Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 2 — page 99: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STAR OF DEAD LOVE meant that we could cease to have the feelings and sufferings of the material, solid body. This de- materialized body—just as you see me now—is not subject to feeling or age, neither do we need nour- ishment. We used to suffer from disease, but we needed only to dematerialize, have the disease germs collected, materialized, and destroyed. Dis- ease has long since disappeared from Venus. Every one can be material or dematerial just as she likes. Of course, in the natural state, when we are two inches high, we are delicate, little things, and lives are sometimes lost through accidents. With all our knowledge we cannot restore life, nor can we create it except from life. | “You earth people call Venus the star of love. There is no love on Venus now. There used to be at one time when there were two sexes. Now there are no males, parthenogenesis is the general law. You observe this method of reproduction from one parent only in the bees, ants, and other insects. Your scientists have caused frogs’ eggs to develop without fertilization. When we discov- ered that the males were unnecessary they grad- ually died out. None have been born now for thou- sands of years. hundred years, but as his brain development was very low, he was forbidden to materialize. In the end he and another broke this rule of the Supreme Eugenic Committee—and they were eliminated.” Doctor Joyce shivered and scribbled on his pad, “Eliminated like the piece out of my veranda post?”” She wrote, “Yes,” and touched her metal studded finger tip in a way that showed the doctor that justice was not tempered with mercy on the planet Venus. Suddenly she got up, looked agitatedly at the lawn where the rays. were no longer shining. The doctor joined her, and saw a small cloud obscur- ing part of the sky. She raised her right hand and pointed toward the little cloud. Spurts of vio- let flame shot into the sky, and the cloud was gone without trace. Again the faint rays touched the lawn. This time she actually smiled as she touched her forehead, and melted into those rays that carried her millions of times faster than light to her own abode. (eae was talking of the wonderful dis- coveries of the young scientist, Dr. Joyce, in the field of chemistry and electricity. He had shown that vitamins were just at the margin of the science of proper dieting. His new microscope combining ultraviolet and mercury vapor light, and focus- ing at the point of sychronism made visible objects a hundred times smaller than the filterable viruses of the Gye-Barnard experiments. This discovery alone far exceeded the super-microscopes of the day. Electricity waves could now be seen so that complete control was no longer a matter of calcu- Jation and guess work based on past experience. “Such a pity that so promising a young man dabbles in spiritualism,” confided the wife of a professor of engineering. “No, you don’t mean to say he could be fooled by any such trickery!” murmured the other lady. “Well, it was this way, but you mustn’t tell a soul; my husband went to see him one night, and found him conversing with a ghost on the veranda. The last one survived for seven 203 When my husband asked him if he was 4 spiritual- ist, he said he kept an open mind on the subject.” “How very thrilling.” “Not a bit thrilling, my dear. My husband made inquiries and found that a little boy in the house opposite was having a party, and had a magic lan- tern entertainment upstairs. Of course, it must have shone out of the window and into Doctor Joyce’s veranda. How very simple these clever men are about little things like that.” Doctor Joyce heard the rumor, and was very well pleased, for one story was as good as another, and it was inevitable that his visitor should be seen occasionally, now that she was coming so often. For several weeks now Doctor Joyce had been feverishly active; he would see no visitors on any pretext whatever. He refused important gather- ings where he was expected to give an account of his wonderful discoveries. His interests seemed very diversified; he had been in communication with several of the leading bee-keepers of the coun- try and had arranged to pay one hundred dollars for two ounces of honey gathered under special conditions that he should specify. A great firm of silversmiths was making a miniature set of furni- ture on a scale of one to thirty-five. Linen and silk merchants were sending samples of their finest material. A tiny amplifying set had been con- structed in which the sound collector was to be the trumpet of a living flower—a columbine—with the five spikes, or nectaries, leading to five differ- ent transmitters. A beautiful little glass cabinet contained these things. Filtered and warmed air was admitted by automatic valves and regulators. At last came the evening that was to be the crowning glory of all his preparations. The night shone fine and clear as the doctor waited. In the distance some one sang: “Oh, star of love whose tender beam Shines on my spirit’s troubled dream.” Then came the faint blue rays and the familiar form taking shape. This time she had something with her, a large, square thing of the same white ivory-like material. He led the way into the library. There on the polished mahogany table stood the cabinet. She inspected it carefully, and motioned him to open the door. Then unfolding her insulating sheet upon the table she stepped lightly up, and placed the square, white box in the center. Slipping off her sandals she placed one bare foot on each of two metal studs in the cover of the box, at the same time touching her forehead. Immediately she began to shrink until She was just about two inches high. The box was now about as big as a sugar lump. The doctor felt a curious thrill as he saw her materialize. She took up her tiny box, and carried it into the cab- inet, returning for her insulating sheet. Now that she was really flesh and blood he felt a new interest and he longed to hear her voice, but she was busy arranging the furniture on the insulating sheet. He helped her, for it was too heavy for her to handle without great exertion. “Speak to me,” he murmured, switching on the amplifier. I am tired and hungry, the Jittle wolce venlied