This is a short short story set in the universe of
Ishtar. The wiki there has the novel "A World Without Fire" as far as it is completed, as well as the beginning of a second novel "L'Origine du Monde", and an almost completed short story, "Election Day".
There is also a glossary list, and more complete entries and maps are being added.
The Vital Rays
University of Wessex, Ishtar
Long Count 998.11.21
In this the 753 AC, the dating since the time of the coming of Christ's people to Ishtar, one would have thought that a professor of a prestigious college would be more solemn. There was a war with the Latin Republic, portents of coming troubles, and a bitter three cornered political struggle between Atheists, Raptarians and Millenarians in almost every aspect of life - political economy, art, morality and culture. Not so for Aeneas Egidius, or Angus Giles as he would, in defiance of tradition, call himself to his lecture classes.
Today as was often the case, he began his lecture with an act of legerdemain - making coins seem to disappear and then fall out of someone's hair or pocket. The class laughed, and then he went on to the subject of his lecture, namely, the Opticks - the study of light. He would darken the room and allow a slit of light to pass through a triangle of glass and spread the colours of the spectrum on the far wall. He noted that this was explained by having light travel with different energy, and therefore some were deflected more than others.
His brightest student, Stephanus Sextus, or as he called himself Steven Sextant, for he loved to use the new fashioned instrument, asked about the two slit experiment, and the possibility of light waves. Aeneas, who believed in the corpuscular theory of light, replied that theory provided nothing to "wave", and therefore the explanation was that the bodies which made up light were not bodies as we thought of them, but could act together separately, as a "shadow" could act with the hand. He then handed out small bits of screen wire and showed people "diffraction" by tilting the wire as they looked at the sun's light through a smoked glass.
That was all the time there was in the hour, and he sent them off with a joke about two men arguing over which side of a coin was left and which one was right.
Afterwards he was summoned to the office of the Caput - or head - of his department, the caput was an example of the corpuscular theory of success, for he was quite corpulent. Behind his desk he seemed positively inflated into his clothes, and had, to match it off a clean shaven face which only made him seem even more like an ivory ball, of the kind which one plays "Table" with.
The Caput greeted him insincerely, and then asked "Why do you waste time with humor and tricks in your class?"
"It helps put students in a more receptive frame of mind."
The Caput scowled, but got to his real topic.
"There is a demonstration tomorrow morning that I wish you to attend, I want to know what you think of it. It is of Xpianus and his apparatus to prove vital rays, that life is carried on invisible rays the way your own experiments have show that there are invisible rays that are, as you called them, "more energetic" than Violet light."
"Biology is hardly my specialty. And you know that I am skeptical of Xpianus' claims. Very skeptical."
"Still holding to that corpuscular doctrine of decay? When you come to admit that vitality is energy, and must be carried along in rays and waves, like the water which it is mostly made of."
"When I see proof of it which cannot easily be shown to be better understood through other means. When I see, to use a phrase that is becoming currency, `Deep Truth' of it."
The Caput smiled, "You will get your chance. Tomorrow morning."
That morning he decided to play a small trick, he shaved off his beard, and went, not in the dark voluminous robes of a professor, but in the more modern dress of trousers and a shirt. He wore no sign of rank, and did not carry with him much of anything. He went wearing an old Phrygian cap, as a farmer might use. The clothes were not, however, of a common workman, since the shirt was of fine silk, and the trousers of the best linen, while the boots were of good black leather. He looked, for all the world, like a benefactor of the University. Which was true, he had enough money from his commercial lens grinding business to be able to donate more too the University than he drew as salary from it.
The lecture hall was packed and the lecturer, also a well padded individual, busied himself at the apparatus which seemed both complex and yet, well made. The only part that was easily recognizable was a camera apparatus at the end. The faint smell of developing chemicals and a small black cloth draped booth confirmed that he intended to develop plates taken.
Obviously to take pictures. He hurried himself up, and introduced himself. "I am Farmer Giles of Ham, and I am so glad to meet you." He positively beamed as he said it. At first the reaction to meeting his hand was slow, but the cold cross around the neck of "Farmer Giles", coupled with the benefactor's pin, convinced Xpianus that this was both a friend, and someone who could fund. Xpianus gave back an oily smile and said "Any benefactor of the University..."
"Yes, and I am so glad, I hear you might even be joining us. The Caput Physicum is so excited about your work."
Xpianus gave a smile of false modesty, and said "Well perhaps, to add intellectual diversity to the department."
"You must show me how the apparatus works."
Xpianus did a rapid pattern about how the light would enter, and be passed through a vial of "infected water" and then passed through a prism made out of wood, quickly opening the inside of the chamber and showing him the placement of the apparatus and the subtle tilting that would occur to show the rays in different patterns - for it had to be organic to spectrate the vital rays - and then fall on special film which would make the rays visible on the picture.
Angus pretended to ignorance, and Xpianus explained that film could see invisible rays if it was treated properly. Egg was used to fix the images on plates, and he found that it was "sensitive" to the vital rays. But the time was drawing near, and he took his place in front.
The lecture was a screaming success, Xpianus ran the apparatus twice drawing off two plates, which his assistant began to develop. He then lectured on the vital rays, and hinted that they proved God's benevolence and implied that Atheists were trying to stop the truth from getting out. He closed with a plea for intellectual diversity and the chance to teach the controversies that raged.
Then, the denouement, the plates were shown, and clearly there were two patterns on the plates, just, said Xpianus, as theory predicted.
The Caput came in halfway through, and was positively beaming. It took him some time to see Aeneas, as he insisted on calling Angus, and when he did he called out. "So Egidius, are you impressed now?"
Angus stood up, turned to face the lecture hall. He surveyed the faces.
"I am indeed very impressed, as a fellow practioner, with this experiment." He then shifted his stance slightly, "Particularly since his apparatus worked without this."
At which point he tossed into the crowd the wooden prism, leaving Xpianus to open the apparatus to find one of glass which had been painted to look like wood.