Страница 37 из 53
«This is different to your English procedure,» said Malone.
«Very,» Mailey answered. «It seems to me that we are wide open to anything which may come. It's all wrong. They don't realize the danger.»
«What danger can there be?»
«Well, from my point of view, it is like sitting at the edge of a pond which may have harmless frogs in it, or may have man-eating crocodiles. You can't tell what may come.»
Professor Richet, who spoke excellent English, overheard the words.
«I know your views, Mr. Mailey,» said he. «Don't think that I treat them lightly. Some things which I have seen make me appreciate your comparison of the frog and the crocodile. In this very room I have been conscious of the presence of creatures which could, if moved to anger, make our experiments seem rather hazardous. I believe with you that evil people here might bring an evil reflection into our circle.»
«I am glad, sir, that you are moving in our direction,» said Mailey, for like everyone else he regarded Richet as one of the world's great men.
«Moving, perhaps, and yet I ca
«Yes, sir» said Malone, «and yet I have some hopes – «
«Hush!» cried Maupuis in an eager voice. There was dead silence. Then there came a sound of uneasy movement with a strange flapping vibration.
«The bird!» said an awestruck whisper.
There was silence and then once again came the sound of movement and an impatient flap.
«Have you all ready, Rene?» asked the doctor.
«All is ready.»
«Then shoot!»
The flash of the luminant mixture filled the room, while the shutter of the camera fell. In that sudden glare of light the visitors had a momentary glimpse of a marvellous sight. The medium lay with his head upon his hands in apparent insensibility. Upon his rounded shoulders there was perched a huge bird of prey – a large falcon or an eagle. For one instant the strange picture was stamped upon their retinas even as it was upon the photographic plate. Then the darkness closed down again, save for the two red lamps, like the eyes of some baleful demon lurking in the corner.
«My word!» gasped Malone. «Did you see it?»
«A crocodile out of the pond,» said Mailey.
«But harmless,» added Professor Richet. «the bird has been with us several times. He moves his wings, as you have heard, but otherwise is inert. We may have another and a more dangerous visitor.»
The flash of the light had, of course, dispelled all ectoplasm. It was necessary to begin again The company may have sat for a quarter of an hour when Richet touched Mailey's arm.
«Do you smell anything, Monsieur Mailey?»
Mailey sniffed the air.
«Yes, surely, it reminds me of our London Zoo.»
«There is another more ordinary analogy. Have you been in a warm room with a wet dog?»
«Exactly,» said Mailey. «That is a perfect description. But where is the dog?»
«It is not a dog. Wait a little! Wait!»
The animal smell became more pronounced. It was overpowering. Then suddenly Malone became conscious of something moving round the table. In the dim red light he was aware of a mis-shapen figure, crouching, ill-formed, with some resemblance to man. He silhouetted it against the dull radiance. It was bulky, broad, with a bullet-head, a short neck, heavy, clumsy shoulders. It slouched slowly round the circle. Then it stopped, and a cry of surprise, not unmixed with fear, came from one of the sitters.
«Do not be alarmed,» said Dr. Maupuis' quiet voice. «It is the Pithecanthropus. He is harmless.» Had it been a cat which had strayed into the room the scientist could not have discussed it more calmly.
«It has long claws. It laid them on my neck,» cried a voice.
«Yes, yes. He means it as a caress.»
«You may have my share of his caresses!» cried the sitter in a quavering voice.
«Do not repulse him. It might be serious. He is well disposed. But he has his feelings, no doubt, like the rest of us.»
The creature had resumed its stealthy progress. Now it turned the end of the table and stood behind the three friends. Its breath came in quick puffs at the back of their necks. Suddenly Lord Roxton gave a loud exclamation of disgust.
«Quiet! Quiet! « said Maupuis.
«It's licking my hand!» cried Roxton.
An instant later Malone was aware of a shaggy head extended between Lord Roxton and himself. With his left hand he could feel long, coarse hair. It turned towards him, and it needed all his self-control to hold his hand still when a long soft tongue caressed it. Then it was gone.
«In heaven's name, what is it?» he asked.
«We have been asked not to photograph it. Possibly the light would infuriate it. The command through the medium was definite. We can only say that it is either an apelike man or a man-like ape. We have seen it more clearly than to-night. The face is Simian, but the brow is straight; the arms long, the hands huge, the body covered with hair.»
«Tom Linden gave us something better than that,» whispered Mailey. He spoke low but Richet caught the words.
«All Nature is the field of our study, Mr. Mailey. It is not for us to choose. Shall we classify the flowers but neglect the fungi?»
«But you admit it is dangerous.»
«The X-rays were dangerous. How many martyrs lost their arms, joint by joint, before those dangers were realized? And yet it was necessary. So it is with us. We do not know yet what it is that we are doing. But if we can indeed show the world that this Pithecanthropus can come to us from the Invisible, and depart again as it came, then the knowledge is so tremendous that even if he tore us to pieces with those formidable claws it would none the less be our duty to go forward with our experiments.»
«Science can be heroic,» said Mailey. «Who can deny it? And yet I have heard these very scientific men tell us that we imperil our reason when we try to get in touch with spiritual forces. Gladly would we sacrifice our reason, or our lives, if we could help mankind. Should we not do as much for spiritual advance as they for material?»
The lights had been turned up and there was a pause for relaxation before the great experiment of the evening was attempted. The men broke into little groups, chatting in hushed tones over their recent experience. Looking round at the comfortable room with its up-to-date appliances, the strange bird and the stealthy monster seemed like dreams. And yet they had been very real as was shown presently by the photographer, who had been allowed to leave and now rushed excitedly from the adjacent dark room waving the plate which he had just developed and fixed. He held it up against the light, and there, sure enough, was the bald head of the medium sunk between his hands, and crouching closely over his shoulders the outline of that ominous figure. Dr. Maupuis rubbed his little fat hands with glee. Like all pioneers he had endured much persecution from the Parisian Press, and every fresh phenomenon was another weapon for his own defence.
«Nous marchons! Hein! Nous Marchons!» he kept on repeating» while Richet, lost in thought, answered mechanically:
«Oui, mon ami, vous marchez!»
The little Galician was sitting nibbling a biscuit with a glass of red wine before him. Malone went round to him and found that he had been in America and could talk a little English.
«Are you tired? Does it exhaust you?»
«In moderation, no. Two sittings a week. Behold my allowance. The doctor will allow no more.»