The Girl in the Golden Atom Read online

  CHAPTER II

  INTO THE RING

  The cigars were lighted and dinner over before the Doctor broached thesubject uppermost in the minds of every member of the party.

  "A toast, gentlemen," he said, raising his glass. "To the greatestresearch chemist in the world. May he be successful in his adventureto-night."

  The Chemist bowed his acknowledgment.

  "You have not heard me yet," he said smiling.

  "But we want to," said the Very Young Man impulsively.

  "And you shall." He settled himself more comfortably in his chair."Gentlemen, I am going to tell you, first, as simply as possible, justwhat I have done in the past two years. You must draw your ownconclusions from the evidence I give you.

  "You will remember that I told you last week of my dilemma after thedestruction of the microscope. Its loss and the impossibility ofreplacing it, led me into still bolder plans than merely the visualexamination of this minute world. I reasoned, as I have told you, thatbecause of its physical proximity, its similar environment, so to speak,this outer world should be capable of supporting life identical with ourown.

  "By no process of reasoning can I find adequate refutation of thistheory. Then, again, I had the evidence of my own eyes to prove that abeing I could not tell from one of my own kind was living there. Thatthis girl, other than in size, differs radically from those of our race,I cannot believe.

  "I saw then but one obstacle standing between me and this otherworld--the discrepancy of size. The distance separating our world fromthis other is infinitely great or infinitely small, according to theviewpoint. In my present size it is only a few feet from here to thering on that plate. But to an inhabitant of that other world, we are asremote as the faintest stars of the heavens, diminished a thousandtimes."

  He paused a moment, signing the waiter to leave the room.

  "This reduction of bodily size, great as it is, involves no deeperprinciple than does a light contraction of tissue, except that it mustbe carried further. The problem, then, was to find a chemical,sufficiently unharmful to life, that would so act upon the body cells asto cause a reduction in bulk, without changing their shape. I had tosecure a uniform and also a proportionate rate of contraction of eachcell, in order not to have the body shape altered.

  "After a comparatively small amount of research work, I encountered anapparently insurmountable obstacle. As you know, gentlemen, our livinghuman bodies are held together by the power of the central intelligencewe call the mind. Every instant during your lifetime your subconsciousmind is commanding and directing the individual life of each cell thatmakes up your body. At death this power is withdrawn; each cell isthrown under its own individual command, and dissolution of the bodytakes place.

  "I found, therefore, that I could not act upon the cells separately, solong as they were under control of the mind. On the other hand, I couldnot withdraw this power of the subconscious mind without causing death.

  "I progressed no further than this for several months. Then came thesolution. I reasoned that after death the body does not immediatelydisintegrate; far more time elapses than I expected to need for thecell-contraction. I devoted my time, then to finding a chemical thatwould temporarily withhold, during the period of cell-contraction, thepower of the subconscious mind, just as the power of the conscious mindis withheld by hypnotism.

  "I am not going to weary you by trying to lead you through the maze ofchemical experiments into which I plunged. Only one of you," heindicated the Doctor, "has the technical basis of knowledge to followme. No one had been before me along the path I traversed. I pursued themethod of pure theoretical deduction, drawing my conclusions from thepractical results obtained.

  "I worked on rabbits almost exclusively. After a few weeks I succeededin completely suspending animation in one of them for several hours.There was no life apparently existing during that period. It was not atrance or coma, but the complete simulation of death. No harmful resultsfollowed the revivifying of the animal. The contraction of the cells wasfar more difficult to accomplish; I finished my last experiment lessthan six months ago."

  "Then you really have been able to make an animal infinitely small?"asked the Big Business Man.

  The Chemist smiled. "I sent four rabbits into the unknown last week," hesaid.

  "What did they look like going?" asked the Very Young Man. The Chemistsigned him to be patient.

  "The quantity of diminution to be obtained bothered me considerably.Exactly how small that other universe is, I had no means of knowing,except by the computations I made of the magnifying power of my lens.These figures, I know, must necessarily be very inaccurate. Then, again,I have no means of judging by the visual rate of diminution of theserabbits, whether this contraction is at a uniform rate or accelerated.Nor can I tell how long it is prolonged, for the quantity of drugadministered, as only a fraction of the diminution has taken place whenthe animal passes beyond the range of any microscope I now possess.

  "These questions were overshadowed, however, by a far more seriousproblem that encompassed them all.

  "As I was planning to project myself into this unknown universe and toreach the exact size proportionate to it, I soon realized such a resultcould not be obtained were I in an unconscious state. Only by successivedoses of the drug, or its retardent about which I will tell you later,could I hope to reach the proper size. Another necessity is that I placemyself on the exact spot on that ring where I wish to enter and to climbdown among its atoms when I have become sufficiently small to do so.Obviously, this would be impossible to one not possessing all hisfaculties and physical strength."

  "And did you solve that problem, too?" asked the Banker.

  "I'd like to see it done," he added, reading his answer in the other'sconfident smile.

  The Chemist produced two small paper packages from his wallet. "Thesedrugs are the result of my research," he said. "One of them causescontraction, and the other expansion, by an exact reversal of theprocess. Taken together, they produce no effect, and a lesser amount ofone retards the action of the other." He opened the papers, showing twosmall vials. "I have made them as you see, in the form of tiny pills,each containing a minute quantity of the drug. It is by taking themsuccessively in unequal amounts that I expect to reach the desiredsize."

  "There's one point that you do not mention," said the Doctor. "Thosevials and their contents will have to change size as you do. How are yougoing to manage that?"

  "By experimentation I have found," answered the Chemist, "that anyobject held in close physical contact with the living body beingcontracted is contracted itself at an equal rate. I believe that myclothes will be affected also. These vials I will carry strapped undermy armpits."

  "Suppose you should die, or be killed, would the contraction cease?"asked the Doctor.

  "Yes, almost immediately," replied the Chemist. "Apparently, though I amacting through the subconscious mind while its power is held inabeyance, when this power is permanently withdrawn by death, the drug nolonger affects the individual cells. The contraction or expansion ceasesalmost at once."

  The Chemist cleared a space before him on the table. "In a well-managedclub like this," he said, "there should be no flies, but I see severalaround. Do you suppose we can catch one of them?"

  "I can," said the Very Young Man, and forthwith he did.

  The Chemist moistened a lump of sugar and laid it on the table beforehim. Then, selecting one of the smallest of the pills, he ground it topowder with the back of a spoon and sprinkled this powder on the sugar.

  "Will you give me the fly, please?"

  The Very Young Man gingerly did so. The Chemist held the insect by itswings over the sugar. "Will someone lend me one of his shoes?"

  The Very Young Man hastily slipped off a dancing pump.

  "Thank you," said the Chemist, placing it on the table with a quizzicalsmile.

  The rest of the company rose from their chairs and gathered around,watching with interested faces what was about to happen.

  "I hope he is hungry," remarked the Chemist, and placed the fly gentlydown on the sugar, still holding it by the wings. The insect, after amoment, ate a little.

  Silence fell upon the group as each watched intently. For a few momentsnothing happened. Then, almost imperceptibly at first, the fly becamelarger. In another minute it was the size of a large horse-fly,struggling to release its wings from the Chemist's grasp. A minute moreand it was the size of a beetle. No one spoke. The Banker moistened hislips, drained his glass hurriedly and moved slightly farther away. Stillthe insect grew; now it was the size of a small chicken, the multiplelens of its eyes presenting a most terrifying aspect, while itsferocious droning reverberated through the room. Then suddenly theChemist threw it upon the table, covered it with a napkin, and beat itviolently with the slipper. When all movement had ceased he tossed itsquivering body into a corner of the room.

  "Good God!" ejaculated the Banker, as the white-faced men stared at eachother. The quiet voice of the Chemist brought them back to themselves."That, gentlemen, you must understand, was only a fraction of the veryfirst stage of growth. As you may have noticed, it was constantlyaccelerated. This acceleration attains a speed of possibly fiftythousand times that you observed. Beyond that, it is my theory, thechange is at a uniform rate." He looked at the body of the fly, lyinginert on the floor. "You can appreciate now, gentlemen, the importanceof having this growth cease after death."

  "Good Lord, I should say so!" murmured the Big Business Man, mopping hisforehead. The Chemist took the lump of sugar and threw it into the openfire.

  "Gosh!" said the Very Young Man, "suppose when we were not looking,another fly had----"

  "Shut up!" growled the Banker.

  "Not so skeptical now, eh, George?" sa
id the Big Business Man.

  "Can you catch me another fly?" asked the Chemist. The Very Young Manhastened to do so. "The second demonstration, gentlemen," said theChemist, "is less spectacular, but far more pertinent than the one youhave just witnessed." He took the fly by the wings, and prepared anotherlump of sugar, sprinkling a crushed pill from the other vial upon it.

  "When he is small enough I am going to try to put him on the ring, if hewill stay still," said the Chemist.

  The Doctor pulled the plate containing the ring forward until it wasdirectly under the light, and every one crowded closer to watch; alreadythe fly was almost too small to be held. The Chemist tried to set it onthe ring, but could not; so with his other hand he brushed it lightlyinto the plate, where it lay, a tiny black speck against the gleamingwhiteness of the china.

  "Watch it carefully, gentlemen," he said, as they bent closer.

  "It's gone," said the Big Business Man.

  "No, I can still see it," said the Doctor. Then he raised the platecloser to his face. "Now it's gone," he said.

  The Chemist sat down in his chair. "It's probably still there, only toosmall for you to see. In a few minutes, if it took a sufficient amountof the drug, it will be small enough to fall between the molecules ofthe plate."

  "Do you suppose it will find another inhabited universe down there?"asked the Very Young Man.

  "Who knows," smiled the Chemist. "Very possibly it will. But the one weare interested in is here," he added, touching the ring.

  "Is it your intention to take this stuff yourself to-night?" asked theBig Business Man.

  "If you will give me your help, I think so, yes. I have made allarrangements. The club has given us this room in absolute privacy forforty-eight hours. Your meals will be served here when you want them,and I am going to ask you, gentlemen, to take turns watching andguarding the ring during that time. Will you do it?"

  "I should say we would," cried the Doctor, and the others nodded assent.

  "It is because I wanted you to be convinced of my entire sincerity thatI have taken you so thoroughly into my confidence. Are those doorslocked?" The Very Young Man locked them.

  "Thank you," said the Chemist, starting to disrobe. In a moment he stoodbefore them attired in a woolen bathing-suit of pure white. Over hisshoulders was strapped tightly a narrow leather harness, supporting twosilken pockets, one under each armpit. Into each of these he placed oneof the vials, first laying four pills from one of them upon the table.

  At this point the Banker rose from his chair and selected another in thefurther corner of the room. He sank into it a crumpled heap and wipedthe beads of perspiration from his face with a shaking hand.

  "I have every expectation," said the Chemist, "that this suit andharness will contract in size uniformly with me. If the harness shouldnot, then I shall have to hold the vials in my hand."

  On the table, directly under the light, he spread a large silkhandkerchief, upon which he placed the ring. He then produced ateaspoon, which he handed to the Doctor.

  "Please listen carefully," he said, "for perhaps the whole success of myadventure, and my life itself, may depend upon your actions during thenext few minutes. You will realize, of course, that when I am stilllarge enough to be visible to you I shall be so small that my voice maybe inaudible. Therefore, I want you to know, now, just what to expect.

  "When I am something under a foot high, I shall step upon thathandkerchief, where you will see my white suit plainly against its blacksurface. When I become less than an inch high, I shall run over to thering and stand beside it. When I have diminished to about a quarter ofan inch, I shall climb upon it, and, as I get smaller, will follow itssurface until I come to the scratch.

  "I want you to watch me very closely. I may miscalculate the time andwait until I am too small to climb upon the ring. Or I may fall off. Ineither case, you will place that spoon beside me and I will climb intoit. You will then do your best to help me get on the ring. Is all thisquite clear?"

  The Doctor nodded assent.

  "Very well, watch me as long as I remain visible. If I have an accident,I shall take the other drug and endeavor to return to you at once. Thisyou must expect at any moment during the next forty-eight hours. Underall circumstances, if I am alive, I shall return at the expiration ofthat time.

  "And, gentlemen, let me caution you most solemnly, do not allow thatring to be touched until that length of time has expired. Can I dependon you?"

  "Yes," they answered breathlessly.

  "After I have taken the pills," the Chemist continued, "I shall notspeak unless it is absolutely necessary. I do not know what mysensations will be, and I want to follow them as closely as possible."He then turned out all the lights in the room with the exception of thecenter electrolier, that shone down directly on the handkerchief andring.

  The Chemist looked about him. "Good-by, gentlemen," he said, shakinghands all round. "Wish me luck," and without hesitation he placed thefour pills in his mouth and washed them down with a swallow of water.

  Silence fell on the group as the Chemist seated himself and covered hisface with his hands. For perhaps two minutes the tenseness of thesilence was unbroken, save by the heavy breathing of the Banker as helay huddled in his chair.

  "Oh, my God! He _is_ growing smaller!" whispered the Big Business Man ina horrified tone to the Doctor. The Chemist raised his head and smiledat them. Then he stood up, steadying himself against a chair. He wasless than four feet high. Steadily he grew smaller before theirhorrified eyes. Once he made, as if to speak, and the Doctor knelt downbeside him. "It's all right, good-by," he said in a tiny voice.

  Then he stepped upon the handkerchief. The Doctor knelt on the floorbeside it, the wooden spoon ready in his hand, while the others, exceptthe Banker, stood behind him. The figure of the Chemist, standingmotionless near the edge of the handkerchief, seemed now like a littlewhite wooden toy, hardly more than an inch in height.

  Waving his hand and smiling, he suddenly started to walk and then ranswiftly over to the ring. By the time he reached it, somewhat out ofbreath, he was little more than twice as high as the width of its band.Without pausing, he leaped up, and sat astraddle, leaning over andholding to it tightly with his hands. In another moment he was on hisfeet, on the upper edge of the ring, walking carefully along itscircumference towards the scratch.

  The Big Business Man touched the Doctor on the shoulder and tried tosmile. "He's making it," he whispered. As if in answer the little figureturned and waved its arms. They could just distinguish its white outlineagainst the gold surface underneath.

  "I don't see him," said the Very Young Man in a scared voice.

  "He's right near the scratch," answered the Doctor, bending closer.Then, after a moment, "He's gone." He rose to his feet. "Good Lord! Whyhaven't we a microscope!"

  "I never thought of that," said the Big Business Man, "we could havewatched him for a long time yet."

  "Well, he's gone now," returned the Doctor, "and there is nothing for usto do but wait."

  "I hope he finds that girl," sighed the Very Young Man, as he sat chinin hand beside the handkerchief.