# The Elemoont/Chapter 12

in which the Elemoont discovered that he has got into Mr. Red's Cylindrical Universe.
We had left our Elemoont in the dark space at that very instant when the Tiger–Cat from Mr. Red's circus begun to pursue the school of bloodthirsty cosmic piranhas. After a while, the stripped beast went back contentedly purring, "I have turned them out neck and crop at three thousand light years distance." "Light years?" asked the Elemoont that did not know what it means. "The light year equals to 9.46 trillion kilometres!" proudly reported the Tiger–Cat, "Now you can imagine how far I have drove these small fishes out!"
"These small fishes had ate my asteroid," complained the Elemoont, "They wanted to eat and me although they dared to say I was very lean!"
"Don't worry." observed the Tiger–Cat, "I very nearly ate them myself. But they hid behind the black hole."
"Black…what?" asked the Elemoont (There are no any black holes on the Moon).
"Black hole. It's such a very, very black hole," answered the Cat.
"But why it is very, very black?"
"All things here are very, very black and the holes are the same also."
The Elemoont had a look round and saw that there was a dark everywhere. There were not any stars; the darkness was dense and tangible like in a wardrobe in the midnight. (Why just in the midnight?" thought the Elemoont but immediately threw that absurd idea off). Only a little green emerald light streamed of round Tiger–Cat's eyes (as you, probably, have time to notice any cat's eyes shine in the dark), and in that vibrating light the Elemoont saw that his own long trunk had an ideal cylindrical form. He looked at the Cat and saw that the cat also had cylindrical form. "Simply Tiger–Cat, it is coming what way," thought the Elemoont, "But a Cylindrical Tiger–Cat, it is too much!"
"Look at yourself," said the Tiger–Cat as if he guessed right the Elemoont's thought (incidentally the Cat also was a telepathist).
"Shine," asked the Elemoont and the Cat's eyes brightly flashed.
"Well, I also have a cylindrical form."
"There is nothing surprising in it," remarked the Cat, "Every thing is cylindrical here. We all are in Mr. Red's Cylindrical Universe!"
"I thought we are simply in his high silk hat," said the Elemoont, "Later on I thought I was in the outer space, and now I don't know what to think!"
"I'll tell you a secret," pompously said the Cat, "Mr. Red's high silk hat is a Universe! It is not simply a Universe. It is a Cylindrical Universe because all top hats have a cylindrical form. And every thing here has a cylindrical form: the stars, holes, you, and I are also cylindrical."
"But piranhas were not cylindrical!" disagreed with him the Elemoont.
"Piranha? Yes. They, in general, are disorderly and undirected fishes. One day I'll overtake all them and they get cylindrical forms."
"I don't see any stars here," continued the Elemoont, "neither cylindrical nor non–cylindrical. There is only darkness all around."
"Had you ever seen how cylindrical stars shine?" asked the Cat.
"I did not," confessed the Elemoont who never see it.
"They didn't shine at all!" said the Cat.
"So that is why I don't see them," observed the Elemoont, «They turned out to be not shining stars!" Here a new thought came to his mind. "Look here," he said, "Is there any Moon, cylindrical if you like, in this Universe?"
"No, there is not any Moon here."
"Then we have to get away from here!" categorically said the Elemoont, "You see, I must immediately get to the Moon. I thought we are in unknown place, but if we are simply in the top hat, we have to escape from it."
The Cat had a peep at him, "You must not forget that Mr. Red's high silk hat is a magic hat. It is not simply a top hat! It is not simply to get away from such a hat!"