The Poison Belt (Professor Challenger 2)

"Yes, sir. What time, sir?"

"I can't say, Austin. Before evening."

"Very good, sir."

The taciturn Austin saluted and withdrew. Challenger lit a cigarette,and, drawing his chair closer to his wife's, he took her hand in his.

"You know how matters stand, dear," said he. "I have explained it alsoto our friends here. You're not afraid are you?"

"It won't be painful, George?"

"No more than laughing-gas at the dentist's. Every time you have had ityou have practically died."

"But that is a pleasant sensation."

"So may death be. The worn-out bodily machine can't record itsimpression, but we know the mental pleasure which lies in a dream or atrance. Nature may build a beautiful door and hang it with many a gauzyand shimmering curtain to make an entrance to the new life for ourwondering souls. In all my probings of the actual, I have always foundwisdom and kindness at the core; and if ever the frightened mortal needstenderness, it is surely as he makes the passage perilous from life tolife. No, Summerlee, I will have none of your materialism, for I, atleast, am too great a thing to end in mere physical constituents, apacket of salts and three bucketfuls of water. Here--here"--and he beathis great head with his huge, hairy fist--"there is something which usesmatter, but is not of it--something which might destroy death, but whichdeath can never destroy."

"Talkin' of death," said Lord John. "I'm a Christian of sorts, but itseems to me there was somethin' mighty natural in those ancestors of ourswho were buried with their axes and bows and arrows and the like, same asif they were livin' on just the same as they used to. I don't know," headded, looking round the table in a shamefaced way, "that I wouldn't feelmore homely myself if I was put away with my old .450 Express and thefowlin'-piece, the shorter one with the rubbered stock, and a clip or twoof cartridges--just a fool's fancy, of course, but there it is. How doesit strike you, Herr Professor?"

"Well," said Summerlee, "since you ask my opinion, it strikes me as anindefensible throwback to the Stone Age or before it. I'm of thetwentieth century myself, and would wish to die like a reasonablecivilized man. I don't know that I am more afraid of death than the restof you, for I am an oldish man, and, come what may, I can't have verymuch longer to live; but it is all against my nature to sit waitingwithout a struggle like a sheep for the butcher. Is it quite certain,Challenger, that there is nothing we can do?"

"To save us--nothing," said Challenger. "To prolong our lives a fewhours and thus to see the evolution of this mighty tragedy before we areactually involved in it--that may prove to be within my powers. I havetaken certain steps----"

"The oxygen?"

"Exactly. The oxygen."

"But what can oxygen effect in the face of a poisoning of the ether?There is not a greater difference in quality between a brick-bat and agas than there is between oxygen and ether. They are different planes ofmatter. They cannot impinge upon one another. Come, Challenger, youcould not defend such a proposition."

"My good Summerlee, this etheric poison is most certainly influenced bymaterial agents. We see it in the methods and distribution of theoutbreak. We should not _a priori_ have expected it, but it isundoubtedly a fact. Hence I am strongly of opinion that a gas likeoxygen, which increases the vitality and the resisting power of the body,would be extremely likely to delay the action of what you have so happilynamed the daturon. It may be that I am mistaken, but I have everyconfidence in the correctness of my reasoning."

"Well," said Lord John, "if we've got to sit suckin' at those tubes likeso many babies with their bottles, I'm not takin' any."

"There will be no need for that," Challenger answered. "We have madearrangements--it is to my wife that you chiefly owe it--that her boudoirshall be made as airtight as is practicable. With matting and varnishedpaper."

"Good heavens, Challenger, you don't suppose you can keep out ether withvarnished paper?"

"Really, my worthy friend, you are a trifle perverse in missing thepoint. It is not to keep out the ether that we have gone to suchtrouble. It is to keep in the oxygen. I trust that if we can ensure anatmosphere hyper-oxygenated to a certain point, we may be able to retainour senses. I had two tubes of the gas and you have brought me threemore. It is not much, but it is something."

"How long will they last?"

"I have not an idea. We will not turn them on until our symptoms becomeunbearable. Then we shall dole the gas out as it is urgently needed. Itmay give us some hours, possibly even some days, on which we may look outupon a blasted world. Our own fate is delayed to that extent, and wewill have the very singular experience, we five, of being, in allprobability, the absolute rear guard of the human race upon its marchinto the unknown. Perhaps you will be kind enough now to give me a handwith the cylinders. It seems to me that the atmosphere already growssomewhat more oppressive."

Chapter III

SUBMERGED

The chamber which was destined to be the scene of our unforgettableexperience was a charmingly feminine sitting-room, some fourteen orsixteen feet square. At the end of it, divided by a curtain of redvelvet, was a small apartment which formed the Professor's dressing-room.This in turn opened into a large bedroom. The curtain was still hanging,but the boudoir and dressing-room could be taken as one chamber for thepurposes of our experiment. One door and the window frame had beenplastered round with varnished paper so as to be practically sealed.Above the other door, which opened on to the landing, there hung afanlight which could be drawn by a cord when some ventilation becameabsolutely necessary. A large shrub in a tub stood in each corner.

"How to get rid of our excessive carbon dioxide without unduly wastingour oxygen is a delicate and vital question," said Challenger, lookinground him after the five iron tubes had been laid side by side againstthe wall. "With longer time for preparation I could have brought thewhole concentrated force of my intelligence to bear more fully upon theproblem, but as it is we must do what we can. The shrubs will be of somesmall service. Two of the oxygen tubes are ready to be turned on at aninstant's notice, so that we cannot be taken unawares. At the same time,it would be well not to go far from the room, as the crisis may be asudden and urgent one."

There was a broad, low window opening out upon a balcony. The viewbeyond was the same as that which we had already admired from the study.Looking out, I could see no sign of disorder anywhere. There was a roadcurving down the side of the hill, under my very eyes. A cab from thestation, one of those prehistoric survivals which are only to be found inour country villages, was toiling slowly up the hill. Lower down was anurse girl wheeling a perambulator and leading a second child by thehand. The blue reeks of smoke from the cottages gave the wholewidespread landscape an air of settled order and homely comfort. Nowherein the blue heaven or on the sunlit earth was there any foreshadowing ofa catastrophe. The harvesters were back in the fields once more and thegolfers, in pairs and fours, were still streaming round the links. Therewas so strange a turmoil within my own head, and such a jangling of myoverstrung nerves, that the indifference of those people was amazing.

"Those fellows don't seem to feel any ill effects," said I, pointing downat the links.

"Have you played golf?" asked Lord John.

"No, I have not."