TheManinAsbestos.docx

TheManinAsbestos.docx

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TheManinAsbestos

TheManinAsbestos

TobeginwithletmeadmitthatIdiditonpurpose.Perhapsitwaspartlyfromjealousy.

Itseemedunfairthatotherwritersshouldbeableatwilltodropintoasleepoffourorfivehundredyears,andtoplungeheadfirstintoadistantfutureandbeawitnessofitsmarvels.

Iwantedtodothattoo.

Imademypreparationsforthesleep.

Itwas,inaway,clear,straightsuicide,butIdidit.

Icouldfeelmysensesleavingme.Intheroomacrossthehalltherewasamansinging.Hisvoice,thathadbeenloud,camefainterandfainterthroughthetransom.Ifellintoasleep,thedeepimmeasurablesleepinwhichtheveryexistenceoftheouterworldwashushed.DimlyIcouldfeelthedaysgopast,thentheyears,andthenthelongpassageofthecenturies.

Thenquitesuddenly,Iwokeupandlookedaboutme.

WherewasI?

Ifoundmyselfsittingonabroadcouchinsomekindofmuseum.

Besidemesataman.Hisfacewashairless,butneitheroldnoryoung.Heworeclothesthatlookedlikethegreyashesofpaperthathadburnedandkeptitsshape.Hewaslookingatmequietly,butwithnoparticularsurpriseorinterest.

"Quick,"Isaid,eagertobegin;"whereamI?

Whoareyou?

"Whataqueer,excitedwayyouhaveofspeaking,"hesaid.

"Tellme,"Isaidagain,"isthistheyear3000?

"

“Ihaven’tthefaintestidea,”hesaid.

"Don'tyoukeeptrackofthemanymore?

"Igasped.

"Weusedto,"saidtheman.“Butitdiedout.Why,”hecontinued,“afterweeliminateddeath—.”

"Eliminateddeath!

"Icried,sittingupright."GoodGod!

"

"Whatwasthatexpressionyouused?

"queriedtheman.

"GoodGod!

"Irepeated.

"Ah,"hesaid,"neverhearditbefore.ButIwassayingthatafterwehadeliminatedDeath,andFood,andChange,wehadpracticallygotridofEvents,and--"

"Stop!

"Isaid,mybrainreeling."Tellmeonethingatatime."

"Humph!

"heejaculated."Isee,youmusthavebeenasleepalongtime.Goonthenandaskquestions.

Oddlyenoughthefirstquestionthatsprangtomylipswas--

"Whatarethoseclothesmadeof?

"

"Asbestos,"answeredtheman."Theylasthundredsofyears.Wehaveonesuiteach,andtherearebillionsofthempiledup,ifanybodywantsanewone."

"Thankyou,"Ianswered."NowtellmewhereIam?

"

"Youareinamuseum.Thefiguresinthecasesarespecimenslikeyourself.Buthere,"hesaid,"ifyouwantreallytofindoutaboutwhatisevidentlyanewepochtoyou,getoffyourplatformandcomeoutonBroadwayandsitonabench."

Igotdown.Butthemomentwecameoutuponthestreet,Istoodrivetedinastonishment.

Broadway!

Wasitpossible?

Thechangewasabsolutelyappalling!

InplaceoftheroaringthoroughfarethatIhadknown,thissilent,moss-growndesolation!

Greatbuildingsfallenintoruinthroughthesheerstressofcenturiesofwindandweather,thesidesofthemcoatedoverwithagrowthoffungusandmoss!

Theplacewassoundless.Notavehiclemoved.Therewerenowiresoverhead--nosoundoflifeormovementexcept,hereandthere,therepassedslowlytoandfrohumanfiguresdressedinthesameasbestosclothesasmyacquaintance,withthesamehairlessfaces,andthesamelookofinfiniteageuponthem.

Goodheavens;AndwasthistheeraoftheConquestthatIhadhopedtosee!

Ihadalwaystakenforgranted,Idonotknowwhy,thathumanitywasdestinedtomoveforward.Thispictureofwhatseemeddesolationontheruinsofourcivilizationrenderedmealmostspeechless.

Igaspedoutaquestion.

"Wherearethestreetcarsandthemotors?

"

"Oh,doneawaywithlongago,"hesaid

"Buthowdoyougetabout?

"

"Wedon't,"heanswered."Whyshouldwe?

It'sjustthesamebeinghereasbeinganywhereelse."

Athousandquestionssurgedintomymindatonce.Iaskedoneofthesimplest.

"Buthowdoyougetbackandforwardstoyourwork?

"

"Work!

"hesaid."Thereisn'tanywork.”

Ilookedathimamomentopen-mouthed.

Itriedtopullmysensestogether.IrealizedthatifIwastounravelthisnewandundreamed-offuture,Imustgoatitsystematicallyandstepbystep.

"Isee,"Isaidafterapause,"thatmomentousthingshavehappenedsincemytime.Iwishyouwouldletmeaskyouaboutitallsystematically,andwouldexplainittomebitbybit.First,whatdoyoumeanbysayingthatthereisnowork?

"

"Why,"answeredmystrangeacquaintance,"itdiedoutofitself.Machinerykilledit.IfIrememberrightly,youhadacertainamountofmachineryeveninyourtime. 

Inoddedassent.

"Butyoufounditdidyounogood.Thebetteryourmachines,theharderyouworked.Themorethingsyouhadthemoreyouwanted.Thepaceoflifegrewswifterandswifter.Youcriedout,butitwouldnotstop.Youwereallcaughtinthecogsofyourownmachine.Noneofyoucouldseetheend."

"Thatisquitetrue,"Isaid. 

“Well,then,therecametheEraoftheGreatConquestofNature.ThefinalvictoryofManandMachinery.”

“Conqueredit,”hesaid,“beatitout!

Thingscameonebyone.Inahundredyearsitwasalldone.Infact,justassoonasmankindturneditsenergytodecreasingitsneedsinsteadofincreasingitsdesires,thewholethingwaseasy.ChemicalFoodcamefirst.Heavens!

Thesimplicityofit.Agriculturewentoverboard.Eatingandallthatgoeswithit,domesticlabor,housework—allended.Nowadaysonetakesaconcentratedpilleveryyearorso,that’sall.

ThencametheAsbestosClothes.Thatwaswonderful!

Inoneyearhumanitymadeenoughsuitstolastforeverandever.That,ofcourse,couldneverhavebeenifithadn'tbeenconnectedwiththerevoltofwomenandthefallofFashion."

"HavetheFashionsgone,"Iasked,"thatinsane,extravagantideaof--"Iwasabouttolaunchintooneofmyold-timeharanguesaboutthesheervanityofdecorativedress,whenmyeyerestedonthemovingfiguresinasbestos,andIstopped.

"Allgone,"saidtheManinAsbestos."Thennexttothatwekilled,orpracticallykilled,thechangesofclimate.Idon'tthinkthatinyourdayyouproperlyunderstoodhowmuchofyourworkwasduetotheshiftsofwhatyoucalledtheweather.Itmeanttheneedofallkindsofspecialclothesandhousesandshelters,awildernessofwork.Howdreadfulitmusthavebeeninyourday--windandstorms,cloudsflyingthroughtheair,theoceantossedandtornbythewind,snowthrownallovereverything, 

"So,"Isaid,"theconquestofnaturemeantthatpresentlytherewasnomoreworktodo?

"

"Exactly,"hesaid,"nothingleft."

"Foodenoughforall?

"

"Toomuch,"heanswered.

"Housesandclothes?

"

"Allyoulike,"

ThenIrealized,Ithinkforthefirsttime,justwhatworkhadmeantintheoldlife,andhowmuchofthetextureoflifeitselfhadbeenboundupinthekeeneffortofit.

Presentlymyeyeslookedupward:

danglingatthetopofamoss-grownbuildingIsawwhatseemedtobetheremainsoftelephonewires.

"Whatbecameofallthat,"Isaid,"thetelegraphandthetelephoneandallthesystemofcommunication?

"

“Ah,”saidtheManinAsbestos,“allcutout.Yousee,whenworkstoppedandcommerceended,andfoodwasneedless,andtheweatherkilled,therewasnothingtocommunicateanditwasfoolishtomoveabout.Besides,itwasdangerous!

”

"So!

"Isaid."Dangerous!

Youstillhavedanger?

"

"Why,yes,"hesaid.

“Doyoumeanthatyoucanstilldie?

”Iasked.

“No,saidtheManinAsbestos,“there’sbeennodeathforcenturiespast;wecutthatoutDiseaseanddeathweresimplyamatterofgerms.Well,wehuntedthemdownonebyoneanddestroyedthem.”

"Andyoumeantosay,"Iejaculatedinamazement,lookingattheManinAsbestos,"thatnowadaysyouliveforever?

"

“Yes,”hesaid,“unless,ofcourse,wegetbroken.Thereforewetookstepstocutoutallaccidents.Weforbidallstreetcars,streettraffic,airplanes,andsoon.”

Wesatsilentforalongtime.Ilookedaboutmeatthecrumblingbuildings,themonotone,unchangingsky,andthedreary,emptystreet.Here,then,wasthefruitoftheConquest,herewastheeliminationofwork,theendofhungerandofcold,thecessationofthehardstruggle,thedownfallofchangeanddeath--nay,theverymillenniumofhappiness.Andyet,somehow,thereseemedsomethingwrongwithitall.Ipondered,thenIputtwoorthreerapidquestions,hardlywaitingtoreflectupontheanswers.

"Isthereanywarnow?

"

"Donewithcenturiesago.”

"Arethereanynewspapersnow?

"

"Newspapers!

Whatonearthwouldwewantthemfor?

Ifweshouldneedthematanytimetherearethousandsofoldonespiledup.Butwhatisinthem,anyway;onlythingsthathappen,warsandaccidentsandworkanddeath.Whenthesewentnewspaperswenttoo.Listen,"continuedtheManinAsbestos,youstilldon'tseemtounderstandthenewlifeatall.Howusedyourpeopletospendalltheearlypartoftheirlives?

"

"Why,"Isaid,"ourfirstfifteenyearsorsowerespentingettingeducation."

"Exactly,"heanswered;"nownoticehowweimprovedonallthat.Educationinourdayisdonebysurgery.Strangethatinyourtimenobodyrealizedthateducationwassimplyasurgicaloperationofopeningtheskullandengraftingintoitapieceofpreparedbrain.Well,then,tocontinue,whatusedtooccupyyourtimeandeffortafteryoureducation?

”

"Why,"Isaid,"onehad,ofcourse,towork,andthen,totellthetruth,agreatpartofone'stimeandfeelingwasdevotedtowardtheothersex,towardfallinginloveandfindingsomewomantoshareone'slife."

"Ah,"saidtheManinAsbestos,withrealinterest."I'veheardaboutyourarrangementswiththewomen,butneverquiteunderstoodthem.”

Thenitsuddenlystruckmethatofthefiguresonthestreet,allhadlookedalike.

"Tellme,"Isaid,"aretherenowomennow?

Aretheygonetoo?

"

"Oh,no,"answeredtheManinAsbestos,"they'reherejustthesame.Someofthosearewomen.Onl