TWELVE STORIES AND A DREAMHG Wells.docx

TWELVE STORIES AND A DREAMHG Wells.docx

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TWELVESTORIESANDADREAMHGWells

TWELVESTORIESANDADREAM

ByH.G.Wells

Contents

1.FILMER

2.THEMAGICSHOP

3.THEVALLEYOFSPIDERS

4.THETRUTHABOUTPYECRAFT

5.MR.SKELMERSDALEINFAIRYLAND

6.THESTORYOFTHEINEXPERIENCEDGHOST

7.JIMMYGOGGLESTHEGOD

8.THENEWACCELERATOR

9.MR.LEDBETTER'SVACATION

10.THESTOLENBODY

11.MR.BRISHER'STREASURE

12.MISSWINCHELSEA'SHEART

13.ADREAMOFARMAGEDDON

1.FILMER

Intruththemasteryofflyingwastheworkofthousandsofmen—thismanasuggestionandthatanexperiment,untilatlastonlyonevigorousintellectualeffortwasneededtofinishthework.Buttheinexorableinjusticeofthepopularmindhasdecidedthatofallthesethousands,oneman,andthatamanwhoneverflew,shouldbechosenasthediscoverer,justasithaschosentohonourWattasthediscovererofsteamandStephensonofthesteam-engine.AndsurelyofallhonourednamesnoneissogrotesquelyandtragicallyhonouredaspoorFilmer's,thetimid,intellectualcreaturewhosolvedtheproblemoverwhichtheworldhadhungperplexedandalittlefearfulforsomanygenerations,themanwhopressedthebuttonthathaschangedpeaceandwarfareandwell-nigheveryconditionofhumanlifeandhappiness.Neverhasthatrecurringwonderofthelittlenessofthescientificmaninthefaceofthegreatnessofhissciencefoundsuchanamazingexemplification.MuchconcerningFilmeris,andmustremain,profoundlyobscure—FilmersattractnoBoswells—buttheessentialfactsandtheconcludingsceneareclearenough,andthereareletters,andnotes,andcasualallusionstopiecethewholetogether.Andthisisthestoryonemakes,puttingthisthingwiththat,ofFilmer'slifeanddeath.

ThefirstauthentictraceofFilmeronthepageofhistoryisadocumentinwhichheappliesforadmissionasapaidstudentinphysicstotheGovernmentlaboratoriesatSouthKensington,andthereinhedescribeshimselfasthesonofa"militarybootmaker"（"cobbler"inthevulgartongue）ofDover,andlistshisvariousexaminationproofsofahighproficiencyinchemistryandmathematics.Withacertainwantofdignityheseekstoenhancetheseattainmentsbyaprofessionofpovertyanddisadvantages,andhewritesofthelaboratoryasthe"gaol"ofhisambitions,aslipwhichreinforceshisclaimtohavedevotedhimselfexclusivelytotheexactsciences.ThedocumentisendorsedinamannerthatshowsFilmerwasadmittedtothiscovetedopportunity;butuntilquiterecentlynotracesofhissuccessintheGovernmentinstitutioncouldbefound.

Ithasnow,however,beenshownthatinspiteofhisprofessedzealforresearch,Filmer,beforehehadheldthisscholarshipayear,wastempted,bythepossibilityofasmallincreaseinhisimmediateincome,toabandonitinordertobecomeoneofthenine-pence-an-hourcomputersemployedbyawell-knownProfessorinhisvicariousconductofthoseextensiveresearchesofhisinsolarphysics—researcheswhicharestillamatterofperplexitytoastronomers.Afterwards,forthespaceofsevenyears,saveforthepasslistsoftheLondonUniversity,inwhichheisseentoclimbslowlytoadoublefirstclassB.Sc.,inmathematicsandchemistry,thereisnoevidenceofhowFilmerpassedhislife.Nooneknowshoworwherehelived,thoughitseemshighlyprobablethathecontinuedtosupporthimselfbyteachingwhileheprosecutedthestudiesnecessaryforthisdistinction.Andthen,oddlyenough,onefindshimmentionedinthecorrespondenceofArthurHicks,thepoet.

"YourememberFilmer,"HickswritestohisfriendVance;"well,HEhasn'talteredabit,thesamehostilemumbleandthenastychin—howCANamancontrivetobealwaysthreedaysfromshaving?

—andasortoffurtiveairofbeingengagedinsneakinginfrontofone;evenhiscoatandthatfrayedcollarofhisshownofurthersignsofthepassingyears.HewaswritinginthelibraryandIsatdownbesidehiminthenameofGod'scharity,whereuponhedeliberatelyinsultedmebycoveringuphismemoranda.Itseemshehassomebrilliantresearchonhandthathesuspectsmeofallpeople—withaBodleyBookleta-printing!

—ofstealing.HehastakenremarkablehonoursattheUniversity—hewentthroughthemwithasortofhastyslobber,asthoughhefearedImightinterrupthimbeforehehadtoldmeall—andhespokeoftakinghisD.Sc.asonemightspeakoftakingacab.AndheaskedwhatIwasdoing—withasortofcomparativeaccent,andhisarmwasspreadnervously,positivelyaprotectingarm,overthepaperthathidthepreciousidea—hisonehopefulidea.

"'Poetry,'hesaid,'Poetry.Andwhatdoyouprofesstoteachinit,Hicks?

'

"Thething'saProvincialprofessorlingintheveryactofbudding,andIthanktheLorddevoutlythatbutforthepreciousgiftofindolenceIalsomighthavegonethiswaytoD.Sc.anddestruction..."

AcuriouslittlevignettethatIaminclinedtothinkcaughtFilmerinorneartheverybirthofhisdiscovery.HickswaswronginanticipatingaprovincialprofessorshipforFilmer.Ournextglimpseofhimislecturingon"rubberandrubbersubstitutes,"totheSocietyofArts—hehadbecomemanagertoagreatplastic-substancemanufactory—andatthattime,itisnowknown,hewasamemberoftheAeronauticalSociety,albeithecontributednothingtothediscussionsofthatbody,preferringnodoubttomaturehisgreatconceptionwithoutexternalassistance.AndwithintwoyearsofthatpaperbeforetheSocietyofArtshewashastilytakingoutanumberofpatentsandproclaiminginvariousundignifiedwaysthecompletionofthedivergentinquirieswhichmadehisflyingmachinepossible.ThefirstdefinitestatementtothateffectappearedinahalfpennyeveningpaperthroughtheagencyofamanwholodgedinthesamehousewithFilmer.Hisfinalhasteafterhislonglaborioussecretpatienceseemstohavebeenduetoaneedlesspanic,Bootle,thenotoriousAmericanscientificquack,havingmadeanannouncementthatFilmerinterpretedwronglyasananticipationofhisidea.

NowwhatpreciselywasFilmer'sidea?

Reallyaverysimpleone.Beforehistimethepursuitofaeronauticshadtakentwodivergentlines,andhaddevelopedontheonehandballoons—largeapparatuslighterthanair,easyinascent,andcomparativelysafeindescent,butfloatinghelplesslybeforeanybreezethattookthem;andontheother,flyingmachinesthatflewonlyintheory—vastflatstructuresheavierthanair,propelledandkeptupbyheavyenginesandforthemostpartsmashingatthefirstdescent.But,neglectingthefactthattheinevitablefinalcollapserenderedthemimpossible,theweightoftheflyingmachinesgavethemthistheoreticaladvantage,thattheycouldgothroughtheairagainstawind,anecessaryconditionifaerialnavigationwastohaveanypracticalvalue.ItisFilmer'sparticularmeritthatheperceivedthewayinwhichthecontrastedandhithertoincompatiblemeritsofballoonandheavyflyingmachinemightbecombinedinoneapparatus,whichshouldbeatchoiceeitherheavierorlighterthanair.Hetookhintsfromthecontractilebladdersoffishandthepneumaticcavitiesofbirds.Hedevisedanarrangementofcontractileandabsolutelyclosedballoonswhichwhenexpandedcouldlifttheactualflyingapparatuswithease,andwhenretractedbythecomplicated"musculature"hewoveaboutthem,werewithdrawnalmostcompletelyintotheframe;andhebuiltthelargeframeworkwhichtheseballoonssustained,ofhollow,rigidtubes,theairinwhich,byaningeniouscontrivance,wasautomaticallypumpedoutastheapparatusfell,andwhichthenremainedexhaustedsolongastheaeronautdesired.Therewerenowingsorpropellerstohismachine,suchastherehadbeentoallpreviousaeroplanes,andtheonlyenginerequiredwasthecompactandpowerfullittleapplianceneededtocontracttheballoons.Heperceivedthatsuchanapparatusashehaddevisedmightrisewithframeexhaustedandballoonsexpandedtoaconsiderableheight,mightthencontractitsballoonsandlettheairintoitsframe,andbyanadjustmentofitsweightsslidedowntheairinanydesireddirection.Asitfellitwouldaccumulatevelocityandatthesametimeloseweight,andthemomentumaccumulatedbyitsdown-rushcouldbeutilisedbymeansofashiftingofitsweightstodriveitupintheairagainastheballoonsexpanded.Thisconception,whichisstillthestructuralconceptionofallsuccessfulflyingmachines,needed,however,avastamountoftoiluponitsdetailsbeforeitcouldactuallyberealised,andsuchtoilFilmer—ashewasaccustomedtotellthenumerousinterviewerswhocrowdeduponhimintheheydayofhisfame—"ungrudginglyandunsparinglygave."Hisparticulardifficultywastheelasticliningofthecontractileballoon.Hefoundheneededanewsubstance,andinthediscoveryandmanufactureofthatnewsubstancehehad,asheneverfailedtoimpressupontheinterviewers,"performedafarmorearduousworkthanevenintheactualachievementofmyseeminglygreaterdiscovery."

ButitmustnotbeimaginedthattheseinterviewsfollowedharduponFilmer'sproclamationofhisinvention.Anintervalofnearlyfiveyearselapsedduringwhichhetimidlyremainedathisrubberfactory—heseemstohavebeenentirelydependentonhissmallincomefromthissource—makingmisdirectedattemptstoassureaquiteindifferentpublicthathereallyHADinventedwhathehadinvented.Heoccupiedthegreaterpartofhisleisureinthecompositionofletterstothescientificanddailypress,andsoforth,statingpreciselythenetresultofhiscontrivances,anddemandingfinancialaid.Thatalonewouldhavesufficedforthesuppressionofhisletters.Hespentsuchholidaysashecouldarrangeinunsatisfactoryinterviewswiththe