the coming race-第17章

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ence　as　applied　to　such　purpose　is　so　nicely　accurate；　that　on　the　report　of　some　observer　in　an　air…boat；　any　member　of　the　vril　department　can　estimate　unerringly　the　nature　of　intervening　obstacles；　the　height　to　which　the　projectile　instrument　should　be　raised；　and　the　extent　to　which　it　should　be　charged；　so　as　to　reduce　to　ashes　within　a　space　of　time　too　short　for　me　to　venture　to　specify　it；　a　capital　twice　as　vast　as　London。

Certainly　these　Ana　are　wonderful　mathematicians…　wonderful　for　the　adaptation　of　the　inventive　faculty　to　practical　uses。　71　I　went　with　my　host　and　his　daughter　Zee　over　the　great　public　museum；　which　occupies　a　wing　in　the　College　of　Sages；　and　in　which　are　hoarded；　as　curious　specimens　of　the　ignorant　and　blundering　experiments　of　ancient　times；　many　contrivances　on　which　we　pride　ourselves　as　recent　achievements。　　In　one　department；　carelessly　thrown　aside　as　obsolete　lumber；　are　tubes　for　destroying　life　by　metallic　balls　and　an　inflammable　powder；　on　the　principle　of　our　cannons　and　catapults；　and　even　still　more　murderous　than　our　latest　improvements。

My　host　spoke　of　these　with　a　smile　of　contempt；　such　as　an　artillery　officer　might　bestow　on　the　bows　and　arrows　of　the　Chinese。　　In　another　department　there　were　models　of　vehicles　and　vessels　worked　by　steam；　and　of　an　air…balloon　which　might　have　been　constructed　by　Montgolfier。　　〃Such；〃　said　Zee；　with　an　air　of　meditative　wisdom…　〃such　were　the　feeble　triflings　with　nature　of　our　savage　forefathers；　ere　they　had　even　a　glimmering　perception　of　the　properties　of　vril！〃

This　young　Gy　was　a　magnificent　specimen　of　the　muscular　force　to　which　the　females　of　her　country　attain。　　Her　features　were　beautiful；　like　those　of　all　her　race：　never　in　the　upper　world　have　I　seen　a　face　so　grand　and　so　faultless；　but　her　devotion　to　the　severer　studies　had　given　to　her　countenance　an　expression　of　abstract　thought　which　rendered　it　somewhat　stern　when　in　repose；　and　such　a　sternness　became　formidable　when　observed　in　connection　with　her　ample　shoulders　and　lofty　stature。　　She　was　tall　even　for　a　Gy；　and　I　saw　her　lift　up　a　cannon　as　easily　as　I　could　lift　a　pocket…pistol。　　Zee　inspired　me　with　a　profound　terror…　a　terror　which　increased　when　we　came　into　a　department　of　the　museum　appropriated　to　models　of　contrivances　worked　by　the　agency　of　vril；　for　here；　merely　by　a　certain　play　of　her　vril　staff；　she　herself　standing　at　a　distance；　she　put　into　movement　large　and　weighty　substances。　　She　seemed　to　endow　them　with　intelligence；　and　to　make　them　72comprehend　and　obey　her　command。　　She　set　complicated　pieces　of　machinery　into　movement；　arrested　the　movement　or　continued　it；　until；　within　an　incredibly　short　time；　various　kinds　of　raw　material　were　reproduced　as　symmetrical　works　of　art；　complete　and　perfect。　　Whatever　effect　mesmerism　or　electro…biology　produces　over　the　nerves　and　muscles　of　animated　objects；　this　young　Gy　produced　by　the　motions　of　her　slender　rod　over　the　springs　and　wheels　of　lifeless　mechanism。

When　I　mentioned　to　my　companions　my　astonishment　at　this　influence　over　inanimate　matter…　while　owning　that；　in　our　world；　I　had　witnessed　phenomena　which　showed　that　over　certain　living　organisations　certain　other　living　organisations　could　establish　an　influence　genuine　in　itself；　but　often　exaggerated　by　credulity　or　craft…　Zee；　who　was　more　interested　in　such　subjects　than　her　father；　bade　me　stretch　forth　my　hand；　and　then；　placing　it　beside　her　own；　she　called　my　attention　to　certain　distinctions　of　type　and　character。　　In　the　first　place；　the　thumb　of　the　Gy　（and；　as　I　afterwards　noticed；　of　all　that　race；　male　or　female）　was　much　larger；　at　once　longer　and　more　massive；　than　is　found　with　our　species　above　ground。　　There　is　almost；　in　this；　as　great　a　difference　as　there　is　between　the　thumb　of　a　man　and　that　of　a　gorilla。　　Secondly；　the　palm　is　proportionally　thicker　than　ours…　the　texture　of　the　skin　infinitely　finer　and　softer…　its　average　warmth　is　greater。　　More　remarkable　than　all　this；　is　a　visible　nerve；　perceptible　under　the　skin；　which　starts　from　the　wrist　skirting　the　ball　of　the　thumb；　and　branching；　fork…like；　at　the　roots　of　the　fore　and　middle　fingers。　　〃With　your　slight　formation　of　thumb；〃　said　the　philosophical　young　Gy；　〃and　with　the　absence　of　the　nerve　which　you　find　more　or　less　developed　in　the　hands　of　our　race；　you　can　never　achieve　other　than　imperfect　and　feeble　power　over　the　agency　of　vril；　but　so　far　as　the　nerve　is　concerned；　that　is　not　found　in　the　hands　of　our　earliest　progenitors；　nor　in　those　of　the　ruder　tribes　without　the　pale　of　the　Vril…ya。　　It　has　been　slowly　developed　73in　the　course　of　generations；　commencing　in　the　early　achievements；　and　increasing　with　the　continuous　exercise；　of　the　vril　power；　therefore；　in　the　course　of　one　or　two　thousand　years；　such　a　nerve　may　possibly　be　engendered　in　those　higher　beings　of　your　race；　who　devote　themselves　to　that　paramount　science　through　which　is　attained　command　over　all　the　subtler　forces　of　nature　permeated　by　vril。　　But　when　you　talk　of　matter　as　something　in　itself　inert　and　motionless；　your　parents　or　tutors　surely　cannot　have　left　you　so　ignorant　as　not　to　know　that　no　form　of　matter　is　motionless　and　inert：　every　particle　is　constantly　in　motion　and　constantly　acted　upon　by　agencies；　of　which　heat　is　the　most　apparent　and　rapid；　but　vril　the　most　subtle；　and；　when　skilfully　wielded；　the　most　powerful。　　So　that；　in　fact；　the　current　launched　by　my　hand　and　guided　by　my　will　does　but　render　quicker　and　more　potent　the　action　which　is　eternally　at　work　upon　every　particle　of　matter；　however　inert　and　stubborn　it　may　seem。　　If　a　heap　of　metal　be　not　capable　of　originating　a　thought　of　its　own；　yet；　through　its　internal　susceptibility　to　movement；　it　obtains　the　power　to　receive　the　thought　of　the　intellectual　agent　at　work　on　it；　by　which；　when　conveyed　with　a　sufficient　force　of　the　vril　power；　it　is　as　much　compelled　to　obey　as　if　it　were　displaced　by　a　visible　bodily　force。　　It　is　animated　for　the　time　being　by　the　soul　thus　infused　into　it；　so　that　one　may　almost　say　that　it　lives　and　reasons。　　Without　this　we　could　not　make　our　automata　supply　the　place　of　servants。

I　was　too　much　in　awe　of　the　thews　and　the　learning　of　the　young　Gy　to　hazard　the　risk　of　arguing　with　her。　　I　had　read　somewhere　in　my　schoolboy　days　that　a　wise　man；　disputing　with　a　Roman　Emperor；　suddenly　drew　in　his　horns；　and　when　the　emperor　asked　him　whether　he　had　nothing　further　to　say　on　his　side　of　the　question；　replied；　〃Nay；　Caesar；　there　is　no　arguing　against　a　reasoner　who　commands　ten　legions。〃　74　Though　I　had　a　secret　persuasion　that；　whatever　the　real　effects　of　vril　upon　matter；　Mr。　　Faraday　could　have　proved　her　a　very　shallow　philosopher　as　to　its　extent　or　its　causes；　I　had　no　doubt　that　Zee　could　have　brained　all　the　Fellows　of　the　Royal　Society；　one　after　the　other；　with　a　blow　of　her　fist。　　Every　sensible　man　knows　that　it　is　useless　to　argue　with　any　ordinary　female　upon　matters　he　comprehends；　but　to　argue　with　a　Gy　seven　feet　high　upon　the　mysteries　of　vril；…　as　well　argue　in　a　desert；　and　with　a　simoon！

Amid　the　various　departments　to　which　the　vast　building　of　the　College　of　Sages　was　appropriated；　that　which　interested　me　most　was　devoted　to　the　archaeology　of　the　Vril…ya；　and　comprised　a　very　ancient　collection　of　portraits。　　In　these　the　pigments　and　groundwork　employed　were　of　so　durable　a　nature　that　even　pictures　said　to　be　executed　at　dates　as　remote　as　those　in　the　earliest　annals　of　the　Chinese；　retained　much　freshness　of　colour。　　In　examining　this　collection；　two　things　especially　struck　me：…　first；　that　the　pictures　said　to　be　between　6000　and　7000　years　old　were　of　a　much　higher　degree　of　art　than　any　produced　within　the　last　3000　or　4000　years；　and；　second；　that　the　portraits　within　the　former　period　much　more　resembled　our　own　upper　world　and　European　types　of　countenance。　　Some　of　them；　indeed　reminded　me　of　the　Italian　heads　which　look　out　from　the　canvases　of　Titian…　speaking　of　ambition　or　craft；　of　care　or　of　grief；　with　furrows　in　which　the　passions　have　passed　with　iron　ploughshare。　　These　were　the　countenanc