the star-第4章

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gullies

over　the　country　side。　　Those　were　the　days　of　darkness　that

followed　the

star　and　the　heat。　　All　through　them；　and　for　many　weeks　and

months；　the

earthquakes　continued。



But　the　star　had　passed；　and　men；　hunger…driven　and　gathering

courage　only　slowly；　might　creep　back　to　their　ruined　cities；

buried　granaries；　and　sodden　fields。　　Such　few　ships　as　had　escaped

the　storms　of　that　time　came　stunned　and　shattered　and　sounding

their　way　cautiously　through　the　new　marks　and　shoals　of　once

familiar　ports。　　And　as　the　storms　subsided　men　perceived　that

everywhere　the　days　were　hotter　than　of　yore；　and　the　sun　larger；

and　the　moon；　shrunk　to　a　third　of　its　former　size；　took　now

fourscore　days　between　its　new　and　new。



But　of　the　new　brotherhood　that　grew　presently　among　men；　of

the　saving　of　laws　and　books　and　machines；　of　the　strange　change

that　had　come　over　Iceland　and　Greenland　and　the　shores　of　Baffin's

Bay；　so　that　the　sailors　coming　there　presently　found　them　green

and　gracious；　and　could　scarce　believe　their　eyes；　this　story　does

not　tell。　　Nor　of　the　movement　of　mankind　now　that　the　earth　was

hotter；　northward　and　southward　towards　the　poles　of　the　earth。　　It

concerns　itself　only　with　the　coming　and　the　passing　of　the　Star。



The　Martian　astronomersfor　there　are　astronomers　on　Mars；

although　they　are　very　different　beings　from　menwere　naturally

profoundly　interested　by　these　things。　　They　saw　them　from　their

own　standpoint　of　course。　　〃Considering　the　mass　and　temperature　of

the　missile　that　was　flung　through　our　solar　system　into　the　sun；〃

one　wrote；　〃it　is　astonishing　what　a　little　damage　the　earth；　which

it　missed　so　narrowly；　has　sustained。　　All　the　familiar　continental

markings　and　the　masses　of　the　seas　remain　intact；　and　indeed　the

only　difference　seems　to　be　a　shrinkage　of　the　white　discoloration

（supposed　to　be　frozen　water）　round　either　pole。〃　　Which　only　shows

how　small　the　vastest　of　human　catastrophes　may　seem；　at　a　distance

of　a　few　million　miles。