It was the old point of difference. Huyck was ever crashing down the idols of pure materialism. Williams was of the world-wide school. “You are in error, my dear professor, in a very little thing and a very large one.” “What is that?” “Man.” “Man?” “Yes. He’s a great little bug. You have left him out of your calculation—which he will upset.” The professor smiled indulgently. “I’ll allow; he is at least a conceited bug; but you surely cannot grant him much when pitted against the Universe.” “No? Did it ever occur to you. Professor, what the Universe is? The stars for instance? Space, the immeasurable distance of Infinity. Have you never dreamed?” Williams could not quite grasp him. Huyck had a habit that had grown out of childhood. Always he would allow his opponent to commit himself. The professor did not answer. But the other spoke. “Ether. You know it. Whether mind or granite. For instance, your desert.” He placed his finger to his forehead. “Your mind, my mind—localized ether.” “What are you driving at?” “Merely this. Your universe has intelligence. It has mind as well as matter. The little knot called the earth is becoming conscious. Your deductions are incompetent unless they embrace mind as well as matter, and they cannot do it. Your mathematics are worthless.” The professor bit his lip. “Always fanciful.” he commented, “and visionary. Your argument is beautiful, Charley, and hopeful. I would that it were true. But all things must mature. Even an earth must die.” “Not our earth. You look into the past, professor, for your proof, and I look into the future. Give a planet long enough time in maturing and it will develop life; give it still longer and it will produce intelligence. Our own earth is just coming into consciousness; it has thirty million years, at least, to run.” “You mean?” “This. That man is a great little bug. Mind: the intelligence of the earth.” This of course is a bit dry. The conversation of such men very often is to those who do not care to follow them. But it is very pertinent to what came after. We know now, everyone knows, that Charley Huyck was right. Even Professor Williams admits it. Our earth is conscious. In less than twenty-four hours it had to employ its consciousness to save itself from destruction. A bell rang. It was the private wire that connected the office with the residence. The professor picked up the receiver. “Just a minute. Yes? All right.” Then to his companion: “I must go over to the house, Charley. We have plenty of time. Then we can go up to the observatory.” Which shows how little we know about ourselves. Poor Professor Williams! Little did he think that those casual words were the last he would ever speak to Charley Huyck. The whole world seething! The beginning of the end! Charley Huyck in the vortex. The next few hours were to be the most strenuous of the planet’s history. CHAPTER V APPROACHING DISASTER