CHAPTER IV "It's Just the very Biggest Thing in the World"

edbackinhischairwithdroopingeyelidsandatolerantsmile,baskinginthissuddengleamofsunshine. "It'sjusttheverybiggestthingthatIeverheardof!"saidI,thoughitwasmyjournalisticratherthanmyscientificenthusiasmthatwasroused."Itiscolossal.YouareaColumbusofsciencewhohasdiscoveredalostworld.I'mawfullysorryifIseemedtodoubtyou.Itwasallsounthinkable.ButIunderstandevidencewhenIseeit,andthisshouldbegoodenoughforanyone." TheProfessorpurredwithsatisfaction. "Andthen,sir,whatdidyoudonext?" "Itwasthewetseason,Mr.Malone,andmystoreswereexhausted.Iexploredsomeportionofthishugecliff,butIwasunabletofindanywaytoscaleit.ThepyramidalrockuponwhichIsawandshotthepterodactylwasmoreaccessible.Beingsomethingofacragsman,Ididmanagetogethalfwaytothetopofthat.FromthatheightIhadabetterideaoftheplateauuponthetopofthecrags.ItappearedtobeverylargeneithertoeastnortowestcouldIseeanyendtothevistaofgreen-cappedcliffs.Below,itisaswampy,junglyregion,fullofsnakes,insects,andfever.Itisanaturalprotectiontothissingularcountry." "Didyouseeanyothertraceoflife?" "No,sir,Ididnotbutduringtheweekthatwelayencampedatthebaseofthecliffweheardsomeverystrangenoisesfromabove." "ButthecreaturethattheAmericandrew?Howdoyouaccountforthat?" "Wecanonlysupposethathemusthavemadehiswaytothesummitandseenitthere.Weknow,therefore,thatthereisawayup.Weknowequallythatitmustbeaverydifficultone,otherwisethecreatureswouldhavecomedownandoverrunthesurroundingcountry.Surelythatisclear?" "Buthowdidtheycometobethere?" "Idonotthinkthattheproblemisaveryobscureone,"saidtheProfessor"therecanonlybeoneexplanation.SouthAmericais,asyoumayhaveheard,agranitecontinent.Atthissinglepointintheinteriortherehasbeen,insomefardistantage,agreat,suddenvolcanicupheaval.Thesecliffs,Imayremark,arebasaltic,andthereforeplutonic.Anarea,aslargeperhapsasSussex,hasbeenliftedupenblocwithallitslivingcontents,andcutoffbyperpendicularprecipicesofahardnesswhichdefieserosionfromalltherestofthecontinent.Whatistheresult?Why,theordinarylawsofNaturearesuspended.Thevariouscheckswhichinfluencethestruggleforexistenceintheworldatlargeareallneutralizedoraltered.Creaturessurvivewhichwouldotherwisedisappear.YouwillobservethatboththepterodactylandthestegosaurusareJurassic,andthereforeofagreatageintheorderoflife.Theyhavebeenartificiallyconservedbythosestrangeaccidentalconditions." "Butsurelyyourevidenceisconclusive.Youhaveonlytolayitbeforetheproperauthorities." "Soinmysimplicity,Ihadimagined,"saidtheProfessor,bitterly."Icanonlytellyouthatitwasnotso,thatIwasmetateveryturnbyincredulity,bornpartlyofstupidityandpartlyofjealousy.Itisnotmynature,sir,tocringetoanyman,ortoseektoproveafactifmywordhasbeendoubted.AfterthefirstIhavenotcondescendedtoshowsuchcorroborativeproofsasIpossess.Thesubjectbecamehatefultome—Iwouldnotspeakofit.Whenmenlikeyourself,whorepresentthefoolishcuriosityofthepublic,cametodisturbmyprivacyIwasunabletomeetthemwithdignifiedreserve.BynatureIam,Iadmit,somewhatfiery,andunderprovocationIaminclinedtobeviolent.Ifearyoumayhaveremarkedit." Inursedmyeyeandwassilent. "Mywifehasfrequentlyremonstratedwithmeuponthesubject,andyetIfancythatanymanofhonorwouldfeelthesame.To-night,however,Iproposetogiveanextremeexampleofthecontrolofthewillovertheemotions.Iinviteyoutobepresentattheexhibition."Hehandedmeacardfromhisdesk."YouwillperceivethatMr.PercivalWaldron,anaturalistofsomepopularrepute,isannouncedtolectureateight-thirtyattheZoologicalInstitute'sHallupon'TheRecordoftheAges.'Ihavebeenspeciallyinvitedtobepresentupontheplatform,andtomoveavoteofthankstothelecturer.Whiledoingso,Ishallmakeitmybusiness,withinfinitetactanddelicacy,tothrowoutafewremarkswhichmayarousetheinterestoftheaudienceandcausesomeofthemtodesiretogomoredeeplyintothematter.Nothingcontentious,youunderstand,butonlyanindicationthattherearegreaterdeepsbeyond.Ishallholdmyselfstronglyinleash,andseewhetherbythisself-restraintIattainamorefavorableresult." "AndImaycome?"Iaskedeagerly. "Why,surely,"heanswered,cordially.Hehadanenormouslymassivegenialmanner,whichwasalmostasoverpoweringashisviolence.Hissmileofbenevolencewasawonderfulthing,whenhischeekswouldsuddenlybunchintotworedapples,betweenhishalf-closedeyesandhisgreatblackbeard."Byallmeans,come.ItwillbeacomforttometoknowthatIhaveoneallyinthehall,howeverinefficientandignorantofthesubjecthemaybe.Ifancytherewillbealargeaudience,forWaldron,thoughanabsolutecharlatan,hasaconsiderablepopularfollowing.Now,Mr.Malone,IhavegivenyourathermoreofmytimethanIhadintended.Theindividualmustnotmonopolizewhatismeantfortheworld.Ishallbepleasedtoseeyouatthelectureto-night.Inthemeantime,youwillunderstandthatnopublicuseistobemadeofanyofthematerialthatIhavegivenyou." "ButMr.McArdle—mynewseditor,youknow—willwanttoknowwhatIhavedone." "Tellhimwhatyoulike.Youcansay,amongotherthings,thatifhesendsanyoneelsetointrudeuponmeIshallcalluponhimwithariding-whip.ButIleaveittoyouthatnothingofallthisappearsinprint.Verygood.ThentheZoologicalInstitute'sHallateight-thirtyto-night."Ihadalastimpressionofredcheeks,blueripplingbeard,andintoleranteyes,ashewavedmeoutoftheroom.