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THE TIME MACHINE Part IV
All the people were dressed in the same way, had the same long curly hair. I could not say which of them were men and which were women. The children looked like grown-ups. Another thing that surprised me was that I saw no old people. I thought and thought, but I could not understand this world.
The sun had set and I decided to go down and find, a place where I could sleep. I ran down the slope of the hill to see the Time Machine behind it. You can't imagine the horror that I felt: the Time Machine was not there.
I was sure that the little people were too frail to be able to move the Machine. So it was some other power, which I did not know, that had moved it. I was afraid. Only one thought comforted me: the starting and stopping levers were in my pocket, so nobody could move the Machine in time. Somebody had moved the Machine and hidden it.
I was in despair and I went into the big palace. The great hall with tables was dark and empty. Behind it I found another great hall covered with cushions on which many of the little people were sleeping. I struck a match and roared, "Where is my Time Machine?" They woke up and were surprised to see the match. Some of them laughed, some were afraid. It was clear that they knew nothing about my Machine and did not understand what I wanted.
I went across the big dining-hall again, and came out. I walked about,
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the slope of the hill — схил гори
horror — жах
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