"All I have heard of you was the merest
flattery. You are either a fiend or a madman!"
"When you are enlisted as a member of the Sublime Order," said Fo-Hi
softly, "and you awaken in China, Dr. Stuart--you will work. We have
no unwilling recruits."
"Stop your accursed talk. I have heard enough."
But the metallic voice continued smoothly:
"I appreciate the difficulty which you must experience in grasping the
true significance of this movement. You have seen mighty nations,
armed with every known resource of science, at a deadlock on the
battlefield. You naturally fail to perceive how a group of Oriental
philosophers can achieve what the might of Europe failed to achieve.
You will remember, in favour of my claims, that we command the
service of the world's genius, and have a financial backing which
could settle the national loans of the world! In other words,
exhumation of a large percentage of the great men who have died in
recent years would be impossible. Their tombs are empty."
"I have heard enough. Drug me, kill me; but spare me your confidences."
"In the crowded foyer of a hotel," continued Fo-Hi imperturbably, "of
a theatre, of a concert-room; in the privacy of their home, of their
office; wherever opportunity offered, I caused them to be touched
with the point of a hypodermic needle such as this." He held up a
small hypodermic syringe.
"It contained a minute quantity of the serum which I am now
preparing--the serum whose discovery was the crowning achievement of
a great scientist's career (I refer, Dr.
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