The Blue Germ
Page 12
CHAPTER XII
MR. CLUTTERBUCK'S OPINION
When I reached London it was dusk, and a light mist hung in thedarkening air. The lamps were twinkling in the streets. I decided to getsome tea in a restaurant adjoining the station. When I entered it wascrowded, and the only seat that was empty was at a small table alreadyoccupied by another man. I sat down, and gave my order to the waitress,and remained staring moodily at the soiled marble surface of the table.My neighbour was engrossed in his paper.
During my journey from Cambridge I had come to a certain conclusion.Sarakoff was of the opinion that we should publish a statement about thegerm of immortality, and now I was in agreement with him. For I had beenreflecting upon the capacity of human mind for retaining secrets and hadcome to the conclusion that it is so constructed that its power ofretention is remarkably small. I felt that it would be a matter ofextraordinary relief if everyone in that tea-shop knew the secret of theBlue Germ.
I began to study the man who sat opposite me. He was a quietly dressedmiddle-aged man. The expression on his rather pale, clean-shaven facesuggested that he was a clerk or secretary. He looked reliable,unimaginative, careful and methodical. He was reading his newspaper withclose attention. A cup of tea and the remains of a toasted muffin wereat his elbow. It struck me that here was a very average type of man, andan immense desire seized upon me to find out what opinion he wouldpronounce if I were to tell him my secret. I waited until he looked up.
"Is there any news?" I asked.
He observed me for a moment as if he resented my question.
"The Blue Disease is spreading in London," he remarked shortly, andreturned to his paper. I felt rebuffed, but reflected that this, afterall, was how an average man might be expected to behave.
"A curious business," I continued. "I am a doctor, and therefore verymuch interested in it."
His manner changed. He assumed the attitude of the average man towards adoctor at once, and I was gratified to observe it.
"I was just thinking I'd like to hear what a doctor thinks about it," hesaid, laying down his paper. "I thought of calling in on Dr. Sykes on myway home to-night; he attends my wife. Do you know Dr. Sykes?"
"Which one?" I asked cautiously, not willing to disappoint him.
"Dr. Sykes of Harlesden," he said, with a look of surprise.
"Oh, yes, I know Dr. Sykes. Why did you think of going to see him?"
He smiled apologetically and pointed to the paper.
"It sounds so queer ... the disease. They say, up in Birmingham, thatit's stopping all diseases in the hospitals ... everywhere. Peoplegetting well all of a sudden. Now I don't believe that."
"Have you seen a case yet?"
"Yes. A woman. In the street this afternoon as I was coming from lunch.The police took her. She was mad, I can tell you. There was a big crowd.She screamed. I think she was drunk." He paused, and glanced at me."What do you think of it?"
I took a deep breath.
"I don't _think_, I _know_," I said, in as quiet a manner as possible.He stared a moment, and a nervous smile appeared and swiftly vanished.He seemed uncertain what to do.
"You've found out something?" he asked at length, playing with histeaspoon and keeping his eyes on the table. I regarded him carefully. Iwas not quite certain if he still thought I was a doctor.
"I'm not a lunatic," I said. "I'm merely stating a rather extraordinaryfact. I know all about the germ of the Blue Disease."
He raised his eyes for an instant, and then lowered them. His hand hadstopped trifling with the teaspoon.
"Yes," he said, "the doctors think it's due to a germ of some sort." Hemade a sort of effort and continued. "It is funny, some of these germsbeing invisible through microscopes. Measles and chickenpox and commonthings like that. They've never seen the germs that cause them, that'swhat the papers say. It seems odd--having something you can't see." Heturned his head, and looked for his hat that hung on a peg behind him.
"One moment," I said. I took out my card-case. "I want you to read thiscard. Don't think I'm mad. I want to talk to you for a particular reasonwhich I'll explain in a moment." He took the card hesitatingly and readit. Then he looked at me. "The reason why I am speaking to you is this,"I said. "I want to find out what a decent citizen like yourself willthink of something I know. It concerns the Blue Disease and its origin."
He seemed disturbed, and took out his watch.
"I ought to get home. My wife----"
"Is your wife ill?"
"Yes."
"What's the matter with her?"
He frowned.
"Dr. Sykes thinks it's lung trouble."
"Consumption?"
He nodded, and an expression of anxiety came over his face.
"Good," I exclaimed. "Now listen to what I have to say. Before the weekis out your wife will be cured. I swear it."
He said nothing. It was plain that he was still suspicious.
"You read what they say in the papers about the Blue Disease cuttingshort other diseases? Well, that Blue Disease will be all over London ina day or two. Now do you understand?"
I saw that I had interested him. He settled himself on his chair, andbegan to examine me. His gaze travelled over my face and clothes,pausing at my cuff-links and my tie and collar. Then he looked at mycard again. Inwardly he came to a decision.
"I'm willing to listen to what you've got to say," he remarked, "if youthink it's worth saying."
"Thank you. I think it's worth hearing." I leaned my arms on the tablein front of me. "This Blue Disease is not an accidental thing. It wasdeliberately planned, by two scientists. I was one of those scientists."
"You can't plan a disease," he remarked, after a considerable silence.
"You're wrong. We found a way of creating new germs. We worked at theidea of creating a particular kind of germ that would kill all othergerms ... and we were successful. Then we let loose the germ on theworld."
"How?"
"We infected the water supply of Birmingham at its origin in Wales."
I watched his expression intently.
"You mean that you did this secretly, without knowing what the resultwould be?" he asked at last.
"We foresaw the result to a certain extent."
He thought for some time.
"But you had no right to infect a water supply. That's criminal,surely?"
"It's criminal if the infection is dangerous to people. If you putcholera in a reservoir, of course it's criminal."
"But this germ...?"
"This germ does not kill people. It kills the germs in people."
"What's the difference?"
"All the difference in the world! It's like this.... By the way, what isyour name?"
"Clutterbuck." The word escaped his lips by accident. He lookedannoyed. I smiled reassuringly.
"It's like this, Mr. Clutterbuck. If you kill all the germs in aperson's body, that person doesn't die. He lives ... indefinitely. Nowdo you see?"
"No, I don't see," said Clutterbuck with great frankness. "I don'tunderstand what you're driving at. You tell me that you're a doctor andyou give me a card bearing a well-known specialist's name. Then you sayyou created a germ and put it in the Birmingham water supply and thatthe result is the Blue Disease. This germ, you say, doesn't kill people,but does something else which I don't follow. Now I was taught thatgerms are dangerous things, and it seems to me that if your story istrue--which I don't believe--you are guilty of a criminal act." Hepushed back his chair and reached for his hat. There was a flush on hisface.
"Then you don't believe my tale?"
"No, I'm sorry, but I don't."
"Well, Mr. Clutterbuck, will you believe it when you see your wiferestored to health in a few days' time?"
He paused and stared at me.
"What you say is impossible," he said slowly. "If you were a doctoryou'd know that as well as I do."
"But the reports in the paper?"
"Oh, that's journalistic rubbish."
"If I take you to my house will you believe me then?"
"Look here," he said in an angry tone, "I've had enough of this. I can'twaste my time. I'm sure of one thing and that is that you're no doctor.You've got somebody's card-case. You don't look like a doctor and youdon't speak like one. I should advise you to be careful."
He moved away from the table. Some neighbouring people stared at me fora moment and then went on eating. Mr. Clutterbuck paid at the desk andleft the establishment. I had received the verdict of the average man.