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