Vault And Palace

Vault Of The Ages, Chapter 3.

On a dark night, Ronwy takes Carl, Tom and Owl into the Time Vault. We remember three chapter headings in The Time Machine:

10 WHEN THE NIGHT CAME

11 THE PALACE OF GREEN PORCELAIN

12 IN THE DARKNESS

The building that the Time Traveller calls a "Palace" is a museum but its books have decayed into hanging rags resembling tattered flags whereas Carl by contrast sees glassed-in shelves:

"...of books from floor to ceiling..." (p. 40)

Nevertheless, we feel that Anderson's characters walk in the footsteps of Wells'. Carl seeks means to resist the Lann. The Time Traveller seeks means to resist the Morlocks. After leaving the Morlocks and Eloi, the Time Traveller flees into the further future. Anderson's Martin Saunders is obliged to flee into an even further future. Wells and Anderson span the twentieth century. We have come a long way with them.