First Men in the Moon Page #3

worth discovering, there...

It's exceptionally high in minerals.

- Minerals?

- Minerals.

- Including gold?

- Including gold.

There's a theory that the minerals on

the moon are not in a molten magma...

but dotted about...

in nuggets.

Rather like raisins in a fruitcake.

Better than weightless boots, isn't it?

Come on, I've got something to show you.

How far would it be?

What, to the moon?

About a quarter of a million miles.

About quarter of a million... Come on.

You'll have to forgive this

confusion, untidiness.

I'll get it cleared up one day.

Oh, my goodness! That's much too high.

It's to carry the hot gases

from the furnace. I'll explain later.

It's all right! He's a friend!

My guards. Better than dogs.

They're harmless.

There's Gwendoline, Aristotle.

- It's hot!

- 123 degrees!

- No?

- Yes! Come on!

Out of the way, out the way!

The sphere.

- You've actually built it.

- Yes.

It's taken time, mind you. Years, years.

Well, here it is. The sphere.

It's double-walled.

The shell inside is complete.

This outer frame is covered with

roller blinds and old railway buffers.

The blinds will be covered

with cavorite.

When they're extended, they'll cut

off the force of gravity.

Yes, that's right. That's very good.

You open and shut the blinds to cut

off gravity from the Earth...

- ...moon or any other bodies in space.

- Space.

You really mean it.

I'll tell you something.

If the last batch of cavorite

is successful...

we start coating the sphere

tonight. It's in the furnace now.

It's exciting, isn't it?

I really must say, I'm...

- Opening all right?

- Yes, perfectly.

Good!

Oh, my little kingdom.

- What happened?

- I don't know!

The furnace.

Come on, Bedford old man, hurry up!

Bedford, hurry!

I'll be back. I'll be back!

I thought something happened to you.

Something happened all right.

I told Gibbs to watch the furnace!

Bedford, from now on, you stoke it.

- But it exploded!

- No, it worked!

It worked! It really worked!

- I'll say!

- It's enough power to lift the sphere!

What's he talking about?

What does he mean?

Those diving suits.

- You're not going deep-sea diving!

- I'll explain.

You see, what keeps water out,

keeps air in. You see?

- Walking in a vacuum might be fun.

- Cavor, don't...

There's no atmosphere on the moon.

I've got a book on it!

I'll go and check! Excuse me!

The moon?

You see, Kate, we were planning...

a little expedition to test cavorite.

On the moon?

You're both raving mad!

It's throwing your lives away!

- The moon?

- I was going to tell you all about it.

You never spoke of your plans to go

on this lunatic expedition...

- Darling, I...

- "Lunatic" is just the word!

Go, blow yourself to bits.

I don't care if I ever see you again!

Oh, Kate, you... Oh, Cavor.

Well done! Pour on more coal!

Keep up the steam!

Well done! Get out of the way!

Well done, Bedford, old man! Keep it up!

Bald-headed old...

Madam!

You must keep the doors closed

or you'll ruin the experiment!

Look, it's down to 110 degrees!

What on earth have you got there?

I've brought a few useful things

for Arnold. Don't tell him.

Just a few personal things.

- Personal things. Like a gun!

- It's a sensible precaution.

- You never know.

- What about these animals?

I brought fresh food too.

Tinned supplies aren't healthy.

You have thought about feeding them?

There's a sack of chickenfeed...

No, I'm sorry. There's no room.

You'll have to leave the lot. You'll...

The temperature!

Oh, my goodness!

Chickens, gin and bitters, guns...

I don't know.

Should you run out like that

when you're so overheated?

You'll catch cold!

Will you close those blasted doors!

Give me that. The greenhouse

temperature is down by 15 degrees.

- It's not possible.

- Kate keeps mooning around!

- She won't leave those doors alone!

- Kate's still here?

Of course she is!

Tell her to go home! Just tell her!

And Bedford, don't be too long!

We're leaving within an hour.

- I thought you'd gone.

- I brought some things for your trip.

Thanks.

Why did you have to

get mixed up in this?

Oh, don't go. Change your mind.

It's not too late. Please.

But it's only for a few weeks.

It's not as if it were forever.

If you go, it may as well be forever.

And I won't be here when you return.

I mean it this time.

So make a decision here and now.

It's Cavor or me.

When you decide, I'll be at the cottage.

I've banked the fires.

We haven't got much time. Come on.

Those doors! That woman

will be the death of me.

Thank the Lord I never got married.

My mother warned me. She was right.

My goodness, she was right.

- Oh, Arnold, I'm so glad...

- Evening.

Katherine Callender?

"This summons is served on behalf

of the landlord of Cherry Cottage."

- Summons?

- Just a minute, please.

"There's been an illegal attempt to

transfer the title to a third party."

And your signature is on this paper.

But Mr. Bedford

inherited it from his aunt.

Cherry Cottage is the sole property

of our clients...

Bascombe G. Osgood,

and we'll see you in court, madam.

Goodnight.

Come along, Bassie.

Lies.

Lies from beginning to end.

- That's everything.

- No.

- What?

- I've forgotten something.

Oxygen cylinders?

- Glasses?

- I got those.

- You left the gas on?

- No.

I've got it. It's very important,

very important.

Ladies and gentlemen,

liberty is at hand.

Goodbye, Gwendoline, Victoria.

I'll always be grateful for everything.

Come on, man. The time's running short.

Liberty, my friends! Liberty!

Be back as soon as I can.

Oh, my goodness.

Come on, Cavor, hurry.

- All right?

- Yes. Thank you.

Well, we're nicely on temperature.

Oh, this is a solemn moment

in the history of mankind.

Man into space. Future generations

will long remember us.

If we're not blown to smithereens.

Please, please.

Put your hands and arms

through the net like this.

There might be a violent shock coming.

Arnold, you come out of there!

You can't leave this...

Any moment now, I can feel it.

- We're off!

- Open up.

- Open up! Mr. Bedford, open up!

- What's that?

- It's Kate.

- That woman!

She's impossible.

She'll be blasted to death.

- Open up!

- Get her inside! Get her inside!

- Hurry, for heaven's sake!

- Quickly!

I'm stuck. I can't move.

You'll be okay. We'll stop

accelerating at any moment now.

Where are we? What's happening?

Shot into space

with the speed of a bullet.

- I'll put magnets in your shoes.

- Space?

- I'm gonna be sick.

- Hold on to the handgrips!

You had no right to take me.

I came for Mr. Bedford.

- We had no choice, Mrs. Bedford.

- Stop calling me that!

- We're not married.

- We're not likely to be. Ever!

Not married?

Kindly leave the room.

Kindly leave the room.

For what we are to receive,

may the Lord make us thankful.

Amen.

There's the Pole star.

We're nicely on trajectory.

Can you see, Kate?

- Close that blind!

- I was trying to see.

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