an the spark of
consciousness in that rat. When your body and the rat's body give up
their atoms to nature's laboratory, the little enslaved mind-electron
that is you and the one that is the rat will be identical."

Again Hale shivered and turned away from that cold, too-thin face.

The scientist was speaking. "Step around to all those cages and pens. I
want you to see all my slaves of the dust."

* * * * *

But long before Hale had encircled the room, he was so disturbed at what
he saw that he could scarcely complete his frightful inspection. In
every enclosure he viewed a monstrosity that in some way resembled a
human. Every reptile, every insect, every queer, misshapen animal not
only looked human in some shocking manner, but also seemed to possess
human characteristics. It seemed as though some demented creator with a
perverted sense of humor had attempted to mock man by calling forth
monsters in his image.

At last the young man cried out: "How did you breed these freaks?"

"They are not freaks, and I did not breed them. They are nature's
parentless products whose basic elements were brought together in
this laboratory, and, by a scientific reproduction of the functions
of creation, endowed with the life principle, which is merely
mind-electrons." He smoothed his long tuft of hair nervously. "Would
you like to see how life springs from a wedding of matter, energy,
and consciousness?"

"I suspect I can stand anything now," Hale admitted.

"Then come and peep into a very remarkable group of apparatus I have
developed, where you can watch atoms building molecules and molecules
building living organisms."

"You say I can see atoms?"

"Not directly, of course. The light waves will forever prevent us from
actually seeing the atom. But I have perfected a system of photography
which magnifies particles smaller than light waves, and, separating
their images from the light waves, renders detail clear in the moving
pictures."

* * * * *

He went to a huge machine or series of machines which took up all the
center floor space of the laboratory, where he busied himself in an
intricate network of wires, mirrors, electrodes, ray projectors, and
traveling metal compartments. Presently he called out to Hale.

"Let me remind you, Oakham, that while any scientist can break up any of
the various proteid molecules which are the basis of all living cells,
ani