Resurrection We reached the sepulchre without stopping to look at the parked machines or even the marvelous statue that stood above it, for what did we care about machines or statues now? As we approached we were astonished to hear low and cavernous growlings.
"There is some wild beast in there," said Bickley, halting.
"No, by George! it's Tommy.What can the dog be after?"We peeped in, and there sure enough was Tommy lying on the top of the Glittering Lady's coffin and growling his very best with the hair standing up upon his back.When he saw who it was, however, he jumped off and frisked round, licking my hand.
"That's very strange," I exclaimed.
"Not stranger than everything else," said Bickley.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"Open these coffins," he answered, "beginning with that of the old god, since I would rather experiment on him.I expect he will crumble into dust.But if by chance he doesn't I'll jam a little strychnine, mixed with some other drugs, of which you don't know the names, into one of his veins and see if anything happens.If it doesn't, it won't hurt him, and if it does--well, who knows?
Now give me a hand."
We went to the left-hand coffin and by inserting the hook on the back of my knife, of which the real use is to pick stones out of horses' hoofs, into one of the little air-holes I have described, managed to raise the heavy crystal lid sufficiently to enable us to force a piece of wood between it and the top.The rest was easy, for the hinges being of crystal had not corroded.
In two minutes it was open.
From the chest came an overpowering spicy odour, and with it a veritable breath of warm air before which we recoiled a little.
Bickley took a pocket thermometer which he had at hand and glanced at it.It marked a temperature of 82 degrees in the sepulchre.Having noted this, he thrust it into the coffin between the crystal wall and its occupant.Then we went out and waited a little while to give the odours time to dissipate, for they made the head reel.
After five minutes or so we returned and examined the thermometer.It had risen to 98 degrees, the natural temperature of the human body.
"What do you make of that if the man is dead?" he whispered.
I shook my head, and as we had agreed, set to helping him to lift the body from the coffin.It was a good weight, quite eleven stone I should say; moreover, it was not still, for the hip joints bent.We got it out and laid it on a blanket we had spread on the floor of the sepulchre.Whilst I was thus engaged I saw something that nearly caused me to loose my hold from astonishment.Beneath the head, the centre of the back and the feet were crystal boxes about eight inches square, or rather crystal blocks, for in them I could see no opening, and these boxes emitted a faint phosphorescent light.I touched one of them and found that it was quite warm.
"Great heavens!" I exclaimed, "here's magic.""There's no such thing," answered Bickley in his usual formula.
Then an explanation seemed to strike him and he added, "Not magic but radium or something of the sort.That's how the temperature was kept up.In sufficient quantity it is practically indestructible, you see.My word! this old gentleman knew a thing or two."Again we waited a little while to see if the body begun to crumble on exposure to the air, I taking the opportunity to make a rough sketch of it in my pocket-book in anticipation of that event.But it did not; it remained quite sound.
"Here goes," said Bickley."If he should be alive, he will catch cold in his lungs after lying for ages in that baby incubator, as I suppose he has done.So it is now or never."Then bidding me hold the man's right arm, he took the sterilized syringe which he had prepared, and thrusting the needle into a vein he selected just above the wrist, injected the contents.
"It would have been better over the heart," he whispered, "but I thought I would try the arm first.I don't like risking chills by uncovering him."I made no answer and again we waited and watched.
"Great heavens, he's stirring!" I gasped presently.
Stirring he was, for his fingers began to move.
Bickley bent down and placed his ear to the heart--I forgot to say that he had tested this before with a stethoscope, but had been unable to detect any movement.
"I believe it is beginning to beat," he said in an awed voice.
Then he applied the stethoscope, and added, "It is, it is!"Next he took a filament of cotton wool and laid it on the man's lips.Presently it moved; he was breathing, though very faintly.
Bickley took more cotton wool and having poured something from his medicine-chest on to it, placed it over the mouth beneath the man's nostrils--I believe it was sal volatile.
Nothing further happened for a little while, and to relieve the strain on my mind I stared absently into the empty coffin.Here Isaw what had escaped our notice, two small plates of white metal and cut upon them what I took to be star maps.Beyond these and the glowing boxes which I have mentioned, there was nothing else in the coffin.I had no time to examine them, for at that moment the old man opened his mouth and began to breathe, evidently with some discomfort and effort, as his empty lungs filled themselves with air.Then his eyelids lifted, revealing a wonderful pair of dark glowing eyes beneath.Next he tried to sit up but would have fallen, had not Bickley supported him with his arm.