THE VEILED WOMAN. You seem to be an unusually sensible person. But there is no old man. I am the oracle on duty today. I am on my way to take my place on the tripod, and go through the usual mummery, as you rightly call it, to impress your friend the envoy. As you are superior to that kind of thing, you may consult me now. [_She leads the way into the middle of the courtyard_]. What do you want to know? NAPOLEON [_following her_] Madam: I have not come all this way to discuss matters of State with a woman. I must ask you to direct me to one of your oldest and ablest men. THE ORACLE. None of our oldest and ablest men or women would dream of wasting their time on you. You would die of discouragement in their presence in less than three hours. NAPOLEON. You can keep this idle fable of discouragement for people credulous enough to be intimidated by it, madam. I do not believe in metaphysical forces. THE ORACLE. No one asks you to. A field is something physical, is it not. Well, I have a field. NAPOLEON. I have several million fields. I am Emperor of Turania. THE ORACLE. You do not understand. I am not speaking of an agricultural field. Do you not know that every mass of matter in motion carries with it an invisible gravitational field, every magnet an invisible magnetic field, and every living organism a mesmeric field? Even you have a perceptible mesmeric field. Feeble as it is, it is the strongest I have yet observed in a shortliver. NAPOLEON. By no means feeble, madam. I understand you now; and I may tell you that the strongest characters blench in my presence, and submit to my domination. But I do not call that a physical force. THE ORACLE. What else do you call it, pray? Our physicists deal with it. Our mathematicians express its measurements in algebraic equations. NAPOLEON. Do you mean that they could measure mine? THE ORACLE. Yes: by a figure infinitely near to zero. Even in us the force is negligible during our first century of life. In our second it develops quickly, and becomes dangerous to shortlivers who venture into its field. If I were not veiled and robed in insulating material you could not endure my presence; and I am still a young woman: one hundred and seventy if you wish to know exactly. NAPOLEON [_folding his arms_] I am not intimidated: no woman alive, old or young, can put me out of countenance. Unveil, madam. Disrobe. You will move this temple as easily as shake me. THE ORACLE. Very well [_she throws back her veil_]. NAPOLEON [_shrieking, staggering, and covering his eyes_] No. Stop. Hide your face again. [_Shutting his eyes and distractedly clutching at his throat and heart_] Let me go. Help! I am dying. THE ORACLE. Do you still wish to consult an older person? NAPOLEON. No, no. The veil, the veil, I beg you. THE ORACLE [_replacing the veil_] So.