VII.
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON'S EYES.
I.
The transitory mental aberration of Sidney Davidson, remarkable enough initself, is still more remarkable if Wade's explanation is to be credited.It sets one dreaming of the oddest possibilities of intercommunication inthe future, of spending an intercalary five minutes on the other side ofthe world, or being watched in our most secret operations by unsuspectedeyes. It happened that I was the immediate witness of Davidson's seizure,and so it falls naturally to me to put the story upon paper.
When I say that I was the immediate witness of his seizure, I mean that Iwas the first on the scene. The thing happened at the Harlow TechnicalCollege, just beyond the Highgate Archway. He was alone in the largerlaboratory when the thing happened. I was in a smaller room, where thebalances are, writing up some notes. The thunderstorm had completely upsetmy work, of course. It was just after one of the louder peals that Ithought I heard some glass smash in the other room. I stopped writing, andturned round to listen. For a moment I heard nothing; the hail was playingthe devil's tattoo on the corrugated zinc of the roof. Then came anothersound, a smash--no doubt of it this time. Something heavy had been knockedoff the bench. I jumped up at once and went and opened the door leadinginto the big laboratory.
I was surprised to hear a queer sort of laugh, and saw Davidson standingunsteadily in the middle of the room, with a dazzled look on his face. Myfirst impression was that he was drunk. He did not notice me. He wasclawing out at something invisible a yard in front of his face. He put outhis hand, slowly, rather hesitatingly, and then clutched nothing. "What'scome to it?" he said. He held up his hands to his face, fingers spreadout. "Great Scott!" he said. The thing happened three or four years ago,when every one swore by that personage. Then he began raising his feetclumsily, as though he had expected to find them glued to the floor.
"Davidson!" cried I. "What's the matter with you?" He turned round in mydirection and looked about for me. He looked over me and at me and oneither side of me, without the slightest sign of seeing me. "Waves," hesaid; "and a remarkably neat schooner. I'd swear that was Bellow's voice._Hullo_!" He shouted suddenly at the top of his voice.
I thought he was up to some foolery. Then I saw littered about his feetthe shattered remains of the best of our electrometers. "What's up, man?"said I. "You've smashed the electrometer!"
"Bellows again!" said he. "Friends left, if my hands are gone. Somethingabout electrometers. Which way _are_ you, Bellows?" He suddenly camestaggering towards me. "The damned stuff cuts like butter," he said. Hewalked straight into the bench and recoiled. "None so buttery that!" hesaid, and stood swaying.
I felt scared. "Davidson," said I, "what on earth's come over you?"
He looked round him in every direction. "I could swear that was Bellows.Why don't you show yourself like a man, Bellows?"
It occurred to me that he must be suddenly struck blind. I walked roundthe table and laid my hand upon his arm. I never saw a man more startledin my life. He jumped away from me, and came round into an attitude ofself-defence, his face fairly distorted with terror. "Good God!" he cried."What was that?"
"It's I--Bellows. Confound it, Davidson!"
He jumped when I answered him and stared--how can I express it?--rightthrough me. He began talking, not to me, but to himself. "Here in broaddaylight on a clear beach. Not a place to hide in." He looked about himwildly. "Here! I'm _off_." He suddenly turned and ran headlong intothe big electro-magnet--so violently that, as we found afterwards, hebruised his shoulder and jawbone cruelly. At that he stepped back a pace,and cried out with almost a whimper, "What, in Heaven's name, has comeover me?" He stood, blanched with terror and trembling violently, with hisright arm clutching his left, where that had collided with the magnet.
By that time I was excited and fairly scared. "Davidson," said I, "don'tbe afraid."
He was startled at my voice, but not so excessively as before. I repeatedmy words in as clear and as firm a tone as I could assume. "Bellows," hesaid, "is that you?"
"Can't you see it's me?"
He laughed. "I can't even see it's myself. Where the devil are we?"
"Here," said I, "in the laboratory."
"The laboratory!" he answered in a puzzled tone, and put his hand to hisforehead. "I _was_ in the laboratory--till that flash came, but I'mhanged if I'm there now. What ship is that?"
"There's no ship," said I. "Do be sensible, old chap."
"No ship!" he repeated, and seemed to forget my denial forthwith. "Isuppose," said he slowly, "we're both dead. But the rummy part is I feeljust as though I still had a body. Don't get used to it all at once, Isuppose. The old shop was struck by lightning, I suppose. Jolly quickthing, Bellows--eigh?"
"Don't talk nonsense. You're very much alive. You are in the laboratory,blundering about. You've just smashed a new electrometer. I don't envy youwhen Boyce arrives."
He stared away from me towards the diagrams of cryohydrates. "I must bedeaf," said he. "They've fired a gun, for there goes the puff of smoke,and I never heard a sound."
I put my hand on his arm again, and this time he was less alarmed. "Weseem to have a sort of invisible bodies," said he. "By Jove! there's aboat coming round the headland. It's very much like the old life afterall--in a different climate."
I shook his arm. "Davidson," I cried, "wake up!"