Page:Stirring Science Stories, February 1941.djvu/30

 dresser and searched through it. Finally he found what he wanted, a worn envelope. The letter, which he took out, was brief: "This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter. I am holding your papers until further notice,"

His interest, however, was not in the message. It was the address of the lawyer, who had signed it, for which he had searched.

A wave of heat engulfed him. He whirled around. The side of the room was a mass of flames, little hungry tongues of red licking toward his feet. A shelf leaned crazily from the wall spilling boxes and glass into the fire. Flames of rainbow hues sprang at his face.

He drew back frightened, then raced for the door, jamming the envelope into his pocket.

Standing in the street, in the growing light of day, lie studied the address again and hurried off.

The sun had risen high in the heavens by the time he had climbed the floors to the Jaw office. Outside, the rumble of business and the noise of humanity penetrated into the small room with a far-away murmur. The sunlight, dimmed by the dirt-streaked window, streamed in upon the dusty floor and splashed about the scattered papers that were piled on a grimy, battered desk. The chair groaned at his shift in weight.

Behind the single table, the curious lawyer, his plump form rolling beneath his sooty, threadbare coat, leaned over the jumbled mass of paper to speak soothingly to the slight figure in the chair.

"Yes, I have papers such as you describe, but why should I give them to you? What proof do you have that they are yours?"

His frantic client could scarcely keep his voice from rising to a shout. "Break the seal and read the title. You'll find it says: 'Chemical formula for artificially increasing cellular connections in the human brain." Go ahead, read it! It says that, doesn't it? That's proof. You can't keep from giving it to me. You were to keep it for me until I wanted it. Well, I want it now, do you hear?"

"Yes, it does read that way, and you have that letter from me. But surely you must realize that that isn't sufficient proof. You must identify yourself. Have you"

"Lord, you are curious!" The weary face of the suffering man grew bitter. "You want to know, don't you? You're just itching to know all about me, aren't you? You're too damn curious! Maybe you'd enjoy hearing my little tale. Maybe you won't hold those papers in your hands so carelessly. Maybe you'll be glad to give them back!"

HE speaker halted, but the lawyer made no move. His curiosity had to be satisfied.

"So you want to know. Well, I'll tell you. I'll tell you something that your weak mind won't understand. All those long weeks of anguish I suffered. Only God knows how I suffered!

"Those papers in your hand are the result of my theory. I believed that the entire brain could be made usable, instead of the usual small amount. Such a discovery would mean a superman—a majestic intellect! And that paper held so carelessly by you can do it—has done it!

"I experimented for many months, using chemicals and electricity. Interesting work, but grueling. Then the time came when I was convinced that I had solved the problem. Tests seemed to uphold such a view. A