With the disappearance of air capable of respiration, and of water capable of motion, the Moon, of course, became uninhabitable.

From that day it became the abode of death, as completely as it is at the present moment." "That is the fate in store for our Earth ?" "In all probability." "And when is it to befall us ?" "Just as soon as the crust becomes cold enough to be uninhabitable." "Perhaps your philosophership has taken the trouble to calculate how many years it will take our unfortunate _Terra Mater_ to cool off ?" "Well; I have." "And you can rely on your figures ?" "Implicitly." "Why not tell it at once then to a fellow that's dying of impatience to know all about it?
Captain, the Chair considers you one of the most tantalizing creatures in existence!" "If you only listen, you will hear," replied M'Nicholl quietly.

"By careful observations, extended through a series of many years, men have been able to discover the average loss of temperature endured by the Earth in a century.

Taking this as the ground work of their calculations, they have ascertained that our Earth shall become an uninhabitable planet in about--" "Don't cut her life too short! Be merciful!" cried Ardan in a pleading tone half in earnest.

"Come, a good long day, your Honor! A good long day!" "The planet that we call the Earth," continued the Captain, as grave as a judge, "will become uninhabitable to human beings, after a lapse of 400 thousand years from the present time." "Hurrah!" cried Ardan, much relieved.