The Soul Stealer

by Guy Thorne

  CHAPTER XXII

  THE DOOM BEGINS

  The visitors found themselves in the laboratory, a large building lit bymeans of its glass roof.

  Sir William Gouldesbrough, dressed in a grey morning suit, receivedthem. He shook hands with one or two, and bowed to the rest; but therewas no regular greeting of each person who came in.

  At one side of the laboratory were three long rows of arm-chairs, builtup in three tiers on platforms, much in the same way as the seats arearranged for hospital students in an operating theatre.

  The guests were invited to take their places, and in a minute or two hadsettled themselves, the more frivolous and non-scientific part of themwhispering and laughing together, as people do before the curtain risesat a play. This is what they saw.

  About two yards away from the lowest row of seats, which was practicallyon the floor level, the actual apparatus of the discovery began. Uponspecially constructed tables, on steel supports, which rose through theboarding of the floor, were a series of machines standing almost thewhole length of the room.

  Upon the opposite wall to the spectators was a large screen, upon whichthe Thought Pictures were to be thrown.

  Save for the strange apparatus in all its intricacy of brass andvulcanite, coiled wire and glass, there was more than a suggestion ofthe school-room in which the pupils are entertained by a magic-lanternexhibition.

  Marjorie Poole and her mother sat next to Lord Malvin, on either side ofhim, while Donald Megbie, Sir Harold Oliver, and the Bishop of WestLondon were immediately to their right and left.

  Gouldesbrough had not formally greeted Marjorie, but as he stood behindhis apparatus ready to begin the demonstration, he flashed one brightlook at her full of triumph and exultation. Megbie, who was watchingvery closely, saw that the girl's face did not change or soften, even atthis supreme moment, when the unutterable triumph of the man who lovedher was about to be demonstrated to the world.

  Amid a scene of considerable excitement on the part of thenon-scientific of the audience, and the strained tense attention of thefamous scientists, Sir William Gouldesbrough began.

  "My Lord, my illustrious _confreres_, ladies and gentlemen, I have tothank you very much for all coming here this afternoon to see the lawwhich I have discovered actually applied by means of mechanicalprocesses, which have been adapted, invented and made by myself and mybrilliant partner and helper, Mr. Wilson Guest."

  As he said this, Sir William turned towards the end of the room wherehis assistant was busy bending over one of the machines.

  The man, with the large hairless face, was pale, and his fingers wereshaking, as they moved about among the screws and wires. He did not lookup as Gouldesbrough paid him this just tribute, though every one of thespectators turned towards him at the mention of his name.

  Truth to tell, Mr. Wilson Guest was, for the first time for many years,absolutely bereft of all alcoholic liquor since the night before. Forthe first time in their partnership Gouldesbrough had insisted uponGuest's absolute abstention. He had never done such a thing before, ashe pointed out to his friend, but on this day he said his decision wasfinal and he meant to be obeyed.

  The frenzied entreaties of the poor wretch about mid-day, his miserableabasement and self-surrender, as he wept for his poison, were uselessalike. He had been forced to yield, and at this moment he was sufferingsomething like torture. It was indeed only by the greatest effort of hisweakened will that he could attend to the mechanical duties of adjustingthe sensitive machines for the demonstration which was to follow.

  "I cannot suppose that any of you here are now unaware of the nature ofmy experiments and discovery. It has been ventilated in the press solargely during the last few days, and Mr. Donald Megbie has written sucha lucid account of the influence which he believes the discovery willhave upon modern life, that I am sure you all realize something of thenature of what I am about to show you.

  "To put it very plainly, I am going to show you how thought can becollected in the form of vibrations, in the form of fluid electriccurrent, and collected directly from the brain of the thinker as hethinks.

  "I am further going to demonstrate to you how this current can betransformed into a visible, living and actual representation of thethoughts of the thinker."

  He stopped for a moment, and there was a little murmur from his guests.Then he went on.

  "Before proceeding to actual experiment, it is necessary that I shouldgive you some account of the means by which I have achieved suchmarvellous results. I do not propose to do this in extremely technicallanguage, for were I to do so, a large portion of those here thisafternoon would not be able to follow me. I shall proceed to explain inwords, which I think most of you will understand.

  "My illustrious _confreres_ in Science will follow me and understand thetechnical aspect of what I am going to put into very plain language, andto them especially I would say that, after the actual experiment hasbeen conducted, I shall beg them to examine my apparatus and to go intothe matter with me from a purely scientific aspect.

  "And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin.

  "That light is transmitted by waves in the ether is abundantly proved,but the nature of the waves and the nature of the ether have, until thepresent, always been uncertain. It is known that the ultimate particlesof bodies exist in a state of vibration, but it cannot be assumed thatthe vibration is purely mechanical. Experiment has proved the existenceof magnetic and electric strains in the ether, and I have found thatelectro-magnetic strains are propagated with the same speed as that ofwhich light travels.

  "You will now realize, to put it in very simple language, that theconnection between light and what the man in the street would callcurrents, or waves of electricity, is very intimate. When I had fullyestablished this in my own mind, I studied the physiology of the humanbody for a long period. I found that the exciting agents in the nervesystem of the animal frame are frequently electric, and by experimentingupon the nerve system in the human eye, I found that it could be excitedby the reception of electro-magnetic waves.

  "In the course of my experiments I began more and more frequently to askmyself, 'What is the exact nature of thought?'

  "You all know how Signor Marconi can send out waves from one of histransmitters. I am now about to tell you that the human brain is nothingmore nor less than an organism, which, in the process of thought, sendsout into the surrounding ether a number of subtle vibrations. But, asthese vibrations are so akin in their very essence to the nature oflight, it occurred to me that it might be possible to gather themtogether as they were given off, to direct them to a certain point, andthen, by means of transforming them into actual light, pass that lightthrough a new form of spectroscope; and, instead of coloured rays beingprojected upon a screen through the prism of the instrument, the actualliving thought of the brain would appear for every one to see.

  "This is, in brief, precisely what I have done, and it is preciselywhat I am going to show you in a few minutes. Having given you thisbriefest and slightest outline of the law I have discovered and proved,I will explain to you something of the mechanical means by which I haveproved it, and by which I am going to show it to you in operation."

  He stopped once more, and moved a little away from where he had beenstanding. Every one was now thoroughly interested. There was a tremuloussilence as the tall, lean figure moved towards a small table on whichthe shining conical cap, or helmet of brass, lay.

  Sir William took up the object and held it in his right hand, so thatevery one could see it distinctly. From the top, where the button of anordinary cap would be, a thin silk-covered wire drooped down to thefloor and finally rose again and disappeared within a complicated pieceof mechanism a few feet away.

  "This cap," Sir William said, "is placed upon the head of a human being.You will observe later that it covers the whole of the upper part of thehead down to the eyes, and also descends behind to the nape of the neckand along each side of the neck to the ears.

 
"A person wearing this cap is quite unconscious of anything more thanthe mere fact of its weight upon his head. But what is actually going onis, that every single thought he secretes is giving off this vibration,not into the ether, but within the space enclosed by the cap. Thesevibrations cannot penetrate through the substance with which the cap islined, and in order to obtain an outlet, they can only use the outletwhich I have prepared for them. This is placed in the top of the cap,and is something like those extremely delicate membranes which receivethe vibrations of the human voice in a telephone and transmit them alonga wire to the receiver at the other end of it."

  He put down the cap, and looked towards his audience. Not a singleperson moved in the very least. The distinguished party, tier upon tier,might have been a group of wooden statues painted and coloured toresemble the human form. Sir William moved on.

  "Here," he said, "is a piece of apparatus enclosed in this box, whichpresented the first great difficulty in the course of the twenty yearsduring which I have been engaged upon this work. Within this woodenshell," he tapped it with his fingers, "the thought vibrations, if I maycall them so, are collected and transformed into definite and separate_electric_ currents. Every single variation in their strength or qualityis changed into a corresponding electric current, which, in its turn,varies from its fellow currents. So far, I have found that from between3,000 to 4,000 different currents, differing in their tensity and theirpower, are generated by the ordinary thoughts of the ordinary humanbeing.

  "You may take it from me, as I shall presently show my scientificbrethren, that within this box Thought Vibrations are transformed into_electric_ currents."

  He passed on to a much larger machine, which was connected by a networkof wires covered with crimson and yellow silk, to the mahogany box whichhe had just left.

  The outside of the new piece of apparatus resembled nothing so much asone of those enormous wine-coolers which one sees in big restaurants orhotels. It was a large square case standing upon four legs. But from thelid of this case rose something which suggested a very largephotographic camera, but made of dull steel. The tube, in which the lensof an ordinary camera is set, was in this case prolonged for six orseven feet, and was lost in the interior of the next machine.

  And now, for the first time, the strained ears of the spectators caughta note of keen vibration and excitement in Sir William Gouldesbrough'svoice. He had been speaking very quietly and confidently hitherto; butnow the measured utterance rose half a tone; and, as when some greatactor draws near in speech to the climax of the event he mimics, so SirWilliam also began to be agitated, and so also the change in tone sent athrill and quiver through the ranks of those who sat before him.

  "Here," he said, "I have succeeded in transforming my electric currentsinto light. That is nothing, you may think for a moment, the electriccurrent produces light in your own houses at any moment; but you mustremember that in your incandescent bulbs the light is always the same inits quality. Light of this sort, passed through the prism of aspectroscope will always tell the same story when the screen presentsitself for analysis. My problem has been to produce an infinite varietyof light, so that every single thought vibration will produce, whentransformed, its own _special_ and _individual_ quality of light, andthat," he concluded, "I have done."

  Sir Harold Oliver, who had been leaning forward with grey eyes sostrained and intent that all the life seemed to have gone out of themand they resembled sick pearls, gave a gasp as Sir William paused.

  Then Gouldesbrough continued.

  He placed his hand upon the thing like a camera which rose from the lidof the larger structure below it.

  "Within this chamber," he said, "all the light generated below iscollected and focussed. It passes in one volume through this object."

  He moved onwards, as he spoke, running his fingers along the pipe whichled him to the next marvel in this stupendous series.

  "I have now come," he began again, "to what Mr. Guest and myself mightperhaps be allowed to think as our supreme triumph. Here is ourveritable Thought Spectroscope within this erection, which, as you willobserve, is much larger than anything else I have shown you. The lightwhich pours along that tube is passed through, what I will only nowdesignate as a prism, to keep the analogy of the light spectroscope, andis split up into its component parts.

  "You will see that, rising out of this iron box," he ran his hand overthe sides of it as if he loved it, "the lens projects just like the lensof a bioscope. This lens is directed full upon that great white screenwhich is exactly opposite to you all; and this is my final demonstrationof the mechanism which I am now about to set in motion to prove to youthat I have now triumphed over the hitherto hidden Realm of Thought.From this lens I shall pour upon the screen in a minute or two for youall to see, without doubt and in simple view, the thoughts of the man orwoman on whom I shall place the cap."

  He ceased. The first part of the demonstration was over.

  Lord Malvin rose in his seat. His voice was broken by emotion.

  "Sir," he said, "I know, none better perhaps in this room, of themarvellous series of triumphs which have led you to this supreme moment.I know how absolutely and utterly true all you have told us is, and Iknow that we are going to witness your triumph."

  He turned round to the people behind him.

  "We are going to see," he said, "the human soul laid bare for the firsttime in the history of the world."

  Then he turned once more to Sir William, and his voice, though stillfull of almost uncontrollable emotion, became deep and stern.

  "Sir William Gouldesbrough," he said, "I have to salute you as theforemost scientist of all time, greater than Newton, greater thanDarwin, greater than us all. And I pray to God that you have used thegreat talent He has given you in a worthy way, and I pray that, if youhave done this, you will always continue to do so; for surely it is onlyfor some special reason that God has allowed you this mastery."

  He ceased, and there was rustle and hum of movement among all thepeople, as this patriarch lifted his voice with almost a note ofwarning and menace in it.

  It was all so unusual, so unexpected--why did this strange propheticnote come into the proceedings? What was hidden in the old man's brain?

  Every one felt the presence, the unseen presence of deep waters andhidden things.

  Marjorie Poole had bowed her head, she was absolutely motionless. Therewas a tension in the air.

  Sir William Gouldesbrough's head was bowed also, as he listened withcourteous deference to the words of one whose name had been chief andmost honoured in the scientific world for so many years. Those whowatched him remarked afterwards that he seemed to be stricken into stonefor a moment, as words which were almost a veiled accusation pealed outinto the great room.

  Then they saw Sir William once more himself in a swift moment. His eyeswere bright and there was a look of triumph on his face.

  "I thank you, Lord Malvin," he said, in a voice which was arrogant andkeen, "I thank you for your congratulations, your belief, and for yourhopes for me; and now my lord, ladies, and gentlemen, shall we notproceed to the actual demonstration?

  "I am going to ask that one of you come down from your seat and allow meto place the cap upon your head. I shall then darken the laboratory,and the actual thoughts of the lady or gentleman who submits herself orhimself to the experiment will be thrown upon the screen."

  There was a dead silence now, but most of the people there looked ateach other in doubt and fear.

  It might well be that, confronted for the first time in their lives withthe possibility of the inmost secrets of their souls being laid bare,the men and women of the world would shrink in terror. Who of us,indeed, is able to look clearly and fairly into his own heart, andrealize in very actual truth what he is! Do we not, day by day, and hourby hour, apply the flattering unction to our souls that we aren't sovery bad after all; that what we did last week, and what,sub-consciously we know we shall do again in the week that is coming, isonly the resul
t of a temperament which cannot be controlled in this orthat particular, and that we have many genial virtues--not exactlyspecified or defined--which make it all up to a high level of conductafter all?

  Yes! There was a silence there, as indeed there would have been in anyother assembly when such a proposal was made.

  They were all ashamed, they were all frightened. They none of them daredsubmit themselves to this ordeal.

  And as they looked at their host they saw that a faint and mockingsmile was playing about his mouth, and that the eyes above it flamed andshone.

  Then they heard his voice once more, and the new and subtle quality ofmockery had crept into that also.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I am waiting for one of you to give me anopportunity of proving all that I have told you."

  "My lord, will not you afford me the great privilege of being the firstsubject of the new experiment?"

  Lord Malvin looked very straightly and rather strangely at Sir WilliamGouldesbrough.

  "Sir," he said, "I am not afraid to display my thoughts to this company,but shall I be the first person who has ever done so? Of course not. Youhave had other subjects for experiment, whether willing or unwilling--Ido not know."

  Once again the guests saw Sir William's face change. What strange andsecret duel, they asked themselves, was going on before them? How was itthat Lord Malvin and Sir William Gouldesbrough seemed to be in the twinpositions of accuser and accused?

  What was all this?

  Lord Malvin continued--

  "I am ready to submit myself, Sir William, in the cause of Science. ButI would ask you, very, very earnestly, if you desire that the thoughtsthat animate me at this moment should be given to every one here?"

  Gouldesbrough stepped back a pace as though some one had struck him.There was a momentary and painful silence. And then it was that theBishop of West London rose in his place.

  "Sir William," he said, "I shall be highly honoured if you will allow meto be the first subject. I shall fix my thoughts upon some definiteobject, and then we shall see if my memory is good. I have only justcome back from a holiday in the Holy Land, and it will give me greatpleasure to sit in your chair and to try and construct some memories ofJerusalem for you all."

  With that the Bishop stepped down on to the floor of the laboratory, andsat in the chair which Sir William indicated.

  The spectators saw the brass cap carefully fitted on the prelate's head.

  Then Sir William stepped to the little vulcanite table upon which thecontrolling switches were--there was a click, shutters rolled over thesky-lights in the roof, already obscured by the approach of evening, andthe electric lights of the laboratory all went out simultaneously. Thedarkness was profound. The great experiment had begun.