"Herbert George Wells. When the Sleeper Wakes" - читать интересную книгу автора

century printing machine. Then they ran the entire thing on its easy,
noiseless bearings across the room to a remote corner where a twisted cable
looped rather gracefully from the wall. They made some connexion and the
machine became energetic and swift.

"What is that doing?" asked Graham, pointing with the empty glass to the
busy figures and trying to ignore the scrutiny of the new comer. " Is
thatsome sort of force-laid on? "

"Yes," said the man with the flaxen beard.

"Who is that?" He indicated the archway behind him.

The man in purple stroked his little beard, hesitated, and answered in an
undertone, "He is Howard, your chief guardian. You see, Sire,-it's a little
difficult to explain. The Council appoints a guardian and assistants. This
hall has under certain restrictions been public. In order that people might
satisfy themselves. We have barred the doorways for the first time. But I
think-if you don't mind, I will leave him to explain."

"Odd" said Graham. " Guardian? Council?" Then turning his back on the new
comer, he asked in an undertone, "Why is this man glaring at me? Is he a
mesmerist? "

"Mesmerist! He is a capillotomist."

"Capillotomist!"

"Yes-one of the chief. His yearly fee is sixdoz lions."

It sounded sheer nonsense. Graham snatched at the last phrase with an
unsteady mind. "Sixdoz lions?" he said.

"Didn't you have lions? I suppose not. You had the old pounds? They are our
monetary units."

"But what was that you said-sixdoz? "

"Yes. Six dozen, Sire. Of course things, even these little things, have
altered. You lived in the days of the decimal system, the Arab system-tens,
and little hundreds and thousands. We have eleven numerals now. We have
single figures for both ten and eleven, two figures for a dozen, and a
dozen dozen makes a gross, a great hundred, you know, a dozen gross a
dozand, and a dozand dozand a myriad. Very simple?"

"I suppose so," said Graham. "But about this cap-what was it? "

The man with the flaxen beard glanced over his shoulder.

"Here are your clothes!" he said. Graham turned round sharply and saw the