“I must speak with him urgently.”
The laboratory assistant, a stout and active little man, shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m afraid it’s no good. Mr. Thomas isn’t free today even for a second.”
“Are you making Krakatit?”
The assistant snorted evasively. “What’s that to do with you?”
“I must … warn him of something. I’ve something to give him.”
“You can give it to me. I’ll take it to him.”
“No, I’ll … only give it to him. Tell him—”
“All the same, you could leave it with me.” The man in the white coat turned on his heel and went off.
“Wait,” cried Prokop. “Give him this. Explain to him … explain to him. …” He drew out of his pocket the crumpled package and passed it through the grille. The assistant took it suspiciously with the tips of his fingers and Prokop felt as if he had torn himself away from something. “Tell him that … that I’m waiting here and that I should like him to … to come here!”
“I’ll give it him,” said the assistant and went away.
Prokop squatted down on his heels. On the other side of the partition a silent shadow continued to watch him. It was a frosty night, the bare branches of the trees stretched into the fog, there was a slimy and chilly feeling in the air. A quarter of an hour later someone came up to the grille—a pale youth, evidently suffering from lack of sleep, with a face the colour of curds.
“Mr. Thomas says that he thanks you very much and that he can’t come and that you mustn’t wait,” he announced mechanically.
“Wait,” said Prokop impatiently through his teeth. “Tell him that I must see him, that … that it’s a question of his life. And that I will give him anything that he wants if … if he will only let me know the name and address of the lady from whom I brought him the parcel. You understand?”
“Mr. Thomas only told me to say that he thanks you very much,” repeated the lad in a sleepy voice, “and that you are not to wait—”
“But—the devil,” groaned Prokop through his teeth, “I’ll explain when he comes and shan’t move until then. And tell him that he must leave his work or that … he’ll go up in the air, see?”
“Please,” said the youth dully.
“Ask him to come here! And to give me that address, only that address, and say that then I’ll give him everything, have you understood?”
“Please.”
“Well, go then, quickly, for heaven’s—”
He waited in feverish impatience. Was that the step of a human being within? He had a sudden vision of Daimon, twisting his violet mouth and staring at the blue sparks of his apparatus. And this idiot Thomas didn’t come! He was preparing something over there where one could see the lighted window and had no idea that he was being bombarded, that with his quick hands he was digging a grave for himself. Was that a step? No one came.
Prokop was rent by a hoarse cough. I’ll give you everything, madman, if you will only come and tell me her name! I want nothing, nothing except to find her. I’ll give you everything if you will only tell me this one thing! His eyes stared into the distance and now she was standing in front of him, veiled, with dry leaves at her feet, pale and extraordinarily serious in this darkness. She twisted her hands on her breast and had already given him the parcel. She looked at him with deep, attentive eyes; her veil and fur were covered with drops of moisture. “You were unforgettably kind to me,” she said softly in a muffled voice. She raised her hands to him and again he was convulsed by a fierce cough. Oh, was nobody coming? He threw himself at the grille, trying to force his way through.
“Stay where you are, or I shoot,” cried the shadow from the other side. “What do you want here?”
Prokop drew back. “Please,” he said desperately in a hoarse voice, “tell Mr. Thomas … tell him. …”
“Tell him yourself,” the voice interrupted him illogically, “but keep away.”
Prokop again squatted down on his heels. Perhaps Thomas would come when his experiment again missed fire. Certainly, he would not be able to discover how Krakatit was prepared; then he would come and call Prokop. … He sat hunched up like a beggar. “Look here,” he said at length. “I’ll give you … ten thousand if you’ll let me through.”
“I’ll have you arrested,” answered the voice sharply and inexorably.
“I … I …” stammered Prokop. “I only want to know that address. See? I only want to know that. … I’ll give you anything if you will only get it for me! You … you’re married, and have children, but I … I’m alone … and I only want to find. …”
“Keep quiet,” scolded the voice. “You’re drunk.”
Prokop became silent and rocked himself on his heels. “I must wait,” he reflected dully. “Why does nobody come? I’ll give him everything, Krakatit and everything else if he’ll only. … ‘You were unforgettably kind to me.’ No, God preserve me, I’m a bad man, but you, you awakened in me the passion of tenderness. I would do anything in the world to earn a look from you; you know why I’m here. The most beautiful thing about you is that you have the power of making me serve you. That’s why, you see, I can’t help loving you!”
“What’s up with you?” came the voice from the other side of the grille. “Are you going to be quiet or not?”
Prokop stood up: “Please, please tell him—”
“I’ll set the dog on you!”
A white figure, accompanied by the glowing end of a cigarette, sauntered up to the partition. “Is that you, Thomas?” cried Prokop.
“No. Are you still here?” It was the laboratory assistant. “Man, are you mad?”
“Is Mr. Thomas coming, please?”
“He wouldn’t dream of such a thing,” said the assistant contemptuously. “He doesn’t need you. In a quarter of an hour we shall have it ready, and then, gloria victoria!
