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officer might bestow on the bows and arrows of the Chinese。 In another
department there were models of vehicles and vessels worked by steam；
and of an air…balloon which might have been constructed by Montgolfier。
〃Such；〃 said Zee； with an air of meditative wisdom… 〃such were the feeble
triflings with nature of our savage forefathers； ere they had even a
glimmering perception of the properties of vril！〃
This young Gy was a magnificent specimen of the muscular force to
which the females of her country attain。 Her features were beautiful； like
those of all her race： never in the upper world have I seen a face so grand
and so faultless； but her devotion to the severer studies had given to her
countenance an expression of abstract thought which rendered it
somewhat stern when in repose； and such a sternness became formidable
when observed in connection with her ample shoulders and lofty stature。
She was tall even for a Gy； and I saw her lift up a cannon as easily as I
could lift a pocket…pistol。 Zee inspired me with a profound terror… a
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The Coming Race
terror which increased when we came into a department of the museum
appropriated to models of contrivances worked by the agency of vril； for
here； merely by a certain play of her vril staff； she herself standing at a
distance； she put into movement large and weighty substances。 She
seemed to endow them with intelligence； and to make them 72comprehend
and obey her command。 She set complicated pieces of machinery into
movement； arrested the movement or continued it； until； within an
incredibly short time； various kinds of raw material were reproduced as
symmetrical works of art； complete and perfect。 Whatever effect
mesmerism or electro…biology produces over the nerves and muscles of
animated objects； this young Gy produced by the motions of her slender
rod over the springs and wheels of lifeless mechanism。
When I mentioned to my companions my astonishment at this
influence over inanimate matter… while owning that； in our world； I had
witnessed phenomena which showed that over certain living organisations
certain other living organisations could establish an influence genuine in
itself； but often exaggerated by credulity or craft… Zee； who was more
interested in such subjects than her father； bade me stretch forth my hand；
and then； placing it beside her own； she called my attention to certain
distinctions of type and character。 In the first place； the thumb of the Gy
（and； as I afterwards noticed； of all that race； male or female） was much
larger； at once longer and more massive； than is found with our species
above ground。 There is almost； in this； as great a difference as there is
between the thumb of a man and that of a gorilla。 Secondly； the palm is
proportionally thicker than ours… the texture of the skin infinitely finer and
softer… its average warmth is greater。 More remarkable than all this； is a
visible nerve； perceptible under the skin； which starts from the wrist
skirting the ball of the thumb； and branching； fork…like； at the roots of the
fore and middle fingers。 〃With your slight formation of thumb；〃 said the
philosophical young Gy； 〃and with the absence of the nerve which you
find more or less developed in the hands of our race； you can never
achieve other than imperfect and feeble power over the agency of vril； but
so far as the nerve is concerned； that is not found in the hands of our
earliest progenitors； nor in those of the ruder tribes without the pale of the
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The Coming Race
Vril…ya。 It has been slowly developed 73in the course of generations；
commencing in the early achievements； and increasing with the
continuous exercise； of the vril power； therefore； in the course of one or
two thousand years； such a nerve may possibly be engendered in those
higher beings of your race； who devote themselves to that paramount
science through which is attained command over all the subtler forces of
nature permeated by vril。 But when you talk of matter as something in
itself inert and motionless； your parents or tutors surely cannot have left
you so ignorant as not to know that no form of matter is motionless and
inert： every particle is constantly in motion and constantly acted upon by
agencies； of which heat is the most apparent and rapid； but vril the most
subtle； and； when skilfully wielded； the most powerful。 So that； in fact；
the current launched by my hand and guided by my will does but render
quicker and more potent the action which is eternally at work upon every
particle of matter； however inert and stubborn it may seem。 If a heap of
metal be not capable of originating a thought of its own； yet； through its
internal susceptibility to movement； it obtains the power to receive the
thought of the intellectual agent at work on it； by which； when conveyed
with a sufficient force of the vril power； it is as much compelled to obey as
if it were displaced by a visible bodily force。 It is animated for the time
being by the soul thus infused into it； so that one may almost say that it
lives and reasons。 Without this we could not make our automata supply
the place of servants。
I was too much in awe of the thews and the learning of the young Gy
to hazard the risk of arguing with her。 I had read somewhere in my
schoolboy days that a wise man； disputing with a Roman Emperor；
suddenly drew in his horns； and when the emperor asked him whether he
had nothing further to say on his side of the question； replied； 〃Nay；
Caesar； there is no arguing against a reasoner who commands ten legions。〃
74 Though I had a secret persuasion that； whatever the real effects of vril
upon matter； Mr。 Faraday could have proved her a very shallow
philosopher as to its extent or its causes； I had no doubt that Zee could
have brained all the Fellows of th