FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65  
66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   >>   >|  
ked away at last as casually as if he had come out of a bath. It was perfectly astonishing stuff to watch. "If this isn't superstition, or mesmerism, or deception of some kind, why do you insist on all this mummery of soot and ashes for my friend and me?" King demanded. "Why do you use a temple full of Hindu idols to conceal your science, if it is a natural science and not trickery?" The Gray Mahatma smiled tolerantly. "Can you suggest a better way of keeping the secret?" he answered. "We are protected by the superstition. Not even the Government of India would dare arouse the superstitious wrath of a people by inquiring too closely into what goes on beneath a temple. If we were to admit that what we know is science, just as wireless telegraphy is a science, we would not be safe for an hour; the military, the kings of commerce, the merely curious, and all the enemies of mankind would invent ten thousand excuses of investigating us." "Where did you learn English?" King demanded. "I am a Ph.D. of Johns Hopkins," the Gray Mahatma answered. "I have traveled all over the United States seeking for one man who might be trusted with the rudiments of our science. But I found none." "Suppose you had found the wrong man--and trusted him?" King suggested. "My friend," said the Gray Mahatma, "you are better known to us than we to you. You are a man incapable of treachery. You love India, and all your life you have striven to act always and in all things like a man. You have been watched for years. Your character has been studied. If our purpose had been to conquer the world, or to destroy the world, we would never have selected you. There is no need to speak to you of what would happen if you should commit treachery. There is no risk of your explaining the secret of our science to the wrong individual, for you are not going to be taught it." "Well, what of my friend Ramsden?" King asked him. "Your friend Mr. Ramsden, I think, will never again see the United States." "Why?" "He has seen too much for his own good. He lacks your mentality. He has bravery of a kind, and honesty of a kind; but he is--not--the right--man--for--our--purpose. He made a mistake when he came with you." King looked straight into the eyes of the Gray Mahatma. "You think you know me?" he asked. "I know you better than you know yourself!" "That's possible," said King. "Do you suppose I would tell you the truth?" "I know it. I
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65  
66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

science

 

Mahatma

 

friend

 

secret

 

answered

 
trusted
 

purpose

 

Ramsden

 

States

 

treachery


United
 

temple

 

superstition

 

demanded

 

studied

 

character

 

striven

 
suggested
 

Suppose

 

rudiments


incapable

 

conquer

 

things

 

watched

 

taught

 

mistake

 
mentality
 
bravery
 

honesty

 
looked

straight

 

suppose

 

commit

 
explaining
 

individual

 

happen

 

selected

 

destroy

 
curious
 

conceal


natural

 

trickery

 

smiled

 

protected

 

keeping

 

tolerantly

 
suggest
 
mummery
 

insist

 

casually