"The usual way!" Kelson said, in what struck Curtis as rather unusual
tones. "I flew here to tell you that we are now in stage three. Give
me paper and ink. I want to write down the instructions I have
received." Curtis conducted him into his sitting-room, switched on the lights
and, giving him what he wanted, poured out a couple of tumblers of
soda-and-milk. "This will lower my temperature," he said to himself. "I shall know if
I'm dreaming." He then sat by Kelson's side and observed what he wrote. "The properties of walking on the water, and of breathing under the
water are conferred on you during the forthcoming stage. You must
refrain from red flesh and alcohol, but may eat poultry, fish, fruit,
and vegetables in abundance." "The devil I may!" Curtis said, in a fury. "How very kind! I would
rather have roast beef than all the poulets and kippers in
Christendom." Without noticing this interruption, Kelson went on writing. "You must also concentrate for one hour every morning. Grade two in
the scale of concentration, though sufficient for projection through
ether, will not enable you to offer sufficient resistance to the
pressure of water. You must reach grade three in the scale of
concentration, before you can either walk on, or breathe under, the
water. From six to seven a.m. you must fix your eyes on a glass of
fresh spring water, and concentrate your very hardest on amalgamating
with it, on passing your immaterial ego into it. At night, before
going to bed, you must drink a mixture composed of two drachms of
Vindroo Sookum, one drachm of Harnoon Oobey, and one ounce of
distilled water. Vindroo Sookum and Harnoon Oobey are a species of
seaweed; the former of a pale salmon colour, the latter of a deep
blue. They were formerly shrubs growing in the wood of Endlemoker in
Atlantis, and are now to be found at a depth of two hundred fathoms,
twenty miles to the north-east of Achill Island. These weeds must be
well rinsed first; and when the prescribed amount of each has been
carefully cut off and weighed, it must be boiled in the distilled
water, and the compound, thus formed, allowed to cool before being
drunk. This mixture renders the lungs immune to the action of fluid,
and will enable you to breathe as easily in water as in air. There is
still, however, the action of gravity to be considered, and this must
be counteracted by sound. Before experimenting, these Atlantean words
must be repeated aloud in the following order: Karma--nardka--rapto--
nooman--K--arma--oola--piskooskte.'" "It's all very well to write all these directions," Curtis said, "but
how am I to obtain the weeds? I can't go and fish for them." "You must engage the services of Mr. John Waley, formerly employed by
the Brazilian Government in repairing marine cables. He will do all
you want for the sum of £200." Kelson left off writing, and, wishing Curtis good-night, walked out of
the room. "You'll be deuced cold without an overcoat," Curtis called out after
him. "Won't you have mine?" But there was no reply, and though Curtis strained his ears to listen,
he could catch no sound of a vehicle. Kelson left Curtis at twenty minutes past two. At half-past two,
Hamar, who had been sound asleep, was awakened by a loud rap. "Kelson!" he gasped. "How on earth did you get here? Are you a
projection?" "Don't worry me with questions," Kelson replied. "I have come to give
you instructions. A paper and ink, quick." Hamar obeyed with alacrity. "On you," Kelson wrote, "is conferred the property of invisibility--a
property common in Atlantis, and still possessed by the Fakirs of
Hindoostan, the natives of Easter Island and certain tribes in New
Guinea. You must reach grade three in the scale of concentration, by
concentrating, from five to six o'clock, every morning, on
amalgamating yourself with the ether. You must sit, with your head
thrown back, gazing up into space--allowing nothing to distract your
mind. Wholly and solely, your thoughts must be fixed on the ether. This property of invisibility can only be successfully practised, when
the third grade in the scale of concentration has been reached. Carry
out these instructions, and, in a week's time, you will then be able
to experiment--to become invisible at will. But before experimenting it
will always be necessary to repeat the words 'Bakra--naka--taksomana,'
and to swallow a pill, composed of two drachms of Derhens Voskry, one
drachm of Karka Voli and one drachm of saffron. Derhens Voskry and
Karka Voli are a crimson and white species of seaweed, that grows on
the hundred-fathom level, thirty miles west-southwest of the Aran
Islands, Galway Bay. Mr. John Waley, employed by the Brazilian
Government for repairing cables, will procure these ingredients for
you. To become visible, you've only to repeat the words,
'Bakra--naka--taksomana,' backwards." "But how about my clothes?" Hamar asked. "Will they disappear too?" "Everything!" Kelson answered. "Hat, boots, tie and breeches. All you
have on! Good-night!" And walking out of the room, he leaped into the
air, and flew downstairs. But though Hamar listened attentively, he
could not hear him leave the building--there was no sound of any door. When they met the following mid-day in Cockspur Street, Kelson
remembered nothing of his visits. "All I know is," he said, "that the moment I got into bed, I fell
asleep, and suddenly found myself standing in a kind of brown desert,
talking to a tall man with most peculiar features and eyes, and a
dazzling, white skin. He informed me he had been an animal-trainer in
the State of Ballyynkan, Atlantis, and was ordered to give me
instructions as to the taming of the present day wild beast. "'You must obtain a stone called the Red Laryx,' he said. 'It is to be
found in great quantities on the three-hundred fathom level, forty
miles to the west-south-west of North Aran Island, and can be procured
for you by the same man that gets the weeds for Hamar and Curtis. It
is a blood-red pebble, covered with peculiarly vivid green spots, and
cannot be mistaken. Sit with it pressed against your forehead for an
hour every morning, and concentrate hard on amalgamating yourself with
it--_i.e._ passing into it, and its properties will gradually be
imparted to you. Do this regularly, for a week, and by the end of that
time, you will be able to experiment with animals. All you will have
to do, will be to hold the stone slightly clenched in your left hand,
whilst, with your right, you make these signs in the air,' and he
showed me certain passes. 'Stare fixedly into the animal's eyes all
the while, and, by the time you have finished making the passes, you
will find the animals are subdued. Pronounce these words
"Meta--ra--ka--va--Avakana," holding up, as you do so, your right hand
with the thumb turned down and held right across the palm, and the
little finger stretched out as wide as it will go, and you will
understand what any animal wishes to say.'