Journey to the Moon

[The dangers of space travel for humans and the methods used by daemons to ensure their safety]

Totum iter, quantum est, quatuor ad summum horarum spatio absolvitur ^62. Neque enim nobis semper occupatissimis antea constat de tempore eundi ^63, quam Luna ab orientis partibus coeperit deficere; quae ubi tota luxerit, nobis adhuc in itinere haerentibus, irrita redditur nostra profectio.

The whole journey, although far, is completed in a time of four hours at the most. Never are we more busy than just before the time determined for out departure, when the eastern side of the moon begins to be eclipsed. For if the moon regains its full light while we are embarked upon the journey, it prevents our departure back to the moon.

Tara praeceps occasio efficit, ut paucos ex huraana gente, nec alios, nisi nostri observantissimos comites habeamus ^64. Ergo hominem aliquera hujusmodi agminatim invadimus omnesque subtus nitentes, in altum eum tollimus ^65.

This occasion proves so narrow that we take few of the human race along, and none except the students of our order. Therefore: any person of this kind we all seize together, pushing upwards to raise him high.

Prima quaeque molitio durissima ipsi accidit ^66, nec enim aliter torquetur ac si pulvere bombardico excussus montes et maria tranaret ^67.

First of all he experiences a strong pressure, not unlike an explosion of gunpowder, as he is hurled above the mountains and the seas.

Propterea narcoticis et opiatis statim in principio sopiendus est ^68 et membratim explicandus ^69, ne corpus a podice, caput a corpore gestetur, sed ut violentia in singula membra dividatur.

For this reason, drugs and opium are consumed at the start, so that he falls asleep, and each of his limbs disentangled, so that his body is not torn from his legs, nor his head driven from his body, but so the shock will be distributed across all his limbs.

Tunc excipit nova difficultas, ingens frigus ^70, et prohibita respiratio ^71, quorum illi ingenita nobis vi ^72, huic vero spongiis humectis ad nares admotis obviara imus ^73.

Next he experiences new difficulties: it is intensely cold and he cannot breath. All of us are born with a power to relieve the cold; for his breathing, we push damp sponges up his nose to block the flow.

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