"Very well," said the voice, in a tone of relief. "Then I'm going to throw flints at you till you think differently.""But where are yer?"
The voice made no answer. Whiz came a flint, apparently out of the air, and missed Mr. Marvel's shoulder by a hair's breadth. Mr. Marvel, turning, saw a flint jerk up into the air, trace a complicated path, hang for a moment, and then fling at his feet with almost invisible rapidity. He was too amazed to dodge. Whiz it came, and ricocheted from a bare toe into the ditch. Mr. Thomas Marvel jumped a foot and howled aloud. Then he started to run, tripped over an unseen obstacle, and came head over heels into a sitting position.
"Now," said the voice, as a third stone curved upward and hung in the air above the tramp. "Am I imagination?"Mr. Marvel by way of reply struggled to his feet, and was immediately rolled over again. He lay quiet for a moment. "If you struggle any more,"said the voice, "I shall throw the flint at your head.""It's a fair do," said Mr. Thomas Marvel, sitting up, taking his wounded toe in hand and fixing his eye on the third missle. "I don't understand it. Stones flinging themselves. Stones talking. Put yourself down. Rot away. I'm done."The third flint fell.
"It's very simple," said the voice. "I'm an invisible man.""Tell us something I don't know," said Mr. Marvel, gasping with pain.
"Where you've hid--how you do it--I don't know, I'm beat.""That's all," said the voice. "I'm invisible. That's what I want you to understand.""Any one could see that. There is no need for you to be so confounded impatient, mister. Now then. Give us a notion. How are you hid?""I'm invisible. That's the great point. And what I want you to understand is this--""But whereabouts?" interrupted Mr. Marvel.
"Here! Six yards in front of you."
"Oh, come! I ain't blind. You'll be telling me next you're just thin air. I'm not one of your ignorant tramps--""Yes, I am--thin air. You're looking through me.""What! Ain't there any stuff to you? Vox et--what is it?-- jabber. Is it that?
"I am just a human being--solid, needing food and drink, needing covering too--But I'm invisible. You see? Invisible. Simple idea. Invisible.""What, real like?"
"Yes, real."
"Let's have a hand of you," said Marvel, "if you are real. It won't be so darn out-of-the-way like, then--Lord!" he said, "how you made me jump!--gripping me like that!"He felt the hand that had closed round his wrist with his disengaged fingers, and his touch went timorously up the arm, patted a muscular chest, and explored a bearded face. Marvel's face was astonishment.
"I'm dashed!" he said. "If this don't beat cock-fighting! Most remarkable!--And there I can see a rabbit clean through you, 'arf a mile away! Not a bit of you visible--except--"He scrutinised the apparently empty space keenly. "You 'aven't been eatin' bread and cheese?" he asked, holding the invisible arm.
"You're quite right, and it's not quite assimilated into the system.""Ah!" said Mr. Marvel. "Sort of ghostly, though.""Of course, all this isn't so wonderful as you think.""It's quite wonderful enough for my modest wants," said Mr. Thomas Marvel.
"Howjer manage it? How the dooce is it done?""It's too long a story. And besides--"
"I tell you, the whole business fair beats me," said Mr. Marvel.
"What I want to say at present is this: I need help. I have come to that--I came upon you suddenly. I was wandering, mad with rage, naked, impotent. I could have murdered. And I saw you--""Lord!" said Mr. Marvel.
"I came up behind you--hesitated--went on--"
Mr. Marvel's expression was eloquent.
"--then stopped. 'Here,' I said, 'is an outcast like myself. This is the man for me.' So I turned back and came to you--you. And--""Lord!" said Mr. Marvel. "But I'm all in a dizzy. May I ask--How is it? And what you may be requiring in the way of help?-- Invisible!""I want you to help me get clothes--and shelter--and then, with other things. I've left them long enough. If you won't--well! But you will--must.""Look here," said Mr. Marvel. "I'm too flabbergasted. Don't knock me about any more. And leave me go. I must get steady a bit. And you've pretty near broken my toe. It's all so unreasonable. Empty downs, empty sky. Nothing visible for miles except the bosom of Nature. And then comes a voice. Avoice out of heaven! And stones! And a fist--Lord!""Pull yourself together," said the voice, "for you have to do the job I've chosen for you."Mr. Marvel blew out his cheeks, and his eyes were round.
"I've chosen you," said the voice. "You are the only man, except some of those fools down there, who knows there is such a thing as an invisible man. You have to be my helper. Help me--and I will do great things for you. An invisible man is a man of power." He stopped for a moment to sneeze violently.
"But if you betray me," he said, "if you fail to do as I direct you--"He paused and tapped Mr. Marvel's shoulder smartly. Mr. Marvel gave a yelp of terror at the touch. "I don't want to betray you," said Mr. Marvel, edging away from the direction of the fingers. "Don't you go a-thinking that, whatever you do. All I want to do is to help you--just tell me what I got to do. (Lord!) Whatever you want done, that I'm most willing to do."
