The Sleepwalkers (202 page)

The
Subvolvans
are
a
little
better
off
because
the
huge
volva
softens
their
nights
by
reflecting
some
of
the
light
and
heat
¹⁴
of
the
sun.
The
volva's
surface
is
fifteen
times
that
of
our
moon,
and
it
stays
always
in
the
same
place
on
the
sky
"as
if
nailed
on",
but
growing
and
waning
from
full-volva
to
new
volva,
as
our
moon.
At
full-volva,
Africa
appears
as
a
human
head
severed
at
its
shoulders;
Europe,
a
girl
in
a
long
robe
bends
down
to
kiss
it
while
her
long
arm,
stretched
backwards,
lures
a
jumping
cat
towards
her.
^*

____________________

The
mountains
of
Lavania
are
much
higher
than
those
on
earth;
so
are
the
plants
and
the
creatures
that
inhabit
it.
"Growth
is
rapid;
everything
is
short-lived
because
it
develops
to
such
an
enormous
bodily
mass...
Growth
and
decay
takes
place
on
a
single
day."
The
creatures
are
mostly
like
gigantic
serpents.
"The
Prevolvans
have
no
fixed
and
safe
habitations;
they
traverse
in
hordes,
in
a
single
day,
the
whole
of
their
world,
following
the
receding
waters
either
on
legs
that
are
longer
than
those
of
our
camels,
or
on
wings,
or
in
ships."
Some
are
divers,
and
breathe
very
slowly,
so
that
they
can
take
refuge
from
the
scorching
sun
at
the
bottom
of
the
deep
waters.
"Those
that
remain
on
the
surface
are
boiled
by
the
midday
sun
and
serve
as
nourishment
for
the
approaching
nomadic
hordes...
Others
who
cannot
live
without
breathing,
retreat
into
caves
which
are
supplied
with
water
by
narrow
canals
so
that
the
water
may
gradually
cool
on
its
long
way
and
they
may
drink
it;
but
when
the
night
approaches,
they
go
out
for
prey."
Their
skin
is
spongy
and
porous;
but
when
a
creature
is
taken
unawares
by
the
heat
of
the
day,
the
skin
becomes
hard
and
scorched,
and
falls
off
in
the
evening.
And
yet
they
have
a
strange
love
for
basking
in
the
sun
at
noon
–
but
only
close
to
their
crevices,
to
be
able
to
make
a
swift
and
safe
retreat...

In
a
short
appendix,
the
Subvolvans
are
allowed
cities
surrounded
by
circular
walls
–
the
craters
of
the
moon;
but
Kepler
is
only
interested
in
the
engineering
problems
of
their
construction.
The
book
ends
with
Duracotus
being
woken
by
a
cloudburst
from
his
dream
–
or
rather,
from
his
nightmare
of
prehistoric
giant
reptiles,
of
which
Kepler
had,
of
course,
no
knowledge
whatsoever.
No
wonder
that
Henry
More
was
inspired
by
the
Somnium
to
a
poem
called
Insomnium
Philosophicum
.
But
more
amusing
is
Samuel
Butler's
paraphrase
on
Kepler
in
"The
Elephant
in
the
Moon":

Quoth
he
–
Th'
Inhabitants
of
the
Moon,
Who
when
the
Sun
shines
hot
at
Noon,
Do
live
in
Cellars
underground
Of
eight
Miles
deep
and
eighty
around
(In
which
at
once
they
fortify
Against
the
Sun
and
th'
Enemy)
Because
their
People's
civiler
Than
those
rude
Peasants,
that
are
found
To
live
upon
the
upper
Ground,
Call'd
Privolvans,
with
whom
they
are
Perpetually
at
open
War.

Although
most
of
the
Somnium
was
written
much
earlier,
one
readily
understands
why
it
was
the
last
book
on
which
he
worked,
and
which
he
wished
to
see
in
print.
All
the
dragons
which
had
beset
his
life
–
from
the
witch
Fiolxhilda
and
her
vanished
husband,
down
to
the
poor
reptilian
creatures
in
perpetual
flight,
shedding
their
diseased
skin,
and
yet
so
anxious
to
bask
under
an
inhuman
sun
–
they
are
all
there,
projected
into
a
cosmic
scenery
of
scientific
precision
and
rare,
original
beauty.
All
Kepler's
work,
and
all
his
discoveries,
were
acts
of
catharsis;
it
was
only
fitting
that
the
last
one
should
end
with
a
fantastic
flourish.

5.
The End