August 23, 2025 • 10 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirteen a parley. I turned again and went on down
towards the sea. I found the hot stream broadened out
to a shallow, weedy sand, in which an abundance of
crabs and long bodied, many legged creatures started From my footfall.
I walked to the very edge of the salt water,
(00:21):
and then I felt I was safe. I turned and
stared arms akimbo at the thick green behind me, into
which the steamy ravine cut like a smoking gash. But
as I say, I was too full of excitement, and
a true saying, though those who have never known danger
may doubt it, too desperate to die. Then it came
(00:45):
into my head that there was one chance before me. Yet,
while Moreau and Montgomery and their bestial rabble chased me
through the island, might I not go round the beach
until I came to their enclosure, make a flank, march
upon them, in fact, and then, with a rock lugged
out of their loosely built wall, perhaps smash it in
(01:05):
the lock of a smaller door, and see what I
could find knife, pistol or what not to fight them
with when they returned. It was, at any rate something
to try. So I turned to the westward and walked
along by the water's edge. The setting sun flashed his
blinding heat into my eyes. The slight pacific tide was
(01:27):
running in with a gentle ripple. Presently, the shore fell
away southward, and the sun came round upon my right hand. Then, suddenly,
far in front of me, I saw first one and
then several figures emerging from the bushes, Moreau with his
gray staghound, then Montgomery and two others. At that I stopped.
(01:51):
They saw me and began gesticulating and advancing. I stood
watching them approach. The two beast men came running forward
to cut me off from the undergrowth inland. Montgomery came
running also, but straight towards me. Moreau followed slower with
the dog. At last, I roused myself from my inaction, and,
(02:15):
turning seaward, walked straight into the water. The water was
very shallow at first. I was thirty yards out before
the waves reached to my waist. Dimly, I could see
the intertidal creatures darting away from my feet. What are
you doing, man, cried Montgomery. I turned, standing ways steep
(02:38):
and stared at them. Montgomery stood panting at the margin
of the water. His face was bright red with exertion,
his long flaxen hair blown about his head, and his
dropping nether lip showed his irregular teeth. Moreau was just
coming up, his face pale and firm, and the dog
at his hand barked at me. Both men had heavy whips.
(03:03):
Farther up the beach, stared the beast men. What am
I doing? I'm going to drown myself, said I. Montgomery
and Moreau looked at each other. Why, asked Moreau. Because
that is better than being tortured by you. I told you, though,
(03:24):
said Montgomery, and Moreau said something in a low tone.
What makes you think I shall torture you? Asked Moreau.
What I saw, I said, And those yonder hush, said Moreau,
and held up his hand. I will not, said I.
(03:46):
They were men, What are they now? I, at least
will not be like them. I looked past my interlocutors.
Up the beach were imling Montgomery's attendant and one of
the white swathed brutes from the boat. Farther up, in
the shadow of the trees, I saw my little ape man,
and behind him some other dim figures. Who are these creatures?
(04:12):
Said I, pointing to them, and raising my voice more
and more that it might reach them. They were men,
men like yourselves, whom you have infected with some best
you'll taint, Men whom you have enslaved in, whom you
still fear. You who listen, I cried, pointing now to
(04:33):
Moreau and shouting past him to the beastmen, you who listen,
Do you not see these men still fear you go
and dread of you? Why then do you fear them?
You are many? For god sake, cried Montgomery. Stop that prendick, prindick,
cried Moreau. They both shouted together as if to drown
(04:58):
my voice, and behind them lowered the staring faces of
the beast men, wondering, the deformed hands hanging down, their
shoulders hunched up. They seemed, as I fancied, to be
trying to understand me, to remember I thought something of
their human past. I went on shouting. I scarcely remember
(05:22):
what that Moreau and Montgomery could be killed, that they
were not to be feared. That was the burden of
what I put into the heads of the beast people.
I saw the green eyed man in the dark rags
who had met me on the evening of my arrival.
Come out from among the trees, and others followed him
to hear me better. At last, for want of breath,
(05:45):
I paused. Listen to me for a moment, said the
steady voice of Moreau. And then say what you will, well,
said I. He coughed, thought and shouted Latin prindic bad
Latin schoolboy Latin. But try and understand. Hi, non sunt
(06:09):
homonez sont anamelia quinos habimis vivisected a humanizing process. I
will explain. Come ashore, I laughed. A pretty story, said I.
They talk build houses, they were men. It's likely I'll
come ashore. The water just beyond you where you stand
(06:30):
is deep and full of sharks. That's my way, said I,
short and sharp. Presently, wait a minute. He took something
out of his pocket that flashed back the sun and
dropped the object at his feet. That's a loaded revolver,
said he. Montgomery here will do the same. Now we
(06:54):
are going up the beach. Until you are satisfied the
distance is safe, then come and take the revolvers. Not I.
You have a third one between you. I want you
to think over things pre dick. In the first place,
I never asked you to come upon this island. If
we vivisected men, we should import men, not beasts. In
(07:15):
the next we had you drugged last night, had we
wanted to work you any mischief, And in the next.
Now your first panic is over, and you can think
a little. Is Montgomery here quite up to the character
you give him. We have chased you for your good
because this island is full of inimical phenomena. Besides, why
(07:37):
should we want to shoot you when you have just
offered to drown yourself? Why did you set your people
unto me when I was in the hut. We felt
sure of catching you and bringing you out of danger. Afterwards,
we drew away from the scint for your own good.
I'm mused, it seemed possible. Then I remembered something again.
(08:03):
But I saw, said I in the enclosure, that was
the puma. Look here, Prindick, said Montgomery, your thilly ath
come out of the water and take thee through volverth
and talk. We can't do anything more than we could
do now. I will confess that then, and indeed, always
(08:25):
a distrusted and dreaded Moreau. But Montgomery was a man
I felt I understood. Go up the beach, said I,
after thinking, and added holding up your hands. Can't do that,
said Montgomery, with an explanatory nod over his shoulder, undignified.
(08:47):
Go up the trees, then said I, as you please.
It's a damn thilly ceremony, said Montgomery. Both turned and
faced the six or seven grotesque creatures who stood there
in the sunlight, solid casting shadows, moving and yet so
incredibly unreal. Montgomery cracked his whip at them and forthwith.
(09:12):
They all turned and fled helter skelter into the trees.
And when Montgomery and Moreau were at a distance, I
judged sufficient, I waded ashore and picked up and examined
the revolvers. To satisfy myself against the subtlest trickery, I
discharged one at a round lump of lava and had
(09:33):
the satisfaction of seeing the stone pulverized and the beach
splashed with lead. Still I hesitated for a moment. I'll
take the risk, said I at last, and with a
revolver in each hand, I walked up the beach towards them.
That's better, said Moreau, without affection, As it is, you
(09:55):
have wasted the better part of my day with your
confounded imagination, and with a touch of contempt which humiliated me.
He and Montgomery turned and went on in silence. Before me,
the knot of the beast men, still wandering, stood back
among the trees. I passed them as serenely as possible.
(10:16):
One started to follow me, but retreated again when Montgomery
cracked his whip. The rest stood silent, watching. They may
once have been animals, but I never before saw an
animal trying to think.
Thirteen a parley. I turned again and went on down
towards the sea. I found the hot stream broadened out
to a shallow, weedy sand, in which an abundance of
crabs and long bodied, many legged creatures started From my footfall.
I walked to the very edge of the salt water,
(00:21):
and then I felt I was safe. I turned and
stared arms akimbo at the thick green behind me, into
which the steamy ravine cut like a smoking gash. But
as I say, I was too full of excitement, and
a true saying, though those who have never known danger
may doubt it, too desperate to die. Then it came
(00:45):
into my head that there was one chance before me. Yet,
while Moreau and Montgomery and their bestial rabble chased me
through the island, might I not go round the beach
until I came to their enclosure, make a flank, march
upon them, in fact, and then, with a rock lugged
out of their loosely built wall, perhaps smash it in
(01:05):
the lock of a smaller door, and see what I
could find knife, pistol or what not to fight them
with when they returned. It was, at any rate something
to try. So I turned to the westward and walked
along by the water's edge. The setting sun flashed his
blinding heat into my eyes. The slight pacific tide was
(01:27):
running in with a gentle ripple. Presently, the shore fell
away southward, and the sun came round upon my right hand. Then, suddenly,
far in front of me, I saw first one and
then several figures emerging from the bushes, Moreau with his
gray staghound, then Montgomery and two others. At that I stopped.
(01:51):
They saw me and began gesticulating and advancing. I stood
watching them approach. The two beast men came running forward
to cut me off from the undergrowth inland. Montgomery came
running also, but straight towards me. Moreau followed slower with
the dog. At last, I roused myself from my inaction, and,
(02:15):
turning seaward, walked straight into the water. The water was
very shallow at first. I was thirty yards out before
the waves reached to my waist. Dimly, I could see
the intertidal creatures darting away from my feet. What are
you doing, man, cried Montgomery. I turned, standing ways steep
(02:38):
and stared at them. Montgomery stood panting at the margin
of the water. His face was bright red with exertion,
his long flaxen hair blown about his head, and his
dropping nether lip showed his irregular teeth. Moreau was just
coming up, his face pale and firm, and the dog
at his hand barked at me. Both men had heavy whips.
(03:03):
Farther up the beach, stared the beast men. What am
I doing? I'm going to drown myself, said I. Montgomery
and Moreau looked at each other. Why, asked Moreau. Because
that is better than being tortured by you. I told you, though,
(03:24):
said Montgomery, and Moreau said something in a low tone.
What makes you think I shall torture you? Asked Moreau.
What I saw, I said, And those yonder hush, said Moreau,
and held up his hand. I will not, said I.
(03:46):
They were men, What are they now? I, at least
will not be like them. I looked past my interlocutors.
Up the beach were imling Montgomery's attendant and one of
the white swathed brutes from the boat. Farther up, in
the shadow of the trees, I saw my little ape man,
and behind him some other dim figures. Who are these creatures?
(04:12):
Said I, pointing to them, and raising my voice more
and more that it might reach them. They were men,
men like yourselves, whom you have infected with some best
you'll taint, Men whom you have enslaved in, whom you
still fear. You who listen, I cried, pointing now to
(04:33):
Moreau and shouting past him to the beastmen, you who listen,
Do you not see these men still fear you go
and dread of you? Why then do you fear them?
You are many? For god sake, cried Montgomery. Stop that prendick, prindick,
cried Moreau. They both shouted together as if to drown
(04:58):
my voice, and behind them lowered the staring faces of
the beast men, wondering, the deformed hands hanging down, their
shoulders hunched up. They seemed, as I fancied, to be
trying to understand me, to remember I thought something of
their human past. I went on shouting. I scarcely remember
(05:22):
what that Moreau and Montgomery could be killed, that they
were not to be feared. That was the burden of
what I put into the heads of the beast people.
I saw the green eyed man in the dark rags
who had met me on the evening of my arrival.
Come out from among the trees, and others followed him
to hear me better. At last, for want of breath,
(05:45):
I paused. Listen to me for a moment, said the
steady voice of Moreau. And then say what you will, well,
said I. He coughed, thought and shouted Latin prindic bad
Latin schoolboy Latin. But try and understand. Hi, non sunt
(06:09):
homonez sont anamelia quinos habimis vivisected a humanizing process. I
will explain. Come ashore, I laughed. A pretty story, said I.
They talk build houses, they were men. It's likely I'll
come ashore. The water just beyond you where you stand
(06:30):
is deep and full of sharks. That's my way, said I,
short and sharp. Presently, wait a minute. He took something
out of his pocket that flashed back the sun and
dropped the object at his feet. That's a loaded revolver,
said he. Montgomery here will do the same. Now we
(06:54):
are going up the beach. Until you are satisfied the
distance is safe, then come and take the revolvers. Not I.
You have a third one between you. I want you
to think over things pre dick. In the first place,
I never asked you to come upon this island. If
we vivisected men, we should import men, not beasts. In
(07:15):
the next we had you drugged last night, had we
wanted to work you any mischief, And in the next.
Now your first panic is over, and you can think
a little. Is Montgomery here quite up to the character
you give him. We have chased you for your good
because this island is full of inimical phenomena. Besides, why
(07:37):
should we want to shoot you when you have just
offered to drown yourself? Why did you set your people
unto me when I was in the hut. We felt
sure of catching you and bringing you out of danger. Afterwards,
we drew away from the scint for your own good.
I'm mused, it seemed possible. Then I remembered something again.
(08:03):
But I saw, said I in the enclosure, that was
the puma. Look here, Prindick, said Montgomery, your thilly ath
come out of the water and take thee through volverth
and talk. We can't do anything more than we could
do now. I will confess that then, and indeed, always
(08:25):
a distrusted and dreaded Moreau. But Montgomery was a man
I felt I understood. Go up the beach, said I,
after thinking, and added holding up your hands. Can't do that,
said Montgomery, with an explanatory nod over his shoulder, undignified.
(08:47):
Go up the trees, then said I, as you please.
It's a damn thilly ceremony, said Montgomery. Both turned and
faced the six or seven grotesque creatures who stood there
in the sunlight, solid casting shadows, moving and yet so
incredibly unreal. Montgomery cracked his whip at them and forthwith.
(09:12):
They all turned and fled helter skelter into the trees.
And when Montgomery and Moreau were at a distance, I
judged sufficient, I waded ashore and picked up and examined
the revolvers. To satisfy myself against the subtlest trickery, I
discharged one at a round lump of lava and had
(09:33):
the satisfaction of seeing the stone pulverized and the beach
splashed with lead. Still I hesitated for a moment. I'll
take the risk, said I at last, and with a
revolver in each hand, I walked up the beach towards them.
That's better, said Moreau, without affection, As it is, you
(09:55):
have wasted the better part of my day with your
confounded imagination, and with a touch of contempt which humiliated me.
He and Montgomery turned and went on in silence. Before me,
the knot of the beast men, still wandering, stood back
among the trees. I passed them as serenely as possible.
(10:16):
One started to follow me, but retreated again when Montgomery
cracked his whip. The rest stood silent, watching. They may
once have been animals, but I never before saw an
animal trying to think.
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