E-text prepared by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan, and the Project Guenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Transcriber's note: No evidence was found to indicate the copyright on this book was renewed. THE GIRL IN THE GOLDEN ATOM by RAY CUMMINGS TO MY FRIEND AND MENTOR ROBERT H. DAVIS WITH GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HIS ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE TO WHICH I OWE MY INITIAL SUCCESS CONTENTS I. A Universe in an Atom II. Into the Ring III. After Forty-eight Hours IV. Lylda V. The World in the Ring VI. Strategy and Kisses VII. A Modern Gulliver VIII. "I Must Go Back" IX. After Five Years X. Testing the Drugs XI. The Escape of the Drug XII. The Start XIII. Perilous Ways XIV. Strange Experiences XV. The Valley of the Scratch XVI. The Pit of Darkness XVII. The Welcome of the Master XVIII. The Chemist and His Son XIX. The City of Arite XX. The World of the Ring XXI. A Life Worth Living XXII. The Trial XXIII. Lylda's Plan XXIV. Lylda Acts XXV. The Escape of Targo XXVI. The Abduction XXVII. Aura XXVIII. The Attack on the Palace XXIX. On the Lake XXX. Word Music XXXI. The Palace of Orlog XXXII. An Ant-hill Outraged XXXIII. The Rescue of Loto XXXIV. The Decision XXXV. Good-bye to Arite XXXVI. The Fight in the Tunnels XXXVII. A Combat of Titans XXXVIII. Lost in Size XXXIX. A Modern Dinosaur XL. The Adventurers' Return XLI. The First Christmas THE GIRL IN THE GOLDEN ATOM CHAPTER I A UNIVERSE IN AN ATOM "Then you mean to say there is no such thing as the _smallest_ particle of matter?" asked the Doctor. "You can put it that way if you like," the Chemist replied. "In other words, what I believe is that things can be infinitely small just as well as they can be infinitely large. Astronomers tell us of the immensity of space. I have tried to imagine space as finite. It is impossible. How can you conceive the edge of space? Something must be beyond--something or nothing, and even that would be more space, wouldn't it?" "Gosh," said the Very Young Man, and lighted another cigarette. The Chemist resumed, smiling a little. "Now, if it seems probable that there is no limit to the immensity of space, why should we make its smallness finite? How can you say that the atom cannot be divided? As a matter of fact, it already has been. The most powerful microscope will show you realms of smallness to which you can penetrate no other way. Multiply that power a thousand times, or ten thousand times, and who shall say what you will see?" The Chemist paused, and looked at the intent little group around him.