The next morning promptly1 at eight o'clock Jack2 Warford, in response to a muttered invitation, burst excitedly into Percy Darrow's room. He found the scientist, draped in a pale-pink silk kimono embroidered3 with light-blue butterflies, scraping methodically at his face with a safety-razor. At the sight the young fellow came to an abrupt4 stop, as though some one had met him with a dash of cold water in the face.
"Hello!" said he, in a constrained5 voice. "Just up?"
Darrow cast a glance through his long silky lashes6 at the newcomer.
"Yes, my amiable7 young canine8, just up."
Jack looked somewhat puzzled at the appellation9, but seated himself.
"Helen said you wanted to see me," he suggested.
Darrow leisurely10 cleaned the component11 parts of his safety-razor, washed and anointed his face, and turned.
"I do," said he, "if you're game."
"Of course I'm game!" cried the boy indignantly.
Darrow surveyed his fresh, young, eager face and the trim taut12 bulk of him with dispassionate eyes.
"Are you?" he remarked simply. "Possibly. But you're not the man to be sure of it."
"I didn't mean it as bragging," cried Jack, flushing.
"Surely not," drawled Darrow, stretching out his long legs. "But no man can tell whether or not he's game until he's tried out. That's no reflection on him, either. I remember once I went through seeing my best friend murdered; being shot at a dozen times myself as I climbed a cliff; seeing a pirate ship destroyed with all on board, apparently14 by the hand of Providence15; escaping from a big volcanic16 bust-up into a cave, and having the cave entrance drop down shut behind me. I was as cool as a cucumber all through it. I remember congratulating myself that, anyhow, I was going to die game."
"By Jove!" murmured Jack Warford, staring at him, fascinated. Evidently, the super-beautiful garment had been forgotten.
"Then a war-ship's crew rescued me; and I broke down completely, and acted like a silly ass13. I wasn't game at all; I'd just managed to postpone17 finding it out for a while."
"It was just the reaction!" cried Jack.
"Well, if that sort of reaction happens along before the trouble is all over, it looks uncommonly18 like loss of nerve," Percy Darrow pointed19 out. "No man knows whether or not he's game," he repeated. "However," he smiled whimsically, "I imagine you're likely to postpone your reactions as well as the next."
"What's up? What do you want me to do?"
"Stick by me; obey orders," said Darrow.
"What's up?"
"Did you notice anything in the papers this morning?"
"They're full of this electrical failure last night. Haven't you seen them?"
"Not yet. While I dress, tell me what they say."
"The worst was in the tubes--" Warford began, but Darrow interrupted him.
"I could tell you exactly what must have happened," said he, "if the failure was complete. Never mind that. Was the condition general, or only local? How far did it extend?"
"It seemed to be confined to New York, and only about to Highbridge."
"Yes; it hit them, too."
"What are the theories?"
"I couldn't see that they had any--that I could understand," said Jack. "There's some talk of the influence of a comet."
"Rubbish! Who sprung that?"
"Professor Aitken, I think."
"He ought to know better. Any others?"
"I couldn't understand them all. There was one of polarizing the island because of the steel structures; and the--"
"No human agency?"
"What?"
"No man or men are suspected of bringing this about?"
"Oh, no! You don't think--"
"No, I don't think. I only imagine; and I haven't much basis for imagining. But if my imaginations come out right, we'll have plenty to do."
"Where, now?" asked Jack, as the scientist finished dressing21 and reached for his hat. "Breakfast?"
"No, I ate that before I dressed. We'll make a call on the Atlas22 Building."
"All right," agreed Jack cheerfully. "What for?"
"To ask McCarthy if he hasn't a job for you in construction."
Jack came to a dead halt.
"Say!" he cried. "Look here! You don't quite get the humor of that. Why, McCarthy loves the name of Warford about the way a yellow dog loves a tin can to his tail."
"We'll call on him, just the same," insisted Darrow.
"I'm game," said Jack, "but I can tell you the answer right now. No need to walk to the Atlas Building."
"I have a notion the Atlas Building is going to be a mighty23 interesting place," said Darrow.
They debouched on the street. The air was soft and golden; the sun warm with the Indian summer. The clock on the Metropolitan24 tower was booming nine. As the two set out at a slow saunter down the backwater of the side street, Darrow explained a little further.
"Jack," said he abruptly25, "I'll tell you what I think--or imagine. I believe last night's phenomena26 were controlled, not fortuitous or the result of natural forces. In other words, some man turned off the juice in this city; and turned it on again. How he did it, I do not know; but he did it very completely. It was not a question of wiring alone. Even dry-cell batteries were affected27. Now, I can think of only one broad general principle by which he could accomplish that result. Just what means he took to apply the principle is beyond my knowledge. But if I am correct in my supposition, there occurs to me no reason why he should not go a step or so farther."
"I don't believe I follow," said Jack contritely28.
"What I'm driving at is this," said Darrow; "this is not the end of the circus by any means. We're going to see a lot of funny things--if my guess is anywhere near right."
1 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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2 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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3 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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4 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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5 constrained | |
adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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6 lashes | |
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
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7 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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8 canine | |
adj.犬的,犬科的 | |
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9 appellation | |
n.名称,称呼 | |
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10 leisurely | |
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
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11 component | |
n.组成部分,成分,元件;adj.组成的,合成的 | |
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12 taut | |
adj.拉紧的,绷紧的,紧张的 | |
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13 ass | |
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人 | |
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14 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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15 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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16 volcanic | |
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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17 postpone | |
v.延期,推迟 | |
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18 uncommonly | |
adv. 稀罕(极,非常) | |
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19 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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20 jersey | |
n.运动衫 | |
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21 dressing | |
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料 | |
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22 atlas | |
n.地图册,图表集 | |
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23 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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24 metropolitan | |
adj.大城市的,大都会的 | |
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25 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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26 phenomena | |
n.现象 | |
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27 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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28 contritely | |
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