

〃To　ask　for　means　to　leave　a　country；〃　added　Michel；　〃When　we
have　not　yet　arrived　there；　seems　to　me　rather　inopportune。〃

〃I　do　not　say　that；　wishing　to　draw　back；〃　replied　Nicholl；
〃but　I　repeat　my　question；　and　I　ask；　‘How　shall　we　return？'〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　it；〃　answered　Barbicane。

〃And　I；〃　said　Michel；　〃if　I　had　known　how　to　return；　I　would
never　have　started。〃

〃There's　an　answer！〃　cried　Nicholl。

〃I　quite　approve　of　Michel's　words；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃and　add；
that　the　question　has　no　real　interest。　　Later；　when　we　think　it
is　advisable　to　return；　we　will　take　counsel　together。　　If　the
Columbiad　is　not　there；　the　projectile　will　be。〃

〃That　is　a　step　certainly。　　A　ball　without　a　gun！〃

〃The　gun；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃can　be　manufactured。　　The　powder
can　be　made。　　Neither　metals；　saltpeter；　nor　coal　can　fail　in
the　depths　of　the　moon；　and　we　need　only　go　8；000　leagues　in
order　to　fall　upon　the　terrestrial　globe　by　virtue　of　the　mere
laws　of　weight。〃

〃Enough；〃　said　Michel　with　animation。　　〃Let　it　be　no　longer　a
question　of　returning：　we　have　already　entertained　it　too　long。
As　to　communicating　with　our　former　earthly　colleagues；　that
will　not　be　difficult。〃

〃And　how？〃

〃By　means　of　meteors　launched　by　lunar　volcanoes。〃

〃Well　thought　of；　Michel；〃　said　Barbicane　in　a　convinced　tone
of　voice。　　〃Laplace　has　calculated　that　a　force　five　times　greater
than　that　of　our　gun　would　suffice　to　send　a　meteor　from　the
moon　to　the　earth；　and　there　is　not　one　volcano　which　has　not　a
greater　power　of　propulsion　than　that。〃

〃Hurrah！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　〃these　meteors　are　handy　postmen；
and　cost　nothing。　　And　how　we　shall　be　able　to　laugh　at　the
post…office　administration！　　But　now　I　think　of　it〃

〃What　do　you　think　of？〃

〃A　capital　idea。　　Why　did　we　not　fasten　a　thread　to　our
projectile；　and　we　could　have　exchanged　telegrams　with　the　earth？〃

〃The　deuce！〃　answered　Nicholl。　　〃Do　you　consider　the　weight　of
a　thread　250；000　miles　long　nothing？〃

〃As　nothing。　　They　could　have　trebled　the　Columbiad's　charge；
they　could　have　quadrupled　or　quintupled　it！〃　exclaimed　Michel；
with　whom　the　verb　took　a　higher　intonation　each　time。

〃There　is　but　one　little　objection　to　make　to　your　proposition；〃
replied　Barbicane；　〃which　is　that；　during　the　rotary　motion　of
the　globe；　our　thread　would　have　wound　itself　round　it　like　a
chain　on　a　capstan；　and　that　it　would　inevitably　have　brought　us
to　the　ground。〃

〃By　the　thirty…nine　stars　of　the　Union！〃　said　Michel；　〃I　have
nothing　but　impracticable　ideas　to…day；　ideas　worthy　of　J。
T。　Maston。　　But　I　have　a　notion　that；　if　we　do　not　return　to
earth；　J。　T。　Maston　will　be　able　to　come　to　us。〃

〃Yes；　he'll　come；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃he　is　a　worthy　and　a
courageous　comrade。　　Besides；　what　is　easier？　　Is　not　the
Columbiad　still　buried　in　the　soil　of　Florida？　　Is　cotton　and
nitric　acid　wanted　wherewith　to　manufacture　the　pyroxyle？
Will　not　the　moon　pass　the　zenith　of　Florida？　　In　eighteen
years'　time　will　she　not　occupy　exactly　the　same　place　as　to…day？〃

〃Yes；〃　continued　Michel；　〃yes；　Maston　will　come；　and　with　him
our　friends　Elphinstone；　Blomsberry；　all　the　members　of　the　Gun
Club；　and　they　will　be　well　received。　　And　by　and　by　they　will
run　trains　of　projectiles　between　the　earth　and　the　moon！
Hurrah　for　J。　T。　Maston！〃

It　is　probable　that；　if　the　Hon。　J。　T。　Maston　did　not　hear　the
hurrahs　uttered　in　his　honor；　his　ears　at　least　tingled。　　What　was
he　doing　then？　　Doubtless；　posted　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　at　the
station　of　Long's　Peak；　he　was　trying　to　find　the　invisible
projectile　gravitating　in　space。　　If　he　was　thinking　of　his　dear
companions；　we　must　allow　that　they　were　not　far　behind　him；　and
that；　under　the　influence　of　a　strange　excitement；　they　were
devoting　to　him　their　best　thoughts。

But　whence　this　excitement；　which　was　evidently　growing　upon　the
tenants　of　the　projectile？　　Their　sobriety　could　not　be　doubted。
This　strange　irritation　of　the　brain；　must　it　be　attributed　to
the　peculiar　circumstances　under　which　they　found　themselves；　to
their　proximity　to　the　orb　of　night；　from　which　only　a　few　hours
separated　them；　to　some　secret　influence　of　the　moon　acting　upon
their　nervous　system？　　Their　faces　were　as　rosy　as　if　they　had
been　exposed　to　the　roaring　flames　of　an　oven；　their　voices
resounded　in　loud　accents；　their　words　escaped　like　a　champagne
cork　driven　out　by　carbonic　acid；　their　gestures　became　annoying；
they　wanted　so　much　room　to　perform　them；　and；　strange　to　say；
they　none　of　them　noticed　this　great　tension　of　the　mind。

〃Now；〃　said　Nicholl；　in　a　short　tone；　〃now　that　I　do　not　know
whether　we　shall　ever　return　from　the　moon；　I　want　to　know　what
we　are　going　to　do　there？〃

〃What　we　are　going　to　do　there？〃　replied　Barbicane；　stamping
with　his　foot　as　if　he　was　in　a　fencing　saloon；　〃I　do　not　know。〃

〃You　do　not　know！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　with　a　bellow　which
provoked　a　sonorous　echo　in　th