"But that seems to be wrong. This artificial matter of yours seems also a sort of knot, for you make all three fields, combine them, and have the matter, but not, very apparently, like normal matter. Normal matter also holds the fields that make it. The artificial matter is surrounded by the right fields, but it is evidently not able to hold the fields, as normal matter does. That was why your matter continually disintegrated to ordinary energy. The energy was not bound properly. "But the reason why it would blow up so was obvious. It did not take much to destroy the slight hold that the artificial matter had on its field, and then it instantly proceeded to release all its energy at once. And as you poured millions of horsepower into it all day to fill it, it naturally raised merry hell when it let loose." Arcot was speaking eagerly, excitedly. "But here is the great fact, the important thing: It is artificially created in a given place. It is made, and exists at the point determined by these three coordinated dials. It is not natural, and can exist only where it is made and nowhere else--obvious, but important. It cannot exist save at the point designated. Then, if that point moves along a line, the artificial matter must follow that moving point and be always at that point. Suppose now that a slab of steel is on that line. The point moves to it--through it. To exist, that artificial matter _must_ follow it through the steel--if not, it is destroyed. Then the steel is attempting to destroy the artificial matter. If the matter has sufficient energy, it will force the steel out of the way, and penetrate. The same is true of any other matter, lux metal or relux--it will penetrate. To continue in existence it must. And it has great energy, and will expend every erg of that energy of existence to continue existence. "It is, as long as its energy holds out, absolutely irresistible! "But similarly, if it is at a given point, it must stay there, and will expend every erg staying there. It is then immovable! It is either irresistible in motion, or immovable in static condition. It is the irresistible and the immovable! "What happens if the irresistible meets the immovable? It can only fight with its energy of existence, and the more energetic prevails." Chapter X IMPROVEMENTS AND CALCULATIONS "It is still incredible. But you have done it. It is certainly successful!" said the Talsonian scientist with conviction. Arcot shook his head. "Far from it--we have not realized a thousandth part of the tremendous possibilities of this invention. We must work and calculate and then invent.