Understand, then, that that is but imitation of a higher law. A
fragment of the force that we control is greater than the whole power of
all the guns in the world, and forever we are seeking the knowledge of
how to protect ourselves against it, so that we may safely experiment
with higher potencies. As we learn the secret of safety we increase the
power, and then learn more safety, and again increase the power.
Perpetually there comes a stage at which we dare not go
forward--yet--because we do not yet know what the result of higher
potencies will be on our own bodies. Do you understand me? So. There
will be an experiment to-night to ascertain the utmost limit of our
present ability to resist the force."

"You mean they'll try the force on you?"

He nodded.

"Why not use an alligator? There are lots of creatures that die harder
than a human being."

"It must be one who understands," he answered. "Not even a neophyte
would do. It must be one of iron courage, who will resist to the last,
enduring agony rather than letting in death that would instantly end the
agony. It must be one who knows the full extent of all our knowledge,
and can therefore apply all our present resources of resistance, so that
the very outside edge of safety, as it were, may be measured
accurately."

"And how long is the process likely to last?" I asked him.

"Who knows?" he answered. "Possibly three days, or longer. They will
feed me scientifically, and will increase the potencies gradually, in
order to observe the exact effects at different stages. And some of the
more painful stages they will repeat again and again, because the
greater the pain the greater the difficulty of registering exact degrees
of resistance. The higher vibrations are not by any means always the
most painful, any more than the brightest colors or the highest notes
are always the most beautiful."

"Then you are to use your knowledge of resistance against their
knowledge of force--is that it?"

He nodded.

"Isn't there a chance then that you may hold out to a point that will
satisfy them? A point, I mean, at which you'll be more useful to them
alive than dead? Surely if you should live and tell them all about it
that would serve the purpose better than to have you dead and silent
forever?"

He smiled like a school teacher turning down a promising pupil's
suggestion.

"They will vibrate every atom of flesh and every drop of moisture from
my bones before they have