Part 10 (1/2)

”Then how the deuce is the world populated?” demanded Dawson.

”It was sufficiently populated at the time the law abolis.h.i.+ng children was pa.s.sed, sir.”

”But people die, don't they?”

”Never,” replied the valet. ”When Dr. Perkinbloom discovered how to separate man's mental from his physical side, by means of this little door in the cranium, all the perishable portions of man were done away with, which is how it is, sir, that, for convenience' sake, after the world was as full of consciousness as it could be comfortably, it was decided not to have any more of it.”

”But these bodies, James--these bodies?”

”Oh, they are manufactured--”

”But how?”

”That, sir, is the secret of the inventor,” replied the valet, ”a secret which he is permitted by our government to retain, although the factories are maintained under the supervision of the Tailor-General.”

Dawson was silent. He was absolutely overpowered by the revelation.

”James,” he said, after a pause of nearly five minutes, ”let me--let me back into my old self just for a moment, please. I--I feel faint, and sort of uncomfortable. I feel lost, don't you know. I can grasp some of your ideas, but--Christmas without children! It does not seem possible.”

The valet respectfully raised up the original Dawson, opened the little door in the top of its head, and Dawson slipped in.

”Now lock that door,” said Dawson, quickly, once he was safe inside. The valet obeyed nervously.

”Give me the key,” said Dawson. ”Quick!”

”Yes, sir,” said James, handing it over, eying his master anxiously meanwhile.

Dawson looked at it. It was a fragile bit of gold, but gold did not appeal to him at the moment, and before the valet could interfere to stop him he had hurled it far out of the window into the busy street below, where it was lost in the maze of traffic.

”There,” said Dawson; ”I guess you'll have a hard time getting me out of this again. You needn't try. And meanwhile, James, you can kick those other bodies out into the street and dump the gold into the river; after which you may present my compliments to your darned old government, and tell it that it can go where the woodbine twineth. A government that abolishes children can go hang, so far as I am concerned.”

James sprang towards Dawson as if he had been stung. His face grew white with wrath.

”Sir,” he hissed, pa.s.sionately, ”the words that you have spoken are treason, and merit punishment.”

”What's that?” cried Dawson, wrathfully.

”Treason is what I said,” retorted the valet, aroused. ”If I thought you were in your right mind and knew what you were saying, I should conduct you forthwith to the police-station and inform against you to the Secretary of Justice.”

”Get out of here, you--you--you impertinent a.s.s!” cried Dawson. ”Leave the room! I--I--I discharge you! You forget your position!”

”It is you who forget your position,” returned the valet. ”Discharge me!

I like that. You might just as well try to discharge the President of the United States as me.”

Here the valet gave a scornful laugh, and leered maddeningly at Dawson.