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IV

THE following two days were astonishing days. To some of the people who witnessed the strange events, it was perfectly clear that something unusual was occurring; it seemed dear that beginning with this day, the real agony of the Earth would lead up to imminent destruction. Yet, they did not seem to have made up their minds to speak about it in the open. Such a supposition seemed entirely too wild and absurd. Although in Eike’s newspaper, on the day following the event, there appeared an article which quite carefully explained the significance of the events, the edition was immediately suppressed by order of the authorities, who found in the news nothing but a common newspaper-bait, capable of creating a panic and of causing an undesirable commotion. Those few, who succeeded in getting copies, simply shrugged their shoulders in wonderment; how could a respectable newspaper lower itself by running after cheap sensationalism?

On the other hand, there were other eye-witnesses and victims of the destruction caused by the flight of the fiery globe through the streets of Berlin. But their number was too small to be reckoned with — ten or fifteen souls altogether. The fires that occurred in several parts of the city were rapidly extinguished. Besides, upon reaching the eastern outskirts of the city, the sphere disappeared in the direction of Furstenwalde.

Nothing at all was heard about it for two days. It did not in the least resemble an elementary catastrophe. In a word, no one seemed to think the event cither serious or significant.

Hinez, however, did not rest; like a poisoned beast he ran from one City Office to the other; he rushed to the Council of professors, to editorial offices, everywhere insisting, demanding, himself not knowing what. Nobody wanted to listen to him; they shrugged their shoulders and smiled in his face. Two — three professors of the Institute, indeed, shared his alarm and were certain that the affair was not yet finished. But not one was willing to stake his reputation or risk falling into a ridiculous position, if the whole affair should perchance turn out to be a false alarm.

Deriugin did not show himself anywhere. He had apparently forgotten about the dreadful occurrence, while he worked continuously and feverishly over some research work in the laboratory of the Institute. He hadn’t even shown up at the professor’s funeral, at which all the flower of the scientific world of Berlin and Germany had gathered. So completely absorbed was he in his work.

For all that, Eitel had played a conspicuous part on that day, and strange it was to see his bright uniform in the background of black frocks of the professors and their colleagues. Here, for the first time, since that significant day, young Flinder met Hinez, now an absent- minded, ill and irresponsible person.