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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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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 the Royal Society； one after the other； with
a blow of her fist。 Every sensible man knows that it is useless to argue
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The Coming Race
with any ordinary female upon matters he comprehends； but to argue with
a Gy seven feet high upon the mysteries of vril；… as well argue in a desert；
and with a simoon！
Amid the various departments to which the vast building of the
College of Sages was appropriated； that which interested me most was
devoted to the archaeology of the Vril…ya； and comprised a very ancient
collection of portraits。 In these the pigments and groundwork employed
were of so durable a nature that even pictures said to be executed at dates
as remote as those in the earliest annals of the Chinese； retained much
freshness of colour。 In examining this collection； two things especially
struck me：… first； that the pictures said to be between 6000 and 7000 years
old were of a much higher degree of art than any produced within the last
3000 or 4000 years； and； second； that the portraits within the former
period much more resembled our own upper world and European types of
countenance。 Some of them； indeed reminded me of the Italian heads
which look out from the canvases of Titian… speaking of ambition or craft；
of care or of grief； with furrows in which the passions have passed with
iron ploughshare。 These were the countenances of men who had lived in
struggle and conflict before the discovery of the latent forces of vril had
changed the character of society… men who had fought with each other for
power or fame as we in the upper world fight。
The type of face began to evince a marked change about a thousand
years after the vril revolution； becoming then； with each generation； more
serene； and in that serenity more 75terribly distinct from the faces of
labouring and sinful men； while in proportion as the beauty and the
grandeur of the countenance itself became more fully developed； the art of
the painter became more tame and monotonous。
But the greatest curiosity in the collection was that of three portraits
belonging to the pre…historical age； and； according to mythical tradition；
taken by the orders of a philosopher； whose origin and attributes were as
much mixed up with symbolical fable as those of an Indian Budh or a
Greek Prometheus。
》From this mysterious personage； at once a sage and a hero； all the
principal sections of the Vril…ya race pretend to trace a common origin。
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The portraits are of the philosopher himself； of his grandfather； and
great…grandfather。 They are all at full length。 The philosopher is attired
in a long tunic which seems to form a loose suit of scaly armour； borrowed；
perhaps； from some fish or reptile； but the feet and hands are exposed： the
digits in both are wonderfully long； and webbed。 He has little or no
perceptible throat； and a low receding forehead； not at all the ideal of a
sage's。 He has bright brown prominent eyes； a very wide mouth and high
cheekbones； and a muddy complexion。 According to tradition； this
philosopher had lived to a patriarchal age； extending over many centuries；
and he remembered distinctly in middle life his grandfather as surviving；
and in childhood his great…grandfather； the portrait of the first he had taken；
or caused to be taken； while yet alive… that of the latter was taken from his
effigies in mummy。 The portrait of his grandfather had the features and
aspect of the philosopher； only much more exaggerated： he was not
dressed； and the colour of his body was singular； the breast and stomach
yellow； the shoulders and legs of a dull bronze hue： the great…grandfather
was a magnificent specimen of the Batrachian genus； a Giant Frog； 'pur et
simple。'
Among the pithy sayings which； according to tradition； the
philosopher bequeathed to posterity in rhythmical form and 76sententious
brevity； this is notably recorded： 〃Humble yourselves； my descendants； the
father of your race was a 'twat' （tadpole）： exalt yourselves； my descendants；
for it was the same Divine Thought which created your father that
develops itself in exalting you。〃
Aph…Lin told