rd,
lantern-jawed face with a fiery intensity--"Remember, it's not child's
play! Whoever takes what I can give, holds the mastery of the world! I
offer it to the United States--but I would have preferred to offer it
to Great Britain, being as I am, an Englishman. But the dilatory
British men of science have snubbed me once--and I do not intend them
to have the chance of doing it again. Briefly--I offer the United
States the power to end wars, and all thought or possibility of war for
ever. No Treaty of Versailles or any other treaty will ever be
necessary. The only thing I ask in reward for my discovery is the
government pledge to use it. That is, of course, should occasion arise.
For my material needs, which are small, an allowance of a sum per annum
as long as I live, will satisfy my ambition. The allowance may be as
much or as little as is found convenient. The pledge to USE my
discovery is the one all-important point--it must be a solemn, binding
pledge--never to be broken."

Gwent puffed slowly at his cigar.

"It's a bit puzzling!"--he said--"When and where should it be used?"

Seaton stretched out a hand argumentatively.

"Now listen!" he said--"Suppose two nations quarrel--or rather, their
governments and their press force them to quarrel--the United States
(possessing my discovery) steps between and says--'Very well! The first
move towards war--the first gun fired--means annihilation for one of
you or both! We hold the power to do this!'"

Gwent drew his cigar from his lips.

"Annihilation!" he murmured--"Annihilation? For one or both!"

"Just so--absolute annihilation!" and Seaton smiled with a pleasant air
of triumph--"A holocaust of microbes! The United States must let the
whole world know of their ability to do this (without giving away my
discovery). They must say to the nations 'We will have no more wars. If
innocent people are to be killed, they can be killed quite as easily in
one way as another, and our way will cost nothing--neither ships nor
ammunition nor guns.' And, of course, the disputants will be given time
to decide their own fate for themselves."

Sam Gwent, holding his cigar between his fingers and looking
meditatively at its glowing end, smiled shrewdly.

"All very well!"--he said--"But you forget money interests. Money
interests always start a war--it isn't nations that do it, it's
'companies.' Your stuff won't annihilate companies all over the globe.
Governments are not likely to