October 1930 Read online

  "Drayle was already excited when I entered. In fact, he was furious atthe doctor's efforts to restrain him. But I realized that my fear forhis reason was groundless. His remarks were lucid and forceful as heraged at the interference with his work. As soon as he saw me heappealed for assistance.

  "'Make them let me alone. Tim,' he begged, as his wife and the doctor,partly by force and partly by persuasion, endeavored to hold him inbed. 'I must get back to the laboratory. That woman believes that I'vekilled her husband, and my assistant will think that we've failed.'

  * * * * *

  "I was about to argue with him when suddenly he managed to thrust thedoctor aside and start toward the door. His seriousness impressed meso that I gave him a supporting arm and together we headed down thehall, with Mrs. Drayle and the doctor following anxiously in the rear.The laboratory was deserted and locked when we arrived. The policeevidently felt it was too uncanny an atmosphere for a prolonged wait.Drayle opened the door, went directly to his machine, and examined itminutely.

  "'Thank the Lord that woman hit only me!' he said, and sank into achair. Then he asked for some brandy. Mrs. Drayle rushed off andreappeared in a minute with a decanter and glass. Drayle helpedhimself to a swallow that brought color to his cheeks and new strengthto his limbs. Immediately after he turned again to the machine. Idragged up a chair, assisted him into it, and seated myself close by.

  "I knew little enough about mechanics, but I was fascinated by thenumerous gauges that faced me on the gleaming instrument board. Therewere dials with needlelike hands that registered various numbers;spots of color appeared in narrow slots close to a solar spectrum: astream of graph-paper tape flowed slowly beneath a tracing-pen pointand carried away a jiggly thin line of purple ink. In a moment Draylewas oblivious of everything but his records. I watched him copy theindicated figures, surround them with formulas, and solve mysteriousproblems with a slide-rule.

  "His calculations covered a large sheet before he had finished. Atlast he underscored three intricate combinations of letters andfigures and carried the answers to his private radio apparatus. Thisoperated on a wave length far outside the range of all others andinsured him against interference. With it he was able to speak at anytime with his assistants in Washington or Boston or with both at once.He threw the switch that sent his call into the air. An answer cameinstantly, and Drayle begin to talk to his distant lieutenants.

  * * * * *

  "'We've been interrupted, gentlemen,' he said, 'but I think we maycontinue now. We'll reassemble in the Boston laboratory. Have youarranged the elements? The coefficients are....' And he gave asuccession of decimals.

  "A voice replied that all was ready. Drayle said 'Excellent,' wentback to his invention and twisted a black knob on the board beforehim.

  "With this trifling movement all hell seemed to crash about us. Theghastly cacophony that I had experienced in the same room some monthspreviously was as nothing. These stupendous waves of sound pounded usuntil it seemed as if we must disintegrate beneath them. Wails andscreams engulfed us. Mrs. Drayle dropped to her knees beside herhusband. The doctor seized my arm and I saw the knuckles of his handturn white with the pressure of his grip, yet I felt nothing but theawful vibrations that drummed like riveting machines upon and throughmy nerves and body. It was not an attack upon the ears alone; itcrashed upon the heart, beat upon the chest so that breathing seemedimpossible. My brain throbbed under the terrific pulsations. For awhile I imagined the human system could not endure the ordeal and thatall of us must be annihilated.

  "Except for his slow turning of the dials Drayle was motionless beforethe machine. Below the bandage about his forehead I could see hisfeatures drawn with anxiety. He had wagered a human life to test histheory and I think the enormity of it had not struck him until thatmoment.

  "What I knew and hoped enabled me to imagine what was taking place inthe Boston laboratory. I seemed to see man's elementary dust andvapors whirled from great containers upward into a stratum ofshimmering air and gradually assume the outlines of a human form thatbecame first opaque, then solid, and then a sentient being. At thesame instant I was conscious that the appalling pandemonium had ceasedand that the voice of Drayle's Boston assistant was on the radio.

  * * * * *

  "'Congratulations, Chief! His reassemblage is perfect. There's not aflaw anywhere.' "'Splendid,' Drayle answered. 'Bring him here byplane right away; his wife is worried about him.'

  "Then Drayle turned to me.

  "'You see,' he said, 'Jackson Gee was right. We have resolved man intohis constituent elements, transmitted his key vibrations by radio, andreassembled him from a supply of identical elements at the other end.And now, if you will assure that woman that her husband is safe, Iwill get some sleep. You will have the proof before you in less thanthree hours.'

  "I can't vouch for the doctor's feelings, but as Drayle left us I wassatisfied that everything was as it should be, and that I had justwitnessed the greatest scientific achievement of all time. I did notforesee, nor did Drayle, the results of an error or deliberatedisobedience on the part of one of his assistants.

  "We waited, the doctor and I, for the arrival of the man who, we wereconvinced, had been transported some three hundred miles in a mannerthat defied belief. The evidence would come, Drayle had said, in a fewhours. Long before they had elapsed we were starting at the sound ofevery passing motor, for we knew that a plane must land some distancefrom the house and that the travelers would make the last mile or soby car.

  "Mrs. Drayle endeavored to convince the imagined widow that herhusband was safe and was returning speedily. Later she rejoined us,full of questions that we answered in a comforting blind faith. Thetime limit was drawing to a close when the sound of an automobile hornwas quickly followed by a sharp knock on the laboratory door. At asign from Mrs. Drayle one of the policemen opened it and we saw twomen before us. One, a scholarly appearing, bespectacled youth, Irecognized as Drayle's Boston assistant, Ward; the other, a ratherburly individual, was a stranger to me. But there was no doubt he wasthe man we awaited so eagerly, for Mrs. Farrel screamed 'Harry!Harry!' and sped across the room towards him.

  * * * * *

  "At first she ran her fingers rather timidly over his face, and thenpinched his huge shoulders, as if to assure herself of his reality.The sense of touch must have satisfied her, for abruptly she kissedhim, flung her arms about him, clung to him, and crooned littleendearments. The big man, in turn, patted her cheeks awkwardly andmumbled in a convincingly natural voice, ''Sall right, Mary, old kid!There ain't nothin' to it. Yeah! Sure it's me!'

  "Then I was conscious of Drayle's presence. A brown silk dressing gownfell shapelessly about his spare frame and smoke from his cigaretterose in a quivering blue-white stream. Ward spied him at the samemoment and stepped forward with quick outstretched hands. I rememberthe flame of adoring zeal in the youngster's eyes as he tried tospeak. At length he managed to stammer some congratulatory phraseswhile Drayle clapped him affectionately on the back.

  "Then Drayle turned to Farrel to ask him how he enjoyed the trip.Farrel grinned and said, 'Fine! It was like a dream, sir! First I'm inone place and then I'm in another and I don't know nothing about how Igot there. But I could do with a drink, sir. I ain't used to themairyplanes much.'

  "Drayle accepted the hint and suggested that we all celebrate. He gaveinstructions over a desk telephone and almost immediately a manentered with a small service wagon containing a wide assortment ofliquors and glasses. When we had all been served, Ward asked somewhathesitantly if he might propose a toast. 'To Dr. Drayle, the greatestscientist of all time!'

  * * * * *

  "We were of course, already somewhat drunk with excitement as welifted our glasses. But Drayle would not have it.

  "'Let me amend that,' he said. 'Let us drink to the future ofscience.'

  "'Sure!' said Farrel, very promptly. I think he was somewhat uncertainabout 'toast,' but he clung hopefully to the word 'drink.'

  "We had raise
d our glasses again when Drayle, who was facing the door,dropped his. It struck the floor with a little crash and the liquorspattered my ankles. Drayle whispered 'Great God!' I saw in thedoorway another Farrel. He was grimy, disheveled, his clothing wastorn, and his expression ugly; but his identity with 'Harry' wasunescapable. For an instant I suspected Drayle of trickery, ofperpetrating some fiendishly elaborate hoax. And then I heard Mrs.Farrel scream, heard the newcomer cry, 'Mary,' and saw two men staringat each other in bewilderment.

  "The explanation burst upon me with a horrible suddenness. Farrel hadbeen reconstructed in each of Drayle's distant laboratories, and therestood before us two identities each equally authentic, each the legalhusband of the woman who, a few hours previously, had imagined herselfa widow. The situation was fantastic, nightmarish, unbelievable andundeniable. My head reeled with the fearful possibilities.

  "Drayle was the first to recover his poise. He opened a door leadinginto an adjoining room and motioned for us all to enter. That is, allbut the police. He left them wisely with their liquor. 'Finish it,' headvised them. 'You see no one has been killed.'

  * * * * *

  "They were not quite satisfied, but neither were they certain whatthey ought to do, and for once displayed common sense by doingnothing. When the door closed after us I saw that Buchannon, theWashington laboratory assistant, was with us. He must have arrivedwith the second Farrel, although I had not observed him during theconfusion attending the former's unexpected appearance. But Drayle hadnoted him and now seized his shoulders. 'Explain!' he demanded.

  "Buchannon's face went white and he shrank under the clutch ofDrayle's fingers. Beyond them I saw the two twinlike men standingbeside Mrs. Farrel, surveying each other with incredulous recognitionand distaste.

  "'Explain!' roared Drayle, and tightened his grasp.

  "'I thought you said Washington, Chief.' His voice was not convincing.I didn't believe him, nor did Drayle.

  "'You lie!' he raged, and floored the man with his fist.

  "In a way I couldn't help feeling sorry for the chap. It must havebeen a frightful temptation to participate in the experiment and Isuppose he had not forseen the consequences. But I began to have aglimmering of the magnificent possibilities of the invention forpurposes far beyond Drayle's intent. For, I asked myself, why, if sucha machine could produce two human identities, why not a score, ahundred, a thousand? The best of the race could be multipliedindefinitely and man could make man at last, literally out of the dustof the earth. The virtue of instantaneous transmission which had beenDrayle's aim sank into insignificance beside it. I fancied a race ofsupermen thus created. And I still believe, Sergeant, that the chancefor the world's greatest happiness is sealed within that box youguard. But its first fruits were tragic."

  The historian shifted his position on the bench so as to escape thesun that was now reflected dazzlingly by the polished steel casket.

  * * * * *

  "Drayle did not glance again at his disobedient lieutenant. He wasconcerned with the problem of the extra man, or, I should say, anextra man, for both were equal. Never before in the history of theworld had two men been absolutely identical. They were, of course, onein thought, possessions and rights, physical attributes andappearance. Mrs. Farrel, as they were beginning to realize, was thewife of both. And I have an unworthy suspicion that the red-headedyoung woman, after she recovered from the shock, was not entirelydispleased. The two men, however, finding that each had an arm abouther waist, were regarding each other in a way that foretold trouble.Both spoke at the same time and in the same words.

  "'Take your hands off my wife!'

  "And I think they would have attacked each other then if Drayle hadn'tintervened. He said, 'Sit down! All of you!' in so peremptory a voicethat we obeyed him.

  "'Now,' he went on, 'pay attention to me. I think you realize thesituation. The question is, what we shall do about it?' He pointed anaccusing finger at the Farrel from Washington. 'You were notauthorized to exist; properly we should retransmit you, and withoutreassembling you would simply cease to be.'

  "The man addressed looked terrified. 'It would be murder!' heprotested.

  "'Would it?' Drayle inquired of me.

  "I told him that it could not be proved inasmuch as there would be nocorpus delicti and hence nothing on which to base a charge.

  "But the Washington Farrel seemed to have more than an academicinterest in the question and grew obstinate.

  "'Nothing doing!' he announced emphatically. 'Here I am and here Istay. I started from this place this morning and now I'm back, and asfor that big ape over there I don't know nothing about him--excepthe'll be dead damn soon if he don't keep away from my wife.'

  * * * * *

  "The other Drayle-made man leaped up at this, and again I expectedviolence. But Buchannon flung himself between, and they subsided,muttering.

  "'Very well, then,' Drayle continued, when the room was quiet, 'hereis another solution. We can, as you realize, duplicate Mrs. Farrel,and I will double your present possessions.'

  "This time it was Mrs. Farrel who was dissatisfied. 'You ain'ttalking to me,' she informed Drayle. 'Me stand naked in front of allthem lamps and get turned into smoke? Not me!' A smile spread over herface and her eyes twinkled with deviltry. 'I didn't never think I'd bein one of them triangles like in the movies, and with my own husbands,but seein' I am, I'm all for keeping them both. Then I might knowwhere one of them was some of the time.'

  "But neither of the men took to this idea and the problem appearedincreasingly complex. I proposed that the survivor be determined bylot, but this suggestion won no support from anyone. Again the two menspoke at the same instant and in the same words. It was like acarefully rehearsed chorus. 'I know my rights, and I ain't going to begypped out of them!'

  "It was at this point that Drayle attempted bribery. He offered fiftythousand dollars to the man who would abandon Mrs. Farrel. But thisscheme fell through because both men sought the opportunity and Mrs.Farrel objected volubly.

  "So in the end Drayle promised each of them the same amount as a pricefor silence and left the matter of their relationships to their ownsettlement.

  * * * * *

  "I was skeptical of the success of the plan but could offer nothingbetter. So I drew up a release as legally binding as I knew how tomake it in a case without precedent. I remember thinking that if thematter ever came into court the judge would be as much at a loss as Iwas.

  "Our troubles, though, didn't spring from that source. Each of thethree parties accepted the arrangement eagerly and Drayle dismissedthem with a hand-shake, a wish for luck and a check for fifty thousanddollars each. It's very nice to be wealthy, you know.

  "Afterward, we went out and paid off the police. Perhaps that'sstating it too bluntly. I mean that Drayle thanked them for theirzealous attention to his interests, regretted that they had beenunnecessarily inconvenienced and treated that they would not takeamiss a small token of his appreciation of their devotion to duty.Then he shook hands with them both and I believe I saw a yellow billtransferred on each occasion. At any rate the officers saluted smartlyand left.

  "Of course I was impatient to question Drayle, but I could see that hewas desperately fatigued. So I departed.

  "Next morning I found my worst fears exceeded by the events of thenight. The three Farrels who had left us in apparently amiable spiritshad proceeded to the home of Mrs. and the original Mr. Farrel. Therethe argument of who was to leave had been resumed. Both men were, ofcourse, of the same mind. Whether both desired to stay or flee I wouldnot presume to say. But an acrimonious dispute led to physicalhostilities, and while Mrs. Farrel, according to accounts, cheeredthem on, they literally fought to the death. Being equally capable,there was naturally, barring interruption, no other possible outcome.I can well believe they employed the same tactics, swung the sameblows, and died at the same instant.

  "Mrs. Farrel, after carefully retrieving both of her husbands' checks,told a great deal of the story. As might b
e expected, nobody believedthe yarn except our profound federal law makers. They welcomed anopportunity to investigate an outsider for a change and had all of usbefore a committee.

  "Finally the Congress of these United States of America, plus thesagacious Supreme Court, decided that my client wasn't guilty ofanything, but that he mustn't do it again. At least that was the gistof it. I recollect that I offered a defense of psycopathicneuroticism.

  "As a result of the obiter dictum and a resolution by both HousesAssembled Drayle's invention was sealed, dated and placed under guard.That's its history, Sergeant."

  * * * * *

  The white-haired old gentleman picked up the high silk hat that addeda final touch of distinction to his tall figure, and looked about himas if trying to recall something. At last the idea came.

  "By the way," he inquired suddenly, "didn't I have an extraordinarilyobnoxious grandson with me when I came?"

  The attentive auditor was vastly startled. He surveyed the great hallrapidly, but reflected before he answered.

  "No, sir--I mean he ain't no more'n average! But I reckon we'd betterfind him, anyhow."

  His glance had satisfied the sergeant that at least the object of hischarge was safe and his men still vigilant. "I'll be back in aminute," he informed them. "Don't let nothin' happen."

  "Bring us something more'n a breath," pleaded the corporal,disrespectfully.

  The sergeant had already set off at a brisk pace with the storyteller. For several minutes as they rushed from room to room the huntwas unrewarded.

  "I think, sir," said the sergeant, "we'd better look in the naturalhistory division. There is stuffed animals in there that the kids isfond of."

  "You're probably right," the patriarch gasped as he struggled tomaintain the gait set by the younger man. "I might have known hedidn't really want to hear the story."