The Plague, Pestilence & Apocalypse MEGAPACK™

by Robert Reed

  of his will the other way, and my lust of knowledge turned the scale .

  So I said, “Send me where you will then .”

  The words were scarce out of my mouth when he raised his hand,

  and in a moment I lost all power of active motion, and could neither

  see nor hear, although my consciousness not only remained but be-

  came abnormally distinct .

  Of course I had never experienced exactly such a state, but I re-

  member once, in my college days, I had mastered a very abstract

  philosophical discussion, and I lay down on the hearthrug and

  thought it over until my power of thought seemed to merge into

  something clearer and fuller, and once later in life I stood on the

  deck of a ship gazing on the ocean—

  “Until the sea and sky

  Seemed one, and I seemed one with them and all

  Seemed one, and there was only one, and time

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  And space and thought were one eternity.”4

  On both of these occasions I experienced something not unlike

  the intensely vivid consciousness which I experienced now .

  It was mainly a consciousness of expectancy . The events of the

  last few days seemed to hang before my mind like a semi-transparent

  veil which was trembling under the action of the hand that was about

  to withdraw it in order to discover something wonderful behind .

  Then I seemed to be borne onward, I knew not whither, with an

  inconceivably rapid motion . Then again I lay at rest . Then my power

  of sight returned, and I think my power of hearing, but there was at

  first nothing to hear. I seemed to be lying on a hard bank within the

  mouth of a cave not far below the surface of what seemed to be the

  earth . A light streamed into the cave, and I could see right opposite

  me a tract of mountain, wild and rugged beyond all description . The

  light was not diffused except within the cave . The space outside the

  cave’s mouth seemed quite dark, and then the rugged mountain side

  beyond shone out quite brilliantly . Looking round I saw nothing but

  barren rock, and I could hear no sound either around or above, but

  as I moved my head from side to side I heard a sound from beneath

  as of a dull “thud, thud,” and then a sound strangely like whispering

  voices .

  I had been in a sitting position and I had lain back, and so now I

  looked up into the sky, and, notwithstanding the apparent daylight,

  I saw the stars quite plainly, and a monstrous moon, a little past the

  new phase, nearly overhead, with very distinct markings upon it . I

  watched steadily the markings near the edge, and I saw that they

  were moving very slowly, like the minute hand of a huge clock .

  Looking steadily still, I recognised the markings . I was looking at

  the earth . I could even distinguish some of the coasts and seas and

  islands, as it seemed to me, quite plainly recognisable . Now I knew

  where I was and I started to my feet . I had intended to stand up, but

  the force which I had exerted with that purpose in view made me

  4

  “Nay, then God be wi’ you, an you talk in blank verse .”—

  J .W .

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  bound several feet from the ground, so that my head reached beyond

  the edge of the cave . I felt as if my breath were suddenly stopped,

  and I fell back gasping to the ground again .

  Then I gave myself up for lost, but in a moment sight and hear-

  ing again left me, and the strangely vivid consciousness came back .

  Then I felt a sense of rapid motion, and presently I found myself

  sitting on the bench with Signor Davelli bending over me and Jack

  standing by . Immediately I glanced at the shadows round me, and

  I saw in a moment that my journey, whatever was its nature, had

  lasted much longer than Signor Davelli’s . I knew at once that he had

  deceived me, that my lust of knowledge was baulked, and that I had

  been no nearer to his world than I was now .

  I cried out, “You have shown me the moon, perhaps in trance,

  perhaps you have transferred me there . But what of that? You’ve

  shown me nothing’ of the dwellers in space .”

  “Be quiet,” he said, lifting his hand, and again using the same

  tone, masterful and yet persuasive, “you have done very well for

  once;” and then he added in a lower and quite different tone, “and

  so have I .”

  I never could make you understand the mixture of contending

  feelings which began to harass me now . No one, I think, could un-

  derstand it without undergoing it . I was astonished at what had hap-

  pened to myself, and yet I was grievously disappointed .

  Even if I had been sure that I had been actually transferred to

  the surface of the moon, that would have seemed as nothing to me

  now . For what I had looked for was a far greater thing . I had long

  learned to regard the ether which pervades the interplanatory [sic]

  spaces as the hidden storehouse of material out of which the visible

  worlds are made, and yet the ether is utterly impalpable to any of the

  senses, and we know of its existence only by roundabout processes

  of reasoning, and I had been fool enough to believe that I was going

  to be put in possession of powers of sense which would enable me

  to examine the ether just as one might examine any of the ordinary

  material with which we are familiar . I thought I was going to have

  a near view of the secret forces which lie behind all mechanical,

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  chemical, and electrical action . And what, in view of such a pros-

  pect, did I care about seeing the surface of the moon, even if I did

  really see it? I knew that on the surface of the moon I should only

  see, under different conditions, the same sort of material as that with

  which I was already familiar . And I felt sure, or nearly sure, besides,

  that I had not seen anything but some picture which this wonderful

  and mysterious being contrived to impress upon my mind .

  Besides, I felt sure now that he was deliberately deceiving me,

  and the sense of horror and repulsion with which he had mere or less

  affected me from the first were now very greatly increased.

  Besides, I felt that his power over me was great and was growing

  greater, and I began to doubt if I could ever shake it off .

  But, above all—and now for the first time a bitter sense of remorse

  filled me on account of my own action in respect of him—I saw that

  I had been paltering with my conscience, and playing with right and

  wrong, for the sake of mere intellectual attainment . I knew that I had

  been doing this ever since this man or devil had first spoken to me.

  And I felt that my own words deliberately spoken but a little while

  ago had brought my wrong-doing to a crisis . I felt now that when

  the words, “Send me where you will, then,” had passed my lips I

  had put myself, to what extent I knew not, within the power of one

  whom I deeply suspected of some horrible plot against humanity .

  I must not say that I was overwhelmed by these feelings, for

  stronger than a
ny of them was the resolve I now made, with the

  whole force of my being, that I would never again surrender my will

  to him on any pretext whatever . And yet I felt very nearly in despair,

  for I could not but seriously doubt if I had now the power to keep

  this resolve . I feared that I might be like the drunkard who has taken

  the first glass.

  I suppose there is hardly a man anywhere who has never really

  prayed . And so I think every reader will understand me when I say,

  that I lifted up my heart to God silently, and on the moment, with

  far deeper energy and fervour and self-distrust than ever I thought

  possible before .

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  Just then I became aware that Signor Davelli’s eyes were off me

  and hat he was talking to Jack: his manner to him was quite courte-

  ous and gracious . He was, as it seemed, apologising to him .

  “You must pardon me,” said he; “I am afraid that my interest in

  your friend’s conversation has diverted my attention unduly from

  my other guest .” Then, after a slight pause, he added, “Now I pro-

  pose to take your friend to-morrow on an aerial journey, to see the

  other extremity of the valley, and some of the operations there . I can

  only take one at a time: you will probably like to come again . But,

  for to-morrow, how shall we provide for your amusement? we shall

  be back early in the afternoon .”

  Jack replied civilly, but with an air of indifference which I thought

  was feigned, “I should be glad of an opportunity of examining some

  of the curious engines that we have seen yonder .” He pointed as he

  spoke in the direction of the platform .

  “Very well,” was the reply; “I will see that you have a guide .” As

  he spoke he took an odd-looking little instrument from a pocket at

  his girdle, and whistled upon it . The resulting sound consisted of a

  few recurring notes, with a wild, odd strain of music in them .

  In a few moments a man appeared . He came from some place

  towards the further end of the valley, and he was no doubt one of

  those whom we had seen on this very square the day before . Signor

  Davelli spoke to the man . “You will meet this gentleman,” he said,

  “here, to-morrow; his name is Mr . Wilbraham . Meet him at what-

  ever hour he pleases, and show him whatever he wishes to see .”

  Then he spoke a few words in the same strange language as before,

  and accompanied his words with the same sort of action .

  Then he turned to me and said, “Will you meet me here at nine

  o’clock to-morrow, and I will take you to see what we are doing at

  the further end of the valley?”

  I hesitated for a moment, and then I said, “Yes, I will meet you .”

  Whether my hesitation, or anything in my tone, indicated that

  I meant not to commit myself to more than to meet him, I cannot

  say, but as I spoke a scowl passed over his face . It came and went

  in a moment, and then he said, “Very well,” rather curtly, to me .

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  And then, addressing us both in the same gracious manner as before,

  “And now you are tired,” he said, “and it is getting late; I hope you

  find your quarters convenient and your commissariat sufficient.”

  We assured him on both points briefly, made our parting salu-

  tation, and retired . I may here mention that the salutations which

  passed between us and him were never anything more than a formal

  inclination of the head .

  Two more facts must be put on record before I close the account

  of this eventful day .

  We met near the foot of the great stairway the man whom I sup-

  posed to be James Redpath . He appeared to be engaged in setting

  right some detail of the machinery made use of by the workers on

  the platform . I could not but think as I looked upon him that he had

  all the appearance of being a machine himself, worked by an intel-

  lect not his own . Yet he was evidently working with a will .

  I stepped forward and stood before him, having first made a sign

  to Jack .

  “James Redpath,” I said; “surely it must be James Redpath?”

  He started, and looked at me with a surly scowl, but said nothing .

  The name (of course I used his real name) seemed to remind him

  of something, but there was no recognition in his eyes . “Don’t you

  remember Bob Easterley?” I said . He looked at me and then his

  eyes wandered . There was a muddled, wicked look about him, such

  as you will sometimes see in the eyes of a very bad-tempered man

  when he is drunk . “Don’t you remember Penruddock?” I said, again

  of course using the real name . He started again, and I thought he

  brightened, but it was a queer sort of brightening .

  “Penruddock?” he said . “Penruddock and Bob Easterly: curse

  him and curse the little beggar!” And then he gave a nasty laugh .

  His voice was thick, like the voice of a man half stupefied with

  drink or suffering from active brain disease. I thought at first that

  the name Penruddock had awakened no recollection in his mind,

  but that he mistook it for the name of a man . Since then, however, I

  have thought that perhaps “the little beggar” was the boy that he was

  cruel to, and that the name of Penruddock had reminded him of the

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  matter . Anyhow he turned and looked steadily at me and said slowly,

  “Oh, so the governor has got you; I wish you joy of the governor .”

  And then he laughed a coarse, harsh kind of laugh . It was not loud,

  and there was not much expression in it, but what there was was

  cruel . Then he made as if to pass us, and we let him pass: there was

  nothing to be got out of him . I am not absolutely sure to this day

  whether he was James Redpath or not .

  That night Jack and I talked long and earnestly . I told him as

  I have told you my latest thoughts about the matter, and then we

  talked of our engagements for the coming day .

  Wilbraham . There’s a crisis near, Bob . It is as likely to come to-

  morrow as not .

  Easterly . How do you think it will come?

  Wilbraham . Well, this way . Davelli, I think, overrates the power

  that he has contrived to get over you . The disappointment you speak

  of, and your distrust of him and resolve against him have somehow

  checked the effect of his action on your will, and he does not know

  that . Not knowing it, he will reveal some villainy to you to-morrow .

  You will revolt and he will try to kill you . If you are on your guard

  you may escape yet . The minute you defy him shoot him through

  the body .

  Easterly . What harm will that do him?

  Wilbraham . Not much, but some . Did you notice what he said

  yesterday?

  Easterly . Yes, and he was telling the truth . The shot would prob-

  ably send him to his own place, but he will be back again presently .

  Wilbraham . Yes, but meanwhile you will have got a start, and if

  you are in one of the cars and can manage it you may escape .

  Easterly . Not very likely; but supposing I did, what
is to become

  of you?

  Wilbraham . I shall be working for myself all the time . Look here:

  this fellow who is to guide me will either try to kill me or to put me

  in the way of killing myself . I believe that he has instructions to that

  effect . I’ll watch him, and if I see any treachery I’ll send him to his

  own place and make off if only I can manage the car . For I intend

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  that he shall take me into one of the cars . Then I will try to join you

  and we shall have perhaps a start of an hour or so before they get

  back and make ready to follow us .

  I didn’t see much chance of success in his plan . You couldn’t

  look at it anywhere, I thought, without finding a flaw in it, and I told

  him as much .

  “Never mind,” said he, “it is the unlikely thing that happens: let

  us be on the watch .”

  Easterly . On the watch, certainly; but look here, Jack: you and I

  are in imminent danger of death, but I am in danger of worse than

  death .

  Wilbraham . Yesterday, perhaps; but not now, Bob .

  Easterly . In one sense, more now than yesterday . I have given

  him power over me to-day; not so much perhaps as he thinks—you

  may be right there—but more than I may now be able to withstand .

  Besides, mark me, he is not going to bring thing’s to a crisis yet .

  Wilbraham . Well, if he is not, we shall bring things to a crisis

  ourselves, and we shall defy him . Then let him kill us if he can .

  I shouldn’t wonder if he couldn’t after all . Anyhow, I shall learn

  something to-morrow, and don’t you put yourself in his power any

  more .

  Easterly . I have told you that I am not sure if can escape him now,

  but, God helping me, I will do my best .

  There our talk ceased for the night, and I may as well say at once

  that the crisis did not come next day, and that it was not left either to

  Signor Davelli or to ourselves to bring it about . If it had been so left

  I do not think this book would ever have been written .

  We were now sitting in the inner chamber, from one of the win-

  dows of which you could see the door of the outer chamber . The

  inner chamber opened into the outer, and the outer chamber, with-

  out any porch or passage, opened upon the path which led either to

  the square or the great stairway . As I sat near the window I saw a

  bright light shining upon the outer door, so that no one could go in or