CHAPTER V "Question!"

WhatwiththephysicalshocksincidentaltomyfirstinterviewwithProfessorChallengerandthementaloneswhichaccompaniedthesecond,IwasasomewhatdemoralizedjournalistbythetimeIfoundmyselfinEnmoreParkoncemore.Inmyachingheadtheonethoughtwasthrobbingthattherereallywastruthinthisman'sstory,thatitwasoftremendousconsequence,andthatitwouldworkupintoinconceivablecopyfortheGazettewhenIcouldobtainpermissiontouseit.Ataxicabwaswaitingattheendoftheroad,soIsprangintoitanddrovedowntotheoffice.McArdlewasathispostasusual. "Well,"hecried,expectantly,"whatmayitrunto?I'mthinking,youngman,youhavebeeninthewars.Don'ttellmethatheassaultedyou." "Wehadalittledifferenceatfirst." "Whatamanitis!Whatdidyoudo?" "Well,hebecamemorereasonableandwehadachat.ButIgotnothingoutofhim—nothingforpublication." "I'mnotsosureaboutthat.Yougotablackeyeoutofhim,andthat'sforpublication.Wecan'thavethisreignofterror,Mr.Malone.Wemustbringthemantohisbearings.I'llhavealeaderetteonhimto-morrowthatwillraiseablister.JustgivemethematerialandIwillengagetobrandthefellowforever.ProfessorMunchausen—how'sthatforaninsetheadline?SirJohnMandevilleredivivus—Cagliostro—alltheimpostersandbulliesinhistory.I'llshowhimupforthefraudheis." "Iwouldn'tdothat,sir." "Whynot?" "Becauseheisnotafraudatall." "What!"roaredMcArdle."Youdon'tmeantosayyoureallybelievethisstuffofhisaboutmammothsandmastodonsandgreatseasairpents?" "Well,Idon'tknowaboutthat.Idon'tthinkhemakesanyclaimsofthatkind.ButIdobelievehehasgotsomethingnew." "ThenforHeaven'ssake,man,writeitup!" "I'mlongingto,butallIknowhegavemeinconfidenceandonconditionthatIdidn't."IcondensedintoafewsentencestheProfessor'snarrative."That'showitstands." McArdlelookeddeeplyincredulous. "Well,Mr.Malone,"hesaidatlast,"aboutthisscientificmeetingto-nighttherecanbenoprivacyaboutthat,anyhow.Idon'tsupposeanypaperwillwanttoreportit,forWaldronhasbeenreportedalreadyadozentimes,andnooneisawarethatChallengerwillspeak.Wemaygetascoop,ifwearelucky.You'llbethereinanycase,soyou'lljustgiveusaprettyfullreport.I'llkeepspaceuptomidnight." Mydaywasabusyone,andIhadanearlydinnerattheSavageClubwithTarpHenry,towhomIgavesomeaccountofmyadventures.Helistenedwithascepticalsmileonhisgauntface,androaredwithlaughteronhearingthattheProfessorhadconvincedme. "Mydearchap,thingsdon'thappenlikethatinreallife.Peopledon'tstumbleuponenormousdiscoveriesandthenlosetheirevidence.Leavethattothenovelists.Thefellowisasfulloftricksasthemonkey-houseattheZoo.It'sallbosh." "ButtheAmericanpoet?" "Heneverexisted." "Isawhissketch-book." "Challenger'ssketch-book." "Youthinkhedrewthatanimal?" "Ofcoursehedid.Whoelse?" "Well,then,thephotographs?" "Therewasnothinginthephotographs.Byyourownadmissionyouonlysawabird." "Apterodactyl." "That'swhatHEsays.Heputthepterodactylintoyourhead." "Well,then,thebones?" "FirstoneoutofanIrishstew.Secondonevampedupfortheoccasion.Ifyouarecleverandknowyourbusinessyoucanfakeaboneaseasilyasyoucanaphotograph." Ibegantofeeluneasy.Perhaps,afterall,Ihadbeenprematureinmyacquiescence.ThenIhadasuddenhappythought. "Willyoucometothemeeting?"Iasked. TarpHenrylookedthoughtful. "Heisnotapopularperson,thegenialChallenger,"saidhe."Alotofpeoplehaveaccountstosettlewithhim.Ishouldsayheisaboutthebest-hatedmaninLondon.Ifthemedicalstudentsturnouttherewillbenoendofarag.Idon'twanttogetintoabear-garden." "Youmightatleastdohimthejusticetohearhimstatehisowncase." "Well,perhapsit'sonlyfair.Allright.I'myourmanfortheevening." WhenwearrivedatthehallwefoundamuchgreaterconcoursethanIhadexpected.Alineofelectricbroughamsdischargedtheirlittlecargoesofwhite-beardedprofessors,whilethedarkstreamofhumblerpedestrians,whocrowdedthroughthearcheddoor-way,showedthattheaudiencewouldbepopularaswellasscientific.Indeed,itbecameevidenttousassoonaswehadtakenourseatsthatayouthfulandevenboyishspiritwasabroadinthegalleryandthebackportionsofthehall.Lookingbehindme,Icouldseerowsoffacesofthefamiliarmedicalstudenttype.Apparentlythegreathospitalshadeachsentdowntheircontingent.Thebehavioroftheaudienceatpresentwasgood-humored,butmischievous.Scrapsofpopularsongswerechorusedwithanenthusiasmwhichwasastrangepreludetoascientificlecture,andtherewasalreadyatendencytopersonalchaffwhichpromisedajovialeve