GREGG
I
An hour later the Doctor alone the of the little surgery.
He had done possible to himself. He had taken bromide; he had been out for a turn around the roads; he had himself to and answer some letters. But it was to the pressure of his thoughts; he that his brain would from and in a circle of enquiry. In the end, and late as it was, he had for Gregg.
The Clockwork man in the cellar, which was in the area, just opposite the door. He there, and stark, with an upon his features, and his and mouth wide open.
After that final collapse, the Doctor had succeeded somehow in him to his normal shape; and then, by chance, he a hand that, when turned, had168] the of producing in the Clockwork man an of complete quiescence. He looked now more like a tailor's than anything else; and the of blood and the almost perfect. He looked life-like without to be alive.
But he was alive. The Doctor had sure of that by experiments; and he had also taken of his condition in order to make a examination—so as was possible—of this of the future. As a result of his investigation, the Doctor had failed to come to any conclusion; there was in him a of and revolt. It was to accept the Clockwork man as a being.
He was a of lies.
It be proved a of doubt, and by to all laws of anatomy, that he did not exist.
His organs, in action through a stethoscope, the noise by the of a at full pitch.
And yet this being, this of all organisms, this thing most opposite to humanity, actually and conversed. He was a being. He was more than man, for he could169] be into something else by pressing a stop. Properly understood, there was no that the permitted the owner of it to up and the of according to adjustment.
There were one or two other which the Doctor had not failed to observe.
The Clockwork man had no sex.
His was and disfigured, as though many operations had been performed upon it.
There was some organ to the heart, but it was more powerful, and the action was complex.
Fitted into the clock, in such a way that they be removed, were a series of long with valve-like endings. The Doctor had one or two of these and them very closely, but he not arrive at any idea of their purpose.
At every point in his the Doctor had himself by an elaboration, in some cases a contradiction, of ordinary functions. He not the of a of that had the Clockwork man possible.
II
Shortly after midnight the Doctor's ear the of someone from a bicycle. A moment later the area stairs, and Gregg, still in his flannels, appeared at the open door. The from his as he the drawn, of the Doctor.
"Hulloa," he exclaimed, "you look bent."
The Doctor the door and a finger. "Gregg, this thing must be known. It must go ourselves."
"Why not?" Gregg sat on the and his his fingers.
"Because," said the Doctor, trying hard to the of his features, "it's too terrible. What I have to-night is not fit for to behold. It's inhuman. It's monstrous!"
He into a chair and his with his hands. The presence of another person a of to his up feelings. He let himself go.
"Oh, God, it's the end of all things, Gregg.171] It's the end of all for the race. If it is true that in the man has come to this, then the whole of history is a and mockery. The is no more than a box of tricks, and man is a monkey. I tell you, Gregg, this discovery, if it is known, will blast good in existence."
"Stop a minute," Gregg, in astonishment, "you to be upset. I don't what you are about."
The Doctor a in the direction of the cellar. "If you had what I have to-night, you would understand. You would be as I am now."
Gregg a hand upon his friend's shoulder. "Why didn't you send for me before? You're over-strung. This has been too much for you."
"I you that," said the Doctor, hollowly, "I know only too well what this will have upon me. You are a man than I am, Gregg. I am you have been this sight."
"But where is the Clockwork man?" Gregg, presently.
The Doctor's again the cellar. "He—he's in there—I—I managed to stop him. He—he's in a of sleep."
And then, as Gregg took a the door, as though to on his own, the Doctor of his sleeve. "Don't do that. Listen, first, to what I have to tell you. I it will take the off your curiosity."
Gregg and sat on the couch. He a cigarette. He no to his of self-possession. The doctor took the cigarette that was to him, and to take a light from his companion. But his hand so that he not manage the operation. In the end Gregg another match and it with a hand.
As the Doctor told the of what had taken place so in the little room, Gregg sat nursing an his hands and with the cigarette from his lips. Once or twice he with a gesture, but if he he the fact. Even the of the of did not the look of upon his hard-set features. He to be something in his mind that the as they came out; and as the to a close he his very slightly, as though having corroboration173] for these events in some of his own, and versa. When at last the Doctor the of his there was no upon Gregg's countenance. He impassive, a of against which the Doctor's phrases in vain.
There was a moment's silence. The Doctor had been talking so rapidly, and he had been so by his feelings, that he had noticed the other's demeanour. When he looked up Gregg was walking with a up and the floor. He had his cigarette, and his mouth was in the act of whistling. The Doctor started to his feet.
"What! You it then? You, who have not this mystery—you it?"
"Why not?" Gregg paused in his walk and looked surprised.
"But—surely!" The Doctor sat again and groaned. "Surely you cannot accept such a without a of incredulity? What of mind is that which can such without having them? Why, you fool, I might have the whole thing!"
Gregg smiled. "I am one of those who are prepared to accept the at secondhand. Besides, you that I have already174] some of the Clockwork man's of ingenuity. Nothing that you have told me me more than I on the occasion we had to the Clockwork man was—what he is. It is all, to my mind, natural and logical."
"But you must admit," the Doctor, "that I might be you. I easily do it, just to prove you in the wrong. I can you that nothing would my at the present moment! Instead of which it is I who appear the fool. I wanted to in the Clockwork man. I was angry with you for in him. Admit that it would be a just on my part to you."
Gregg his head. "You might try to do such a thing, but you would fail. Besides, I know you are telling the truth. Your manner it."
He sat on the again. "Perhaps it is just as well that I did in the Clockwork man from the first; for while you have been going through these I have been very hard, and have actually at which are, I to think, by your story. That is why I have no at your statements. The Clockwork175] man is true to his type as I have him; he is the very of the as I have long it."
At these the Doctor up his arms in despair. "Then I myself a fool," he exclaimed, "I had no such wild hope, or such wild despair, with to the of the race. I admit that I have been behindhand. These have from my grasp. The calls of ordinary life have me, as they must every man past his youth. But I am to anything that can be explained."
"It is the Clockwork man can be explained," Gregg, with some eagerness, "that I it easy to him."
"But how can you him?" the Doctor, with some of his old irritation. "You have not the clock."
"Your of it is good for me," the other, with emphasis, "I can see it in my mind's eye. Moreover, it was to me, from the first, that there must some such in order that the Clockwork man might be when necessary. One that."
The Doctor slightly, and his upon his arm. "Consider yourself176] lucky that you did see the clock, and that you had the opportunity of its efficiency. It is all very well for you to over your theories, but are hard masters."
"Precisely," said Gregg, who was to with the other's manner, "and since the have themselves, what is the use of trying to them? Here we have a Clockwork man, a without precedent, for there is no record of his having in the past, and so as we know there has been no successful attempt to create such a being in our own times. Everything my original hypothesis; that he has in some way, and through some fault in the that him, into these years of existence. That to me feasible. If man has time and space, then the in this new would result in a such as we must has to the Clockwork man. It is more than that a would result in his return to more proper to his true state."
"But this not him," in the Doctor, bitterly.
"Wait, I am to that. We have to177] the in our heads. First of all, there is a mechanism, a principle, which to take place, and the Clockwork man to as no ordinary being behave. What that is we do not yet know; we can only posit its existence—we must do that—and what we can from its results. Now, the of the is clear to me, if the is hidden. Obviously, the of the is to in the purely part of the Clockwork man's to such an that what would take years, or generations, to take place in ordinary mortals, takes place instantaneously. Witness the of beard, the in appearance, the total collapse. Obviously, these in the case of the Clockwork man very rapidly; and by any may be produced. The problem of his normal upon the very of the clock, which, I take it, is the of the principle. But what us at present is the that this power of makes the Clockwork man able to act in complete of our laws to and effect."
"We had an about that," said the178] Doctor, dismally. "He to that to me, but I must say he was no more successful than you are. The whole thing is a complete haze."
But Gregg took little notice of the interruption. "Once you have this idea of a new of relativity," he continued, "once you have that the Clockwork man in with laws different to our own, you can to some for such a phenomenon. The Clockwork man in a manner; therefore there must be some cause, it may appear to us, to account for such behaviour. Now, what is the of ordinary action? It is something unaccountable. We can it in terms of a system, of a series of processes, but we do not know what is the upon which the animal moves. We can the of the body, but we do not know what life is, or what is the nature of the that produces our actions. So we know as much about the Clockwork man as we do about ourselves. The is to processes."
"All this is obvious," said the Doctor, "I have to me of that."
"Precisely. And you have seen179] more than I have you are less able to the than I am. You cannot see the for the trees. Again, you were out of your life. Your scientific were stampeded. You saw only a malformation, a freak, a machine. It was that you should have been able to think under the circumstances. Consider the in the of reason, and you must agree with me that it is not more that a man should by means than that he should at all."
"I don't agree," the Doctor, with sharpness. "I think it is more that a being should as he does, than that he should be to by means. The Clockwork man is no more wonderful, in that sense, than you or I. He is different—damnably different."
Gregg laughed softly. "Well, that is only another way of saying what I have already said. You to the Clockwork man as a of offence; he your of decency. To me he is interesting. I accept him, and all that his implies. Think of the for the brain. For man, thanks to180] this of the clock, has actually the universe."
"A world," the Doctor, the Clockwork man's description, "a world of many dimensions."
"Yes," Gregg enthusiastically, "a world. A world in which man moves as he will, as he will, in every way as he wills. A world set free! Think of what it means!"
"Stop," the Doctor, and there was almost anger in his as he to his feet. "It is you who are now. How can there such a world? And what has overtaken the race, that it is now upon for its actions! But, no. I to that the Clockwork man the final of man. He is a myth, a caricature, at the most a of experiment. This world of which he talks so is an boast. Besides, who would to live in such a world, and with every action by an exact mechanism? Your about this me more than the thing itself. At the best what it means is that man has come to final ruin, not that he has any of life. If all the in the world eight thousand years181] hence are men, then it is some has come to birth in the of man; it is some plan has been to make all men slaves. The clock may make man of time and space, but it him to an of slavery. That is why I am still to in the of my own eyes. That is why any of this is than the one!"
"But the proof," Gregg, "you cannot from the facts. There the Clockwork man. Explain him otherwise if you can."
"I cannot," the Doctor, his his hands. And then he looked up quickly, and his cleared. "Perhaps, after all, that is the of the affair. If the Clockwork man were of explanation, then there would be an end to all sanity. But since he is inexplicable, there still the that we may be able to put all of him out of our minds. I tell you, Gregg, I can live this down, I can this night of horror; but not if there is an to fit the case. Not if I can satisfy my reason!"
"As I before," Gregg resumed, coolly, "you were not in a fit to carry182] out the investigation. You not to accept the obvious. Fortunately you some of the most facts. Those into the clock, for example; I those as suggestive. Think of it, Allingham! The energy of into a and so by a single individual. For that is what must have in the year 8000. The scientists must have means of up and energy. Everybody has this of force. That solved one problem. Then there was the question of a distribution. They had to a new system. If we have an opportunity of the Clockwork man thoroughly, we shall out what that is. Speaking in terms, we may assume that it is an of the of what we call and impulses. There will also be new centres, of and action. Each impulse, in this new system, has a longer range of effectiveness, a in time."
Gregg paused abruptly, as though at some in his thought. "It must be so. There is no other to what we have seen. Man, as we know him, is no more or less than what his him183] to be. A of action, his are by the of his organism. In the case of the Clockwork man we are by the of an of activity. One of energy unimpeded—or, unimpeded—by the that check in the case of a normal organism. Of course, there must be of some sort, but the whole of the Clockwork man is on so a that his take place in a different order of time. His relapses, as he them, are the of that of which ordinary fatigue. That is why his to us. Again, his would be different. He would see more of the universe, and his would him and into the future, those laws which we have for ourselves, in with our limitations. For, just as man is at the of his system, so his of laws is the natural outcome of apprehension; and the is no more or less than what we think it is."
In his Gregg rose and the of the room, walking away184] from the Doctor. He did not the that from the latter; had he any of in the of his friend that might have him to his enthusiasm. He continued, in an voice. "Think of what this means! We know the future! The of the Clockwork man may save the of and in a direction. Or rather, it will save us from through the consciously, for has already happened, and the we can is to the knowledge of its happening. We shall be able to take a great into the future. Once we have the of the Clockwork man, the of is clear. It may still be thousands of years the final achievement, but we can at least begin."
"NO," the Doctor, to his feet. "By heavens, no. Not that!"
Gregg with a of annoyance. Both men were now to their key, and every word that was spoken to be with import.
"Why not?" said Gregg, his breath.
The Doctor's reply was breathless.185] "Because I, for one, to accept such a responsibility. If this is the type of the future, then I reject the future. I will be no party to any attempt to him—for that, I can see, is what in your mind. You would have us all men our time! But I tell you, than that should happen, than the should be of a more of freedom, I will take steps to prevent it being that the Clockwork man has paid us this visit. I will him. Not you shall set on him again. He shall an mystery. No the of life from an as I shall this from the of time! Nobody shall know. He shall in my keeping, a to the final of man!"
"But why do you in this attitude," Gregg, in of disgust, "it is so reactionary."
The doctor at his moustache. "I have no use for such phrases," he muttered, angrily, and up and the narrow space. Gregg against the wall, his still critical.
"I won't have him," the Doctor's voice out again, and there was a of in it, "I won't have the Clockwork man at any186] price. Every nerve in my out against him. He is the of the ages. He must be up, hidden—forgotten."
"That is already impossible. His are the talk of the village."
"Let them talk," the Doctor, his with his closed fist. "In heaven's name, let them talk the thing into a nine days wonder. Let them think he's the devil—anything than that they should know the truth. There may be a hundred of this mystery, and yours may be the right one; I only know that I it. I cannot from the of my own eyes; but there is something in me that the Clockwork man. He in my gorge. Call me what you will; I am not to be with phrases. The whole of man's past out against this of the future. Do not ask me to offer my own of the phenomenon. I have none. In I have my brain to its point in order to solve this problem. You, apparently, are to accept the Clockwork man as a conclusion. Time alone will which of us is nearer the truth."
Gregg smiled. "After all," he remarked, a pause to the Doctor's words, "it will not be for you or187] me to decide the matter. Our part will be to produce the object of the problem. Wiser men than ourselves will have to its significance."
This might have ended the for the time being, had not an accident that the whole of the affair. Gregg had the to see that his friend was himself with and repugnance; he would have been to another opportunity for the to be renewed. But at that moment the Doctor gave a of surprise, and up an object from the floor. The next moment men were by side, with a to the mystery.
The object that the Doctor up from the was an oblong-shaped piece of metal, almost as thin as paper, and in colour. Upon its surface, printed in red letters, was the matter:—
THE CLOCKWORK MAN.
Directions for Use.
. Remove and and Clock.
. Open of Clock by means of catch.
. Place Clockwork man in position, downwards.
. Press stops A and B well home, and wind up by red hand.
N.B.—Great should be taken not to over-wind.
. The Clockwork man should now up and take a little nourishment. This should be at once in the of two green (solids) and one (liquids). Stop C should now be pressed, and the pressure until a red light the X. 1. This that has taken place.
On no account must any be the red light has appeared. Any attempt to on an empty will result in failure.
The Clockwork man is now for adjustment. The should be with care, and a choice from one of the indicated. Having a selection, to in with instructions, taking the to the with accuracy, as the error may lead to confusion. A good plan is to the in the left hand, and the with the right, each as it is made.
Now wind black hand fourteen and a times, press centre until rings, close lid, replace and hat, and Clockwork man is for action.
The on Gregg's face, as he read these instructions, slowly from to puzzled alarm. He was embarrassed by this turn of events, and for a moments he make nothing at all of the matter. Yet the was enough, and its to the Clockwork man only too obvious. The little piece of thin metal must have from his pocket the Doctor's examination, and its was of importance.
But what it mean? Gregg himself upon the of his mind, but not all the of which he was him to overcome a of uneasiness. Was the Clockwork man, after all, no more than a very and puppet? But how that be, since he and spoke and gave every of the of an consciousness? Considered in this new light he was more difficult to explain.
But when Gregg looked up, sheepishly, of meeting the Doctor's eye, he a that sent an his spine. For the at full length upon the couch, his and and in the of that excessive190] that at a of in the mind of the beholder—for men have died of mirth. Gregg at his friend, and his own was with alarm. Many minutes any of a to the strain; for the Doctor's laugh was primæval; it his vitals, him from to foot, and stopped, in a series of explosions, not those of the Clockwork man himself, until at last it the and expression.
"Ha! ha! ha!" at last upon the of the night (and Mrs. Masters in her top the noise and of the over the roofs). "Ha! ha! ha! ha!"
Gregg himself together and to the couch. He the Doctor's collar, and him to up. He his violently, at and then to the use of phrases. For there was still an of in the Doctor's manner; only now it was a of from strain. It was the of a man who has just saved his reason.
