Отруєний пояс
Chapter I. The Blurring Of Lines
Shallowobserversmaytreatthematterasonewhichcanbedisregarded,butonewholikemyselfispossessedofthedeeperintelligenceofthetruephilosopherwillunderstandthatthepossibilitiesoftheuniverseareincalculableandthatthewisestmanishewhoholdshimselfreadyfortheunexpected.Totakeanobviousexample,whowouldundertaketosaythatthemysteriousanduniversaloutbreakofillness,recordedinyourcolumnsthisverymorningashavingbrokenoutamongtheindigenousracesofSumatra,hasnoconnectionwithsomecosmicchangetowhichtheymayrespondmorequicklythanthemorecomplexpeoplesofEurope?Ithrowouttheideaforwhatitisworth.Toassertitis,inthepresentstage,asunprofitableastodenyit,butitisanunimaginativenumskullwhoistoodensetoperceivethatitiswellwithintheboundsofscientificpossibility.
"Yoursfaithfully,
"GEORGEEDWARDCHALLENGER.
"THEBRIARS,ROTHERFIELD."
"It’safine,steemulatingletter,"saidMcArdlethoughtfully,fittingacigaretteintothelongglasstubewhichheusedasaholder."What’syouropeenionofit,Mr.Malone?"
Ihadtoconfessmytotalandhumiliatingignoranceofthesubjectatissue.What,forexample,wereFraunhofer’slines?McArdlehadjustbeenstudyingthematterwiththeaidofourtamescientistattheoffice,andhepickedfromhisdesktwoofthosemany-colouredspectralbandswhichbearageneralresemblancetothehat-ribbonsofsomeyoungandambitiouscricketclub.
