the midday
sun
The obscure shadows he had seen were bushes , with black stems and purple leaves . So far , nothing else was visible . The day surged up . It was too misty for direct sunshine , but before long the brilliance of the light was already greater than that of the midday sun on earth . The heat , too , was intense , but Maskull welcomed it -- it relieved his pain and diminished his sense of crushing weight . The wind had dropped with the rising of the sun . He now tried to get onto his feet , but succeeded only in kneeling .