第40章

Iwasashamedtohavemadethatblunder。Iwasembarrassed；tocoveritIstartedtosayweusedtocombinethemlikethatwhereIcamefrom，butthoughtbetterofit，andstoodpat。

"Nowthen，"Isaid，"itamountstothis：waterisanindividual，ananimal，andisalive；removethehydrogenanditisananimalandisalive；theremainingoxygenisalsoanindividual，ananimal，andisalive。Recapitulation：thetwoindividualscombinedconstituteathirdindividual——andyeteachcontinuestobeanindividual。"

IglancedatFranklin，but……uponreflection，heldmypeace。I

couldhavepointedouttohimthatherewasmuteNatureexplainingthesublimemysteryoftheTrinitysoluminously——thateventhecommonestunderstandingcouldcomprehendit，whereasmanyatrainedmasterofwordshadlaboredtodoitwithspeechandfailed。ButhewouldnothaveknownwhatIwastalkingabout。AfteramomentIresumed：

"Listen——andseeifIhaveunderstoodyourightly，towit：Alltheatomsthatconstituteeachoxygenmoleculeareseparateindividuals，andeachisalivinganimal；alltheatomsthatconstituteeachhydrogenmoleculeareseparateindividuals，andeachoneisalivinganimal；eachdropofwaterconsistsofmillionsoflivinganimals，thedropitselfisanindividual，alivinganimal，andthewideoceanisanother。Isthatit？"

"Yes，thatiscorrect。"

"ByGeorge，itbeatstheband！"

Helikedtheexpression，andsetitdowninhistablets。

"Franklin，we’vegotitdownfine。Andtothink——thereareotheranimalsthatarestillsmallerthanahydrogenatom，andyetitissosmallthatittakesfivethousandofthemtomakeamolecule——amoleculesominutethatitcouldgetintoamicrobe’seyeandhewouldn’tknowitwasthere！"

"Yes，theweecreaturesthatinhabitthebodiesofusgermsandfeeduponus，androtuswithdisease：Ah，whatcouldtheyhavebeencreatedfor？

Theygiveuspain，theymakeourlivesmiserable，theymurderus—andwhereistheuseofitall，wherethewisdom？Ah，friendBkshp[microbicorthography]，weliveinastrangeandunaccountableworld；ourbirthisamystery，ourlittlelifeisamystery，atrouble，wepassandareseennomore；allismystery，mystery，mystery；weknownotwhencewecame，norwhy；weknownotwhitherwego，norwhywego。Weonlyknowwewerenotmadeinvain，weonlyknowweweremadeforawisepurpose，andthatalliswell！Weshallnotbecastasideincontumelyandunblestafterallwehavesuffered。Letusbepatient，letusnotrepine，letustrust。Thehumblestofusiscaredfor——oh，believeit！——andthisfleetingstayisnottheend！"

Younoticethat？Hedidnotsuspectthathe，also，wasengagedingnawing，torturing，defiling，rotting，andmurderingafellow—creature——

heandalltheswarmingbillionsofhisrace。Noneofthemsuspectsit。

Thatissignificant。Itissuggestive——irresistiblysuggestive——

insistentlysuggestive。Ithintsatthepossibilitythattheprocessionofknownandlisteddevourersandpersecutorsisnotcomplete。Itsuggeststhepossibility，andsubstantiallythecertainty，thatmanishimselfamicrobe，andhisglobeablood—corpuscledriftingwithitsshiningbrethrenoftheMilkyWaydownaveinoftheMasterandMakerofallthings，whosebody，mayhap——glimpsedpart—wisefromtheearthbynight，andrecedingandlosttoviewinthemeasurelessremotenessesofspace——iswhatmennametheUniverse。

Yes，thatwasalloldtome，buttofindthatourlittleoldfamiliarmicrobeswerethemselvesloadedupwithmicrobesthatfedthem，enrichedthem，andpersistentlyandfaithfullypreservedthemandtheirpooroldtramp—planetfromdestruction——oh，thatwasnew，andtoodelicious！

Iwantedtoseethem！Iwasinafevertoseethem！Ihadlensestotwo—millionpower，butofcoursethefieldwasnobiggerthanaperson’sfinger—nail，andsoitwasn’tpossibletocompassaconsiderablespectacleoralandscapewiththem；whereaswhatIhadbeencravingwasathirty—footfield，whichwouldrepresentaspreadofseveralmilesofcountryandshowupthingsinawaytomakethemworthlookingat。TheboysandIhadoftentriedtocontrivethisimprovement，buthadfailed。

ImentionedthemattertotheDukeanditmadehimsmile。Hesaiditwasaquitesimplething—hehaditathome。Iwaseagertobargainforthesecret，buthesaiditwasatrifleandnotworthbargainingfor。

Hesaid：

"Hasn’titoccurredtoyouthatallyouhavetodoistobendanX—raytoanangle—valueof8。4andrefractitwithaparabolism，andthereyouare？"

Uponmyword，Ihadneverthoughtofthatsimplething！Youcouldhaveknockedmedownwithafeather。

Weriggedamicroscopeforanexhibitionatonceandputadropofmybloodunderit，whichgotmashedflatwhenthelensgotshutdownuponit。Theresultwasbeyondmydreams。Thefieldstretchedmilesaway，greenandundulating，threadedwithstreamsandroads，andborderedalldownthemellowingdistanceswithpicturesquehills。Andtherewasagreatwhitecityoftents；andeverywherewereparksofartilleryanddivisionsofcavalryandinfantrywaiting。Wehadhitaluckymoment，evidentlytherewasgoingtobeamarch—pastorsomethinglikethat。Atthefrontwherethechiefbannerflewtherewasalargeandshowytent，withshowyguardsonduty，andaboutitweresomeothertentsofaswellkind。

Thewarriors——particularlytheofficers——werelovelytolookat，theyweresotrim—builtandsogracefulandsohandsomelyuniformed。Theywerequitedistinct，vividlydistinct，foritwasafineday，andtheyweresoimmenselymagnifiedthattheylookedtobefullyafinger—nailhigh。——[Myownexpression，andaquitehappyone。IsaidtotheDuke：

"YourGrace，they’rejustaboutfinger—milers！"

"Howdoyoumean，m’lord？"

"This。YounoticethestatelyGeneralstandingtherewithhishandrestinguponthemuzzleofacannon？Well，ifyoucouldstickyourlittlefingerdownagainstthegroundalongsideofhimhisplumeswouldjustreachuptowhereyournailjoinstheflesh。"TheDukesaid"finger—milerswasgood"—goodandexact；andheafterwarduseditseveraltimeshimself。]——Everywhereyoucouldseeofficersmovingsmartlyabout，andtheylookedgay，butthecommonsoldierslookedsad。Manywife—

swinks["Swinks，"anatomicrace]anddaughter—swinksandsweetheart—

swinkswereabout——crying，mainly。Itseemedtoindicatethatthiswasacaseofwar，notasummer—campforexercise，andthatthepoorlabor—

swinkswerebeingtornfromtheirplanet—savingindustriestogoanddistributecivilizationandotherformsofsufferingamongthefeeblebenightedsomewhere；elsewhyshouldtheswinkessescry？

Thecavalrywasveryfine——shinyblackhorses，shapelyandspirited；andpresentlywhenaflashoflightstruckaliftedbugle(deliveringacommandwhichwecouldn’thear)andadivisioncametearingdownonagallopitwasastirringandgallantsight，untilthedustroseaninch——

theDukethoughtmore——andswalloweditupinarollingandtumblinglonggraycloud，withbrightweaponsglintingandsparklinginit。

Beforelongtherealbusinessoftheoccasionbegan。Abattalionofpriestsarrivedcarryingsacredpictures。Thatsettledit：thiswaswar；

thesefar—stretchingmassesoftroopswereboundforthefront。Theirlittlemonarchcameoutnow，thesweetestlittlethingthatevertravestiedthehumanshapeIthink，andhelifteduphishandsandblessedthepassingarmies，andtheylookedasgratefulastheycould，andmadesignsofhumbleandrealreverenceastheydriftedbytheholypictures。

Itwasbeautiful——thewholething；andwonderful，too，whenthoseserriedmassesswungintolineandwentmarchingdownthevalleyunderthelongarrayofflutteringflags。

Evidentlytheyweregoingsomewheretofightfortheirking，whichwasthelittlemannythatblessedthem；andtopreservehimandhisbrethrenthatoccupiedtheotherswelltents；tocivilizeandgraspavaluablelittleunwatchedcountryforthemsomewhere。Butthelittlefellowandhisbrethrendidn’tfallin——thatwasanoticeableparticular。Theydidn’tfight；theystayedathome，whereitwassafe，andwaitedfortheswag。

Verywell，then—whatoughtwetodo？Hadwenomoraldutytoperform？

Oughtwetoallowthiswartobegin？Wasitnotourdutytostopit，inthenameofrightandrighteousness？WasitnotourdutytoadministerarebuketothisselfishandheartlessFamily？

TheDukewasstruckbythat，andgreatlymoved。HefeltasIdidaboutit，andwasreadytodowhateverwasright，andthoughtweoughttopourboilingwaterontheFamilyandextinguishit，whichwedid。

Itextinguishedthearmies，too，whichwasnotintended。Webothregrettedthis，buttheDukesaidthatthesepeoplewerenothingtous，anddeservedextinctionanywayforbeingsopoor—spiritedastoservesuchaFamily。Hewasloyallydoingthelikehimself，andsowasI，butIdon’tthinkwethoughtofthat。Anditwasn’tjustthesame，anyway，becauseweweresooflaskies，andtheywereonlyswinks。

Franklinrealizesthatnoatomisdestructible；thatithasalwaysexistedandwillexistforever；buthethinksallatomswillgooutofthisworldsomedayandcontinuetheirlifeinahappierone。OldTolliverthinksnoatom’slifewilleverend，buthealsothinksBlitzowskiistheonlyworlditwilleversee，andthatatnotimeinitseternitywillitbeeitherworseofforbetteroffthanitisnowandalwayshasbeen。OfcoursehethinkstheplanetBlitzowskiisitselfeternalandindestructible——atanyratehesayshethinksthat。Itcouldmakemesad，onlyIknowbetter。D。T。willfetchBlitzyyetoneofthesedays。

Butthesearealienthoughts，humanthoughts，andtheyfalselyindicatethatIdonotwantthistramptogoonliving。Whatwouldbecomeofmeifheshoulddisintegrate？Mymoleculeswouldscatterallaroundandtakeupnewquartersinhundredsofplantsandanimals；eachwouldcarryitsspecialfeelingsalongwithit，eachwouldbecontentinitsnewestate，butwhereshouldIbe？Ishouldnothavearagofafeelingleft，aftermydisintegration——withhis——wascomplete。Nothingtothinkwith，nothingtogrieveorrejoicewith，nothingtohopeordespairwith。

Therewouldbenomoreme。Ishouldbemusingandthinkinganddreamingsomewhereelse——insomedistantanimalmaybe——perhapsacat——byproxyofmyoxygenIshouldberagingandfuminginsomeothercreatures——arat，perhaps；IshouldbesmilingandhopinginstillanotherchildofNature——heirtomyhydrogen——aweed，oracabbage，orsomething；mycarbonicacid(ambition)wouldbedreamingdreamsinsomelowlywood—violetthatwaslongingforashowycareer；thusmydetailswouldbedoingasmuchfeelingasever，butIshouldnotbeawareofit，itwouldallbegoingonforthebenefitofthoseothers，andInotinitatall。Ishouldbegraduallywastingaway，atombyatom，moleculebymolecule，astheyearswenton，andatlastIshouldbealldistributed，andnothingleftofwhathadoncebeenMe。Itiscurious，andnotwithoutimpressiveness：I

shouldstillbealive，intenselyalive，butsoscatteredthatIwouldnotknowit。Ishouldnotbedead——no，onecannotcallitthat——butIshouldbethenextthingtoit。Andtothinkwhatcenturiesandagesandaeonswoulddriftovermebeforethedisintegrationwasfinished，thelastboneturnedtogasandblownaway！IwishIknewwhatitisgoingtofeellike，toliehelplesssuchaweary，wearytime，andseemyfacultiesdecayanddepart，onebyone，likelightswhichburnlow，andflickerandperish，untiltheever—deepeninggloomanddarknesswhich——oh，away，awaywiththesehorrors，andletmethinkofsomethingwholesome！

Mytrampisonly85；thereisgoodhopethathewilllivetenyearslonger——500，000ofmymicrobeyears。Somayitbe。

Oh，dear，weareallsowise！Eachofusknowsitall，andknowsheknowsitall——therest，toaman，arefoolsanddeluded。Onemanknowsthereisahell，thenextoneknowsthereisn’t；onemanknowshightariffisright，thenextmanknowsitisn’t；onemanknowsmonarchyisbest，thenextoneknowsitisn’t；oneageknowstherearewitches，thenextoneknowstherearen’t；onesectknowsitsreligionistheonlytrueone，therearesixty—fourthousandfivehundredmillionsectsthatknowitisn’tso。Thereisnotamindpresentamongthismultitudeofverdict—deliverersthatisthesuperiorofthemindsthatpersuadeandrepresenttherestofthedivisionsofthemultitude。Yetthissarcasticfactdoesnothumblethearrogancenordiminishtheknow—it—allbulkofasingleverdict—makerofthelotbysomuchasashade。Mindisplainlyanass，butitwillbemanyagesbeforeitfindsitout，nodoubt。Whydowerespecttheopinionsofanymanoranymicrobethateverlived？I

swearIdon’tknow。WhydoIrespectmyown？Well——thatisdifferent。

APPENDIXW

LITTLEBESSIEWOULDASSISTPROVIDENCE

(SeeChaptercclxxxii)

[Itisdull，andIneedwholesomeexcitementsanddistractions；soIwillgolightlyexcursioningalongtheprimrosepathoftheology。]

LittleBessiewasnearlythreeyearsold。Shewasagoodchild，andnotshallow，notfrivolous，b