Radium also gives off an emanation,
and among its products is helium, quite another element. Thus the
transmutation of matter is well known within certain bounds to all
scientists to-day like yourself, Professor Kennedy. It has even
been rumored but never proved that copper has been transformed into
lithium--both members of the hydrogen-gold group, you will observe.
Copper to lithium is going backward, so to speak. It has remained for
me to devise this protodyne apparatus by which I can reverse that
process of decay and go forward in the table, so to put it--can change
lithium into copper and copper into gold. I can create and destroy
matter by protodyne."
He had been fingering a switch as he spoke. Now he turned it on
triumphantly. A curious snapping and crackling noise followed,
becoming more rapid, and as it mounted in intensity I could smell a
pungent odor of ozone which told of an electric discharge. On went
the machine until we could feel heat radiating from it. Then came a
piercing burst of greenish-blue light from a long tube which looked
like a curious mercury vapor lamp.
After a few minutes of this Prescott took a small crucible of black
lead. "Now we are ready to try it," he cried in great excitement.
"Here I have a crucible containing some copper. Any substance in the
group would do, even hydrogen if there was any way I could handle the
gas. I place it in the machine--so. Now, if you could watch inside you
would see it change; it is now rubidium, now silver, now caesium.
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