"Manly Wade Wellman - Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wellman Manly Wade)

the remote system of cliffs and the presence of moving, living things. It is now our task to
rationalize what this crystal has shown us."
"Some representation of another planet, I increasingly suspect," said Holmes.
"I am tempted to the same suggestion." Again Chal-lenger turned the crystal over and over. "If this is
an artificial semblance inside, like those Easter eggs chil-dren love to look into, it is an amazingly
elaborate and impressive illusion."
"Keep turning the crystal in various positions," said Holmes. "See if the viewpoint remains the same."
They experimented for some time, with varying success. It became evident that by turning the crystal
they could somewhat change viewpoint, shifting the direction here and there above the great expanse of
flat roofs and across the surrounding landscape, but visibility blurred, then blurred again. At times it faded
completely.
"Would things be more visible if we had complete darkness?" Holmes wondered.
"Possibly so. I'll try to achieve that condition later on. At present, I am considering your suggestion that
the scenery is extraterrestrial. I can neither confirm nor deny it."
"I remind you that it is only a suggestion, not a de-duction," said Holmes. "Wherever the place may be,
however, it seems certain that we are looking down upon it from one of the tall masts, at the very end of
the row."
"I have a similar impression," agreed Challenger.
"I fear I must leave you now," said Holmes, rising. "My presence is required elsewhere. But let us
make further studies, by all means."
"That was unnecessary to urge upon me."
As Holmes went out, Challenger crouched above the crystal in almost a fury of concentration.
Holmes took a cab to Scotland Yard, where he was able to offer considered opinions on two difficult
cases. Returning to his rooms, he busied himself with making notes on the two problems, pushing the
crystal to the back of his mind. He and Watson had dinner together and talked in friendly fashion, but
Holmes said nothing of the crystal.
Next morning, Watson departed to make several pro-fessional calls. Holmes visited Scotland Yard
again and conferred with two inspectors. When he returned home early in the afternoon, he found
Challenger in the sitting room, tramping up and down as though frenzied with excitement.
"Your landlady let me in when I assured her of the enormous importance of my visit," Challenger
greeted Holmes. "Extraordinarily fine woman, that landlady. The sort with a gift of deep feelingтАФbrilliant
feeling, I should judge. There are brilliances of feeling as there are of mind."
"Yes," said Holmes quietly.
"But I am here to report concerning our crystal," Challenger hurried on. "Holmes, you were
right. I have vindicated your suggestion that the scenes it shows are extraterrestrial. I have even
identified the planet."
"Amazing, my dear Challenger!" cried Holmes.
"You will find it elementary, my dear Holmes. The suggestion that I study it in absolute darkness
proved a fruitful one. I took a black cloth such as photogra-phers use and draped it so as to shut
out almost all the light. I saw more clearly than when you were there this morning. Night had
fallen over that land-scape, the stars were outтАФand that is when a highly important truth, nay, a
staggering one, revealed itself."
"And what was the truth?" asked Holmes.
Challenger drew himself up dramatically. "The stars were out, I say, in the sky above that roof with the
towers. I made out Ursa Major, the Great Bear, What does that suggest to you?"
"That, if it is on a world other than ours, it is close enough so that the same constellations are visible."
"The constellations are the same, yes, but what followed was vastly different and conclusive. Two
moons presently rose above the horizonтАФnot one moon, but two. Both were very small, markedly
jagged, and one of them moved so swiftly that I could see its progression. As they rose high, they
vanished from sight." Challenger drove a fist into the palm of his other hand. "Do you see what that