The Master Key

by L. Frank Baum

  At four o'clock he went to his workshop and unlocked the door.Everything was exactly as he had left it, and he looked at his simpleelectrical devices with some amusement. They seemed tame beside thewonders now in his possession; yet he recollected that his numerouswires had enabled him to strike the Master Key, and therefore shouldnot be despised.

  Before long he noticed a quickening in the air, as if it were suddenlysurcharged with electric fluid, and the next instant, in a dazzlingflash of light, appeared the Demon.

  "I am here!" he announced.

  "So am I," answered Rob. "But at one time I really thought I shouldnever see you again. I've been--"

  "Spare me your history," said the Demon, coldly. "I am aware of youradventures."

  "Oh, you are!" said Rob, amazed. "Then you know--"

  "I know all about your foolish experiences," interrupted the Demon,"for I have been with you constantly, although I remained invisible."

  "Then you know what a jolly time I've had," returned the boy. "But whydo you call them foolish experiences?"

  "Because they were, abominably foolish!" retorted the Demon, bitterly."I entrusted to you gifts of rare scientific interest--electricaldevices of such utility that their general adoption by mankind wouldcreate a new era in earth life. I hoped your use of these devices wouldconvey such hints to electrical engineers that they would quicklycomprehend their mechanism and be able to reproduce them in sufficientquantities to supply the world. And how do you treat these marvelousgifts? Why, you carry them to a cannibal island, where even your crudecivilization has not yet penetrated!"

  "I wanted to astonish the natives," said Rob, grinning.

  The Demon uttered an exclamation of anger, and stamped his foot sofiercely that thousands of electric sparks filled the air, to disappearquickly with a hissing, crinkling sound.

  "You might have astonished those ignorant natives as easily by showingthem an ordinary electric light," he cried, mockingly. "The power ofyour gifts would have startled the most advanced electricians of theworld. Why did you waste them upon barbarians?"

  "Really," faltered Rob, who was frightened and awed by the Demon'svehement anger, "I never intended to visit a cannibal island. I meantto go to Cuba."

  "Cuba! Is that a center of advanced scientific thought? Why did you nottake your marvels to New York or Chicago; or, if you wished to crossthe ocean, to Paris or Vienna?"

  "I never thought of those places," acknowledged Rob, meekly.

  "Then you were foolish, as I said," declared the Demon, in a calmertone. "Can you not realize that it is better to be considered great bythe intelligent thinkers of the earth, than to be taken for a god bystupid cannibals?"

  "Oh, yes, of course," said Rob. "I wish now that I had gone to Europe.But you're not the only one who has a kick coming," he continued. "Yourflimsy traveling machine was nearly the death of me."

  "Ah, it is true," acknowledged the Demon, frankly. "The case was madeof too light material. When the rim was bent it pressed against theworks and impeded the proper action of the currents. Had you gone toa civilized country such an accident could not have happened; but toavoid possible trouble in the future I have prepared a new instrument,having a stronger case, which I will exchange for the one you nowhave."

  "That's very kind of you," said Rob, eagerly handing his batteredmachine to the Demon and receiving the new one in return. "Are you surethis will work?"

  "It is impossible for you to injure it," answered the other.

  "And how about the next three gifts?" inquired the boy, anxiously.

  "Before I grant them," replied the Demon, "you must give me a promiseto keep away from uncivilized places and to exhibit your acquirementsonly among people of intelligence."

  "All right," agreed the boy; "I'm not anxious to visit that islandagain, or any other uncivilized country."

  "Then I will add to your possessions three gifts, each more preciousand important than the three you have already received."

  At this announcement Rob began to quiver with excitement, and satstaring eagerly at the Demon, while the latter increased in stature andsparkled and glowed more brilliantly than ever.

  _CHAPTER EIGHT_

  ROB ACQUIRES NEW POWERS

  "I have seen the folly of sending you into the world with an offensiveinstrument, yet with no method of defense," resumed the Demon,presently. "You have knocked over a good many people with that tubeduring the past week."

  "I know," said Rob; "but I couldn't help it. It was the only way I hadto protect myself."

  "Therefore my next gift shall be this Garment of Protection. You mustwear it underneath your clothing. It has power to accumulate andexercise electrical repellent force. Perhaps you do not know whatthat means, so I will explain more fully. When any missile, such as abullet, sword or lance, approaches your person, its rush through theair will arouse the repellent force of which I speak, and this force,being more powerful than the projective force, will arrest the flightof the missile and throw it back again. Therefore nothing can touchyour person that comes with any degree of force or swiftness, and youwill be safe from all ordinary weapons. When wearing this Garmentyou will find it unnecessary to use the electric tube except on rareoccasions. Never allow revenge or animosity to influence your conduct.Men may threaten, but they can not injure you, so you must rememberthat they do not possess your mighty advantages, and that, because ofyour strength, you should bear with them patiently."

  Rob examined the garment with much curiosity. It glittered like silver,yet was soft and pliable as lamb's wool. Evidently the Demon hadprepared it especially for his use, for it was just Rob's size.

  "Now," continued the Demon, more gravely, "we approach the subjectof an electrical device so truly marvelous that even I am awed whenI contemplate the accuracy and perfection of the natural laws whichguide it and permit it to exercise its functions. Mankind has as yetconceived nothing like it, for it requires full knowledge of electricalpower to understand even its possibilities."

  The Being paused, and drew from an inner pocket something resembling aflat metal box. In size it was about four inches by six, and nearly aninch in thickness.

  "What is it?" asked Rob, wonderingly.

  "It is an automatic Record of Events," answered the Demon.

  "I don't understand," said Rob, with hesitation.

  "I will explain to you its use," returned the Demon, "although theelectrical forces which operate it and the vibratory currents whichare the true records must remain unknown to you until your brain hasmastered the higher knowledge of electricity. At present the practicalside of this invention will be more interesting to you than a review ofits scientific construction.

  "Suppose you wish to know the principal events that are occurring inGermany at the present moment. You first turn this little wheel at theside until the word 'GERMANY' appears in the slot at the small end.Then open the top cover, which is hinged, and those passing events inwhich you are interested will appear before your eyes."

  The Demon, as he spoke, opened the cover, and, looking within, theboy saw, as in a mirror, a moving picture before him. A regimentof soldiers was marching through the streets of Berlin, and at itshead rode a body of horsemen, in the midst of which was the Emperorhimself. The people who thronged the sidewalks cheered and waved theirhats and handkerchiefs with enthusiasm, while a band of musiciansplayed a German air, which Rob could distinctly hear.

  While he gazed, spell-bound, the scene changed, and he looked upon agreat warship entering a harbor with flying pennants. The rails werelined with officers and men straining their eyes for the first sight oftheir beloved "_Vaterland_" after a long foreign cruise, and a ringingcheer, as from a thousand throats, came faintly to Rob's ear.

  Again the scene changed, and within a dingy, underground room, hemmedin by walls of stone, and dimly lighted by a flickering lamp, a body ofwild-eyed, desperate men were plighting an oath to murder the Emperorand overthrow his government.

  "Anarchists?" asked Rob, trembling with
excitement.

  "Anarchists!" answered the Demon, with a faint sneer, and he shut thecover of the Record with a sudden snap.

  "It's wonderful!" cried the boy, with a sigh that was followed by aslight shiver.

  "The Record is, indeed, proof within itself of the marvelouspossibilities of electricity. Men are now obliged to depend uponnewspapers for information; but these can only relate events long afterthey have occurred. And newspaper statements are often unreliableand sometimes wholly false, while many events of real importance arenever printed in their columns. You may guess what an improvement isthis automatic Record of Events, which is as reliable as Truth itself.Nothing can be altered or falsified, for the vibratory currents conveythe actual events to your vision, even as they happen."

  "But suppose," said Rob, "that something important should happen whileI'm asleep, or not looking at the box?"

  "I have called this a Record," replied the Demon, "and such it reallyis, although I have shown you only such events as are in process ofbeing recorded. By pressing this spring you may open the oppositecover of the box, where all events of importance that have occurredthroughout the world during the previous twenty-four hours will appearbefore you in succession. You may thus study them at your leisure. Thevarious scenes constitute a register of the world's history, and may berecalled to view as often as you desire."

  "It's--it's like knowing everything," murmured Rob, deeply impressedfor perhaps the first time in his life.

  "It _is_ knowing everything," returned the Demon; "and this mighty giftI have decided to entrust to your care. Be very careful as to whom youpermit to gaze upon these pictures of passing events, for knowledge mayoften cause great misery to the human race."

  "I'll be careful," promised the boy, as he took the box reverentlywithin his own hands.

  "The third and last gift of the present series," resumed the Demon,"is one no less curious than the Record of Events, although it has anentirely different value. It is a Character Marker."

  "What's that?" inquired Rob.

  "I will explain. Perhaps you know that your fellow-creatures are moreor less hypocritical. That is, they try to appear good when they arenot, and wise when in reality they are foolish. They tell you they arefriendly when they positively hate you, and try to make you believethey are kind when their natures are cruel. This hypocrisy seems to bea human failing. One of your writers has said, with truth, that amongcivilized people things are seldom what they seem."

  "I've heard that," remarked Rob.

  "On the other hand," continued the Demon, "some people with fiercecountenances are kindly by nature, and many who appear to be evil arein reality honorable and trustworthy. Therefore, that you may judge allyour fellow-creatures truly, and know upon whom to depend, I give youthe Character Marker. It consists of this pair of spectacles. While youwear them every one you meet will be marked upon the forehead with aletter indicating his or her character. The good will bear the letter'G', the evil the letter 'E'. The wise will be marked with a 'W' andthe foolish with an 'F'. The kind will show a 'K' upon their foreheadsand the cruel a letter 'C'. Thus you may determine by a single look thetrue natures of all those you encounter."

  "And are these, also, electrical in their construction?" asked the boy,as he took the spectacles.

  "Certainly. Goodness, wisdom and kindness are natural forces, creatingcharacter. For this reason men are not always to blame for badcharacter, as they acquire it unconsciously. All character sends outcertain electrical vibrations, which these spectacles concentratein their lenses and exhibit to the gaze of their wearer, as I haveexplained."

  "It's a fine idea," said the boy; "who discovered it?"

  "It is a fact that has always existed, but is now utilized for thefirst time."

  "Oh!" said Rob.

  "With these gifts, and the ones you acquired a week ago, you are nowequipped to astound the world and awaken mankind to a realization ofthe wonders that may be accomplished by natural forces. See that youemploy these powers wisely, in the interests of science, and do notforget your promise to exhibit your electrical marvels only to thosewho are most capable of comprehending them."

  "I'll remember," said Rob.

  "Then adieu until a week from to-day, when I will meet you here atthis hour and bestow upon you the last three gifts which you areentitled to receive. Good-by!"

  "Good-by!" repeated Rob, and in a gorgeous flash of color the Demondisappeared, leaving the boy alone in the room with his new andwonderful possessions.

  _CHAPTER NINE_

  THE SECOND JOURNEY

  By this time you will have gained a fair idea of Rob's character.He is, in truth, a typical American boy, possessing an averageintelligence not yet regulated by the balance-wheel of experience. Themysteries of electricity were so attractive to his eager nature that hehad devoted considerable time and some study to electrical experiment;but his study was the superficial kind that seeks to master only suchdetails as may be required at the moment. Moreover, he was full ofboyish recklessness and irresponsibility and therefore difficult toimpress with the dignity of science and the gravity of human existence.Life, to him, was a great theater wherein he saw himself the mostinteresting if not the most important actor, and so enjoyed the playwith unbounded enthusiasm.

  Aside from the extraordinary accident which had forced the ElectricalDemon into his life, Rob may be considered one of those youngsterswho might possibly develop into a brilliant manhood or enter upon anordinary, humdrum existence, as Fate should determine. Just at presenthe had no thought beyond the passing hour, nor would he bother himselfby attempting to look ahead or plan for the future.

  Yet the importance of his electrical possessions and the sterninjunction of the Demon to use them wisely had rendered the boy morethoughtful than at any previous time during his brief life, and hebecame so preoccupied at the dinner table that his father and mothercast many anxious looks in his direction.

  Of course Rob was anxious to test his newly-acquired powers, anddecided to lose no time in starting upon another journey. But he saidnothing to any of the family about it, fearing to meet with opposition.

  He passed the evening in the sitting-room, in company with his fatherand mother and sisters, and even controlled his impatience to theextent of playing a game of carom with Nell; but he grew so nervous andimpatient at last that his sister gave up the game in disgust and lefthim to his own amusement.

  At one time he thought of putting on the electric spectacles and seeingwhat the real character of each member of his family might be; but asudden fear took possession of him that he might regret the act foreverafterward. They were his nearest and dearest friends on earth, and inhis boyish heart he loved them all and believed in their goodness andsincerity. The possibility of finding a bad character mark on any oftheir familiar faces made him shudder, and he determined then and therenever to use the spectacles to view the face of a friend or relative.Had any one, at that moment, been gazing at Rob through the lenses ofthe wonderful Character Marker, I am sure a big "W" would have beenfound upon the boy's forehead.

  When the family circle broke up, and all retired for the night, Robkissed his parents and sisters with real affection before going tohis own room. But, on reaching his cozy little chamber, instead ofpreparing for bed Rob clothed himself in the Garment of Repulsion. Thenhe covered the glittering Garment with his best summer suit of clothes,which effectually concealed it.

  He now looked around to see what else he should take, and thought of anumbrella, a rain-coat, a book or two to read during the journey, andseveral things besides; but he ended by leaving them all behind.

  "I can't be loaded down with so much truck," he decided; "and I'm goinginto civilized countries, this time, where I can get anything I need."

  However, to prevent a recurrence of the mistake he had previously made,he tore a map of the world and a map of Europe from his geography,and, folding them up, placed them in his pocket. He also took a smallcompass that had once been a watch-charm, and, f
inally, the contents ofa small iron bank that opened with a combination lock. This representedall his savings, amounting to two dollars and seventeen cents in dimes,nickles and pennies.

  "It isn't a fortune," he thought, as he counted it up, "but I didn'tneed any money the last trip, so perhaps I'll get along somehow. Idon't like to tackle dad for more, for he might ask questions and tryto keep me at home."

  By the time he had finished his preparations and stowed all hiselectrical belongings in his various pockets, it was nearly midnightand the house was quiet. So Rob stole down stairs in his stocking feetand noiselessly opened the back door.

  It was a beautiful July night and, in addition to the light of the fullmoon, the sky was filled with the radiance of countless thousands ofbrilliant stars.

  After Rob had put on his shoes he unfolded the map, which was plainlyvisible by the starlight, and marked the direction he must take tocross the Atlantic and reach London, his first stopping place. Then heconsulted his compass, put the indicator of his traveling machine tothe word "up," and shot swiftly into the air. When he had reached asufficient height he placed the indicator to a point north of east and,with a steady and remarkably swift flight, began his journey.

  "Here goes," he remarked, with a sense of exaltation, "for anotherweek of adventure! I wonder what'll happen between now and nextSaturday."