The Power and the Glory - Charles Willard Diffin

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Power and the Glory by Charles W. Diffin. There
were papers on the desk, a litter of papers scrawled
over in the careless writing of indifferent students, with the
symbols of chemistry and long mathematical computations. The man at
the desk pushed them aside to rest his lean lined
face on one thin hand. The other arm ending at
the wrist, was on the desk before him. Students of

(00:23):
a great university had long since ceased to speculate about
the missing hand, the result of an experiment they knew,
a hand that was a mass of lifeless cells. Amputated
quickly that the living arm might be saved. But that
was some several years ago, ancient history to those who
came and went through Professor Eddinger's class room. And now
Professor Eddinger was weary, weary, and old, he told himself,

(00:45):
as he closed his eyes to shut out the sight
of the interminable papers and the stubby wrist that had
ended forever his experiments, of the delicate manipulations which only
he could do. He reached slowly for a buzzing phone,
but his eyes brightened at the voice that came to him.
I've got it. I've got it. The words were almost incoherent.
This is Avery, Professor Avery. You must come at once.

(01:07):
You will share in it. I owe it all to you.
You will be the first to see. I am sending
a taxi for you. Professor Eddinger's tired eyes crinkled to
a smile. Enthusiasm like this was rare among his youngsters.
But Avery with the face of a poet, a dreamer's eyes,
and the mind of a scientist. Good boy Avery a
long time since he had seen him, had him in

(01:28):
his own laboratory for two years. What's this all about,
he asked? No, no, said a voice. I can't tell you.
It is too big, Greater than the induction motor, greater
than the electric light. It is the greatest thing in
the world. The taxi should be there now, you must come.
A knock at the office door, where a voice said
car for Professor Eddinger confirmed the excited words. I'll come,

(01:51):
said the professor right away. He pondered, as the car
whirled him across the city on what this greatest thing
in the world might be, And he hoped, with gentle
skepticism that the enthusiasm was warranted. A young man opened
the car door. As they stopped, his face was flushed,
Edinger noted, hair pushed back in disarray, his shirt torn
open at the throat. Wait Here, he told the driver,

(02:13):
and took the professor by the arm to hurry him
into a dilapidated building. Not much of a laboratory, he said.
But we'll have better. You and I we'll have better.
The room seemed bare with its meager equipment, but it
was neat as became the best student of Professor Eddinger.
Rows of reagent bottles stood on the shelves, but the
tables were a litter of misplaced instruments in broken glassware,

(02:34):
where trembling hands had fumbled in heedless excitement. Glad to
see you again, Avery, The gentle voice of Professor Edinger
had lost its tired tone. It's been two years you've
been working, I judge. Now what is this great discovery? Boy?
What have you found? The younger man in whose face
the color came and went, and whose eyes were shining
from dark hollows that marked long days and sleepless nights,

(02:56):
still clung to the other's arm. It's real, he said.
It's great. It means fortune and fame, and you're in
on that professor, the old master, he said, and clapped
a hand affectionately upon a thin shoulder. I owe it
all to you, and now I have I've learned. No,
you shall see for yourself. Wait. He crossed quickly to
a table. On it was an apparatus. The eyes of

(03:18):
the older man widened as he saw it. It was intricate,
a maze of tubing. There was a glass bulb above,
the generator of a cathode ray obviously, and electro magnets below,
and on each side. Beneath was a crude sphere of
heavy lead, a retort, it might be. And from this
there passed two massive insulated cables. The understanding eyes of

(03:39):
the professor followed them, one to a terminal on a
great insulating block upon the floor, the other to a
similarly protected terminal of carbon some feet above it in
the air. The trembling fingers of the young man made
some few adjustments. Then he left the instrument to take
his place by an electric switch. Stand back, he warned,
and closed the switch. There was a gentle hiss from

(04:00):
within glass tubes, the faint glow of a blue green light,
and that was all until with a crash like the
ripping crackle of lightning. A white flame arked between the
terminals of the heavy cables. It hissed ceaselessly through the air,
where now the tang of ozone was apparent. The carbon
blocks glowed with a brilliant incandescence. When the flame ceased
with the motion of a hand where Avery pulled the switch.

(04:23):
The man's voice was quiet. Now you do not know
yet what you have seen, But there was a tremendous
potential there in amperage I can't measure with my limited facilities.
He waved a deprecating hand about the ill furnished laboratory.
But you have seen his voice trembled and failed at
the forming of the words. The disintegration of the atom,
said Professor Eddinger quietly, and the release of power unlimited.

(04:46):
Did you use thorium, he inquired. The other looked at
him in amazement. Then I should have known you would understand,
he said, humbly, And you know what it means. Again
his voice rose, power without end, to do the work
of the world, great vessels driven a lifetime on a
mere ounce of matter, a revolution in transportation, in living,
he paused, The liberation of mankind, he added, and his

(05:09):
voice was reverent. This will do the work of the world.
It will make a new heaven and a new earth. Oh,
I have dreamed dreams, he exclaimed. I have seen visions,
and it has been given to me, me to liberate
man from the curse of Adam. The sweat of his brow.
I can't realize it even yet. I I am not worthy.
He raised his eyes slowly in the silence to gaze

(05:31):
in wondering astonishment at the older man. There was no
answering light, no exultation on the lined face, only sadness
and the tired eyes that looked at him and threw
him as if focused upon something in a dim future
or past. Don't you see, asked the wondering man, The
freedom of men, the liberation of a race, No more poverty,
no endless grinding labor. His young eyes too were looking

(05:55):
into the future, A future of blinding light culture, he said,
instead of breaking toil, a chance to grow mentally, spiritually.
It is another world, a new life. And again, he asked,
surely you see, I see, said the other I see plainly.
The new world, said avery. It it dazzles me. It

(06:16):
rings like music in my ears. I see no new
world was the slow response. The young face was plainly perplexed.
Don't you believe, he stammered, after you've seen I thought
you would have The vision would help me emancipate the world.
Save it. His voice failed. Men have a way of
crucifying their saviors, said the tired voice. The inventor was

(06:38):
suddenly indignant. You are blind, he said harshly. It is
too big for you, and I would have had you
stand beside me. In the great work. I shall announce
it alone. There will be laboratories enormous and factories. My
invention will be perfected, simplified, compressed. A generator will be made,
thousands of horse power to do the work of a
city free, thousands of men made so small you can

(07:01):
hold it in one hand. The sensitive face was proudly alight, proud,
and a trifle arrogant. The exaltation of his coming power
was strong upon him. Yes, said Professor Eddinger in one hand,
and he raised his right arm that he might see
where the end of a sleeve was empty. I'm sorry,
said the inventor abruptly. I didn't mean, but you will

(07:22):
excuse me now. There was so much to be done,
But the thin figure of Professor Eddinger had crossed to
the far table to examine the apparatus there. Crude, he said,
beneath his breath, crude but efficient. In the silence, a
rat had appeared in the distant corner. The professor nodded
as he saw it. The animal stopped as the man's

(07:42):
eyes came upon it, then sat squirrel like on one
of the shelves as it ate a crumb of food,
some morsel from a hurried lunch of Avery's. The professor reflected,
poor Avery, Yes, there was much to be done. He
spoke as much to himself as to the man who
was now beside him. It enters here, he said, and
peered downward toward the lead bulb. He placed a finger

(08:03):
on the side of the metal. About here, I should think,
have you a drill and a bit of quartz. The
inventor's eyes were puzzled, but the assurance of his old
instructor claimed obedience. He produced a small drill and a
fragment like broken glass, and he started visibly as the
one hand worked awkwardly to make a small hole in
the side of the lead. But he withdrew his own

(08:24):
restraining hand, and he watched in mystified silence, while the
quartz was fitted to make a tiny window, and the
thin figure stooped to sight, as if aiming the opening
toward a far corner, where a brown rat sat upright
in earnest, munching of a dry crust. The professor drew
Avery with him as he retreated noiselessly from the instrument.
Will you close the switch, he whispered. The young man hesitated,

(08:45):
bewildered at this unexpected demonstration, and the professor himself reached
with his one hand for the black lever Again. The
ark crashed into life, to hold for a brief instant
until Professor Eddinger opened the switch well, demanded, Avery, what's
all the show? Do you think you are teaching me
anything about my own instrument? There was hurt, pride, and
jealous resentment in his voice. See, said Professor Edinger quietly,

(09:10):
and his one thin hand pointed to a far shelf,
where in the shadow was a huddle of brown fur
and a bit of crust. It fell as they watched,
and the PLoP of the soft body upon the floor
sounded loud in the silent room. The law of compensation,
said Professor Edinger. Two sides to the metal, darkness and light,
good and evil, life and death. The young man was stammering,

(09:35):
what do you mean a death ray evolved? And what
of it? He demanded, what of it? What's that got
to do with it? A death ray? The other agreed,
you have dreamed, Avery, one must in order to create.
But it is only a dream. You dreamed of life,
a fuller life for the world. But you would have
given them as you have just seen death. The face

(09:56):
of Avery was white as wax. His eyes glared savagely
for dark hollows. A rat. He protested, you have killed
a rat, and you say you say. He raised one
trembling hand to his lips to hold them from forming
the unspeakable words A rat, said the professor, or a man,
or a million men. We will control it. All men

(10:18):
will have it, the best and the worst, and there
is no defense. It will free the world, it will
destroy it. No, and the white faced man was shouting,
Now you don't understand. You can't see. The lean figure
of the scientists straightened to its full height. His eyes
met those of the younger man, silent now before him.
But Avery knew the eyes never saw him. They were

(10:40):
looking far off, following the wings of thought in the stillness.
The man's words came harsh and commanding. Do you see
the cities, he said, crumbling to ruins under the cold stars.
The fields they are rank with wild growth, torn and
gullied by the waters. A desolate land where animals prowl,
and the people the peace people wandering bands lower as

(11:02):
the years drag on than the beasts themselves, the children
dying forgotten in the forgotten lands. A people to whom
the progress of our civilization is one with the ages past,
for whom there is again the slow toiling road toward
the light, and somewhere perhaps a conquering race, the most
brutal and callous of mankind, rioting in their sense of
power and dragging themselves down to oblivion. His gaze came

(11:26):
slowly back to the room and the figure of the man,
still fighting for his dream. They would not said avery hoarsely.
They'd use it for good, would they asked Professor Eddinger.
He spoke simply as one's stating simple facts. I love
my fellow men, he said, and I killed them in
thousands in the last war. I and my science and
my poison gas The figure of avery, slumped suddenly upon

(11:50):
a chair. His face was buried in his hands. And
I would have been, he groaned, the greatest man in
the world. You shall be greater, said the professor. The
only we shall know it. You and I You will
save the world from itself. The figure bowed and sunken
in the chair, made no move. The man was heedless
of the kindly hand upon his shoulder. His voice, when

(12:13):
he spoke was that of one afar Off, speaking out
of a great loneliness. You don't understand, he said, dully,
you can't. But Professor Eddinger, a cog in the wheels
of a great educational machine, glanced at the watch on
his wrist again. His thin shoulders were stooped. His voice tired,
my classes, he said, I must be going in the

(12:35):
gathering dusk. Professor Eddinger locked carefully the door of his office.
He crossed beyond his desk and fumbled with his one
hand for his keys. There was a cabinet to be opened,
and he stared long in the dim light at the
object he withdrew. He looked approvingly at the exquisite workmanship
of an instrument, where a generator of the cathode ray,
and an intricate maze of tubing surmounted electro magnets, and

(12:56):
a round lead bulb. There were terminals for attaching heavy cave.
It was a beautiful thing. His useless arm moved to
bring an imaginary hand before the window of quartz in
the lead sphere. Power, he whispered, and repeated Avery's words,
power to build a city or destroy civilization. And I
hold it in one hand. He replaced the apparatus in

(13:18):
the safety of its case. The saviors of mankind, he said,
and his tone was harsh and bitter, but a smile, whimsical,
kindly crinkled his tired eyes as he turned to his
desk and its usual litter of examination papers. It is
something Avery, he whispered, to that distant man, to belong
in so distinguished a group. End of the Power and

(13:41):
the Glory By Charles W. Diffen