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.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe Sealand woman thought for a moment or two, then she raised her eyes tomeet his again.'When you do reach us, Michael,' she told him, 'you can be very sure of yourplace with us.'The door shut with a thud.The machine started to vibrate and blow a greatdusty wind across the clearing.Through the windows we could see Michael bracing himself against it, hisclothes flapping.Even the deviational trees about the clearing were stirringin their webby shrouds.The floor tilted beneath us.There was a slight lurch, then the ground beganto drop away as we climbed faster and faster into the evening sky.Soon westeadied, pointed towards the south-west.Petra was excited, and a bit over strength.'It's awfully wonderful,' she announced.'I can see for simply miles and milesand miles.Oh, Michael, you do look funny and tiny down there!'The lone, miniature figure in the clearing waved its arm.'Just at present,' Michael's thought came up to us, 'I seem to be feeling abit funny and tiny down here, Petra, dear.But it'll pass.We'll be comingafter you.'It was just as I had seen it in my dreams.A brighter sun than Waknuk everknew poured down upon the wide blue bay where the lines of white-toppedbreakers crawled slowly to the beach.Small boats, some with coloured sails,and some with none, were making for the harbour already dotted with craft.Clustered along the shore, and thinning as it stretched back towards thehills, lay the city with its white houses embedded among green parksand gardens.Icould even make out the tiny vehicles sliding along the wide, tree-borderedavenues.A little inland, beside a square of green, a bright light wasblink-ing from a tower and a fish-shaped machine was floating to the ground.It was so familiar that I almost misgave.For a swift moment I imagined that Ishould wake to find myself back in my bed in Waknuk.I took hold of Rosalind'shand to reassure myself.'It real, isn't it? You can see it, too?' I asked her.is' It's beautiful, David.I never thought there could be any-thing so lovely.And there's something else, too, that you never told me about.''What?' I asked.'Listen!.Can't you feel it? Open your mind more.Petra, darling,if you could stop bubbling over for a few minutes.'I did as she told me.I was aware of the engineer in our machinecommunicating with someone below, but behind that, as a background to it,there was something new and unknown to me.In terms of sound it could be notunlike the buzzing of a hive of bees; in terms of light, a suffused glow.'What is it?' I said, puzzled.'Can't you guess, David? It's people.Lots and lots of our kind of people.'I realized she must be right, and I listened to it for a bit  until Petra'sexcitement got the better of her, and I had to protect myself.We were over the land now, and looked down at the city coming up to meet us.'I'm beginning to believe it's real and true at last,' I told Rosalind.'Youwere never with me those other times.'She turned her head.The under-Rosalind was in her face, smiling, shiny-eyed.The armour was gone.She let me look beneath it.It was like a flower opening.' This time, David  ' she began.Then she was blotted out.We staggered, and put our hands to our heads.Eventhe floor under our feet jerked a little.Anguished protests came from all directions.Page 105ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html' Oh, sorry,' Petra apologized to the ship's crew, and to the city in general,'but it awfully exciting.'is'This time, darling, we'll forgive you,' Rosalind told her.' It.'isPage 106 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]