of a
woman with the pink of the flesh and the wrinkles at the knuckles
visible. The wrist seemed to fade gradually into nothingness, the end of
the hand was as indeterminate as are things in a dream, but the hand was
definite.

"The hand is reaching for the bar of lux metal on the floor." The soft,
little hand moved, and reached down and grasped the half ton bar of lux
metal, wrapped dainty fingers about it and lifted it smoothly and
effortlessly to the table, and laid it there.

A mistiness suddenly solidified to another hand. The second hand joined
the first, and fell to work on the bar, and pulled. The bar stretched
finally under an enormous load. One hand let go, and the thud of the
highly elastic lux metal bar's return to its original shape echoed
through the soundless room. These men of the twenty-second century knew
what relux and lux metals were, and knew their enormous strength. Yet it
was putty under these hands. The hands that looked like a woman's!

The bar was again placed on the table, and the hands disappeared. There
was a thud, and the relay had opened.

"I can't demonstrate the power I have. It is impossible. The
power is so enormous that nothing short of a sun could serve as a
demonstration-hall. It is utterly beyond comprehension under any
conditions. I have demonstrated artificial matter, and control by mental
action.

"I'm now going to show you some other things we have learned. Remember,
I can control perfectly the properties of artificial matter, by
determining the structure it shall have.

"Watch."

Morey closed the relay. Arcot again set to work. A heavy ingot of iron
was raised by a clamp that fastened itself upon it, coming from nowhere.
The iron moved, and settled over the table. As it approached, a
mistiness that formed became a crucible. The crucible showed the gray of
pure iron, but it was artificial matter. The iron settled in the
crucible, and a strange process of flowing began. The crucible became a
ball, and colors flowed across its surface, till finally it was glowing
richly silvery. The ball opened, and a great lump of silvery stuff was
within it. It settled to the floor, and the ball disappeared, but the
silvery metal did not.

"Platinum," said Morey softly. A gasp came from the audience. "Only
platinum could exist there, and the matter had to rearrange itself as
platinum." He could rearrange it in any form he chose, either absorbing
or supplying energy of existence and