I'm going to turn the power a bit astern so that we shall go
down obliquely, and see more of the lighted disc. We started at new moon
so that you should have a look at the full earth, and also so that we
could get round to the invisible side while it is lighted up."
They both went below, he to deflect the repulsive force so that one set
of engines should give them a somewhat oblique direction, while the
other, acting directly on the surface of the moon, simply retarded their
fall; and she to get out her maps.
When they got back the _Astronef_ had changed her apparent position,
and, instead of falling directly on to the moon, was descending towards
it in a slanting direction. The result of this was that the sunlit
crescent rapidly grew in breadth. Peak after peak and range after range
rose up swiftly out of the black gulf beyond. The sun climbed quickly up
through the star-strewn, mid-day heavens, and the full earth sank more
swiftly still behind them.
Another hour of silent, entranced wonder and admiration followed, and
then Redgrave said:
"Don't you think it's about time we were beginning to think of
breakfast, dear--or do you think you can wait till we land?"
"Breakfast on the moon!" she exclaimed. "That would be just too lovely
for words--of course we'll wait!"
"Very well," he said; "you see that big black ring nearly below
us?--that, as I suppose you know, is the celebrated Mount Tycho.
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