Arthur Conan Doyle's Arthur Conan Doyle's Arthur Conan Doyle's Arthur Conan Doyle's Arthur ...

30 Pages·2006·9.4 MB·English

by  Planetwide Games, Inc.

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Mr. Malone, do you know what would happen if all the debts
Mr. Hungerton was the most tactless person upon earth,--a fluffy, in the world were called up at the same time, and payment
untidy cockatoo of a man, centered upon his own silly self. I was insisted upon immediately?
really think he thought I came round to his house three days a
week, not so I could visit with his daughter, Gladys, but so he
Well, I should be
could lecture me on the failings of the economy.
a ruined man, Sir! Young Malone, it is impossible to discuss
any serious topic while you are around.
I'm late for my meeting anyway!
When he left the room I leaned forward. This was the moment I
had been waiting for! I was going to propose to my beloved Gladys! I don't understand! A different type of man?
Ned, please don't propose. Our friendship has been so Yes! An adventurer. A hero. An explorer. A man who
nice! Please don't spoil it! can look Death in the face and have no fear of it. That's
the type of man I want to fall in love with and marry.
Gladys, how did you know? Is there another man?
Women are never caught unaware by
these things. No, there isn't another
man, just another type of man.
Gladys, I can change. I can be a heroic man! A woman like you
All this will seem to the reader to have nothing to do with my
would inspire me!
narrative; and yet there would have been no narrative without it.
As I walked through London to work at the Daily Gazette that
Perhaps you can and if so we can talk about it evening in 1912, I determined that very night, if possible, I would
again. Tonight, however, you are a reporter find the quest which would be worthy of my Gladys!
late for evening duty at his newspaper and I
don't want your editor, Mr. McArdle, blaming me!
I always liked my editor, McArdle, and I rather hoped that he I'm afraid the day for this sort of thing is rather past.
liked me. The big blank spaces in the map are all being filled in...
Wait a moment --- I might have something. How about
The colliery explosion story was excellent. So was the exposing a fraud? Why not try your luck with Professor
Southwark fire. You have the true descriptive touch. What did Challenger? He came back from South America last year
you want to see me about? claiming he found some strange animals there. Either
something wonderful happened--or the man's a
champion liar, which is the more likely situation.
Could you send me on some mission for the
paper? Anything that has adventure and danger in
it. I would do my best!
Challenger had been misquoted in the I received a note back from
Professor Challenger! The press before and it seemed unlikely he Professor Challenger indicating the
famous zoologist? Didn't he would talk to me if he knew I was a day and time I would be allowed to
break the skull of Blundell, reporter, so I consulted with a friend come to his house to speak to
of the Telegraph? who was on the staff of Nature him. As I stood at the door, I was
Magazine. He showed me articles the nervous. I had to convince him I
professor had written. This gave me was really a student of biology and
an idea. I would send a letter to gain his confidence so he would
You said it was danger
Challenger saying I was a student tell me about his trip to South
you were after! Besides,
interested in his theories and that I America without letting on that I
Blundell probably got
wished to meet with him to ask some was one of those journalists he
him at the wrong
questions. hated so much.
moment. I'm sure you'll
do better. You have a
way with people.
I was shown into his office. At
the desk sat the notorious So you're the person who What evidence?
Professor Challenger... can't understand my theory.
What's your question?
Well, not the evidence
Well, hasn't the discovery of recent evidence as much as the trend
changed your thinking? of modern thought
and the general
scientific point of
view...
I see...
I suppose you are
aware that the
cranial index is a
constant factor?
Naturally!
And that the germ plasm is different It proves that you liar! You're a vile, crawling journalist, who
from the parthenogenetic egg? knows nothing about science! Gibberish! That's what I have
been talking to you, sir--scientific gibberish! How dare you lie
your way into my home. I have already thrown several of you
Why, surely! out of my house. You will be the fourth or fifth!
Do you know what
that proves?
No, please
tell me!
With that he grabbed me. We did a somersault down the hall and
Look here, sir, you can be as abusive as you like. But there
out the door landing on the sidewalk. Fortunately there was a
is a limit. You will not assault me. I'll not stand for it.
policeman nearby.
Dear me! You won't stand for it,
eh? Well, I think I'm going to throw Stop it! You should be
you out of my house just as I did ashamed of yourselves!
with your brother journalists!
Had enough?
You infernal bully!
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This man attacked me!
After having thrown me out of his house, Professor Challenger
The professor was in trouble for the same thing invited me back in!
last month, too. Do you wish to press charges?
Now as to your return to my house after your most justifiable
No, I was myself to blame. I expulsion. By admiting this incident was your fault I see that
intruded upon him. you have a sense of responsiblity that is rarely found in the
Well, that's your right, Sir.
journalism profession. The sub-species of the human race to
which you unfortunately belong has always been below my
mental horizon. Your words brought you suddenly above it.
Thank you, I
think...
As the officer walked away, Professor Challenger mounted his
steps. I was surprised when suddenly he turned back to me.
Come in, Mr. Malone. I'm not done with you yet!
I am going to talk to you about South America. First of all, I wish you
to understand that nothing I tell you now is to be repeated in any
public way unless you have my express permission. Is that clear? "My story starts during my last trip to South America. On my
return I stopped at a native village and the chief asked me
to look at a sick man. When they led me to his hut I was
Professor, surely a
surprised to see he was a white. The natives told me he
judicious account----
had stumbled into their village through the woods alone in
the last stages of exhaustion. Despite the use of some
medicine I had with me, he soon died of a fever without
regaining conciousness."
My conditions or I will tell you nothing.
If you insist.
I do.
I went through his knapsack. He had very little with him: a Most of the book contains pictures one might sketch while
paint-box, a box of colored chalks, a cheap revolver and this... visiting South America. Plants, animals, people-but look at this.
page.
It looks like a line of
A sketchbook? high cliffs topped
with vegetation. Yes, I came to find out later this
Yes, apparently he was an artist. His was a flat-topped mountain.
name, Maple White, was on the cover. What geologists call a plateau.
I continued to look through the book and came across this. What do you think?
It's some kind of reptile, but the man is too small.
That's Mr. White. He sketched
himself in to give a scale of heights.
Good heavens! Then you think
the beast was -- why Charing
Cross station would hardly make
a home for such a brute!
It is certainly a
well-grown specimen.
What do you believe made him draw such an animal?
Compare that drawing with this reference pictures of a
Too much gin, I Stegosaurus, a dinosaur.
should think!
Well, there
I believe the creature exists. This this is actually certainly is a very
sketched from life. great resemblance!
I wasn't totally convinced myself, but interested enough
He handed me the photograph. It was fuzzy in spots and in
to backtrack White's path till I found the plateau. There I
very bad shape, but with the magnifying glass I could still
took this photograph.
make out some detail.
It's the same location It must be some huge bird, but it looks more
as the sketch! like a monsterous bat!
It is. Now take
a close look at
what is flying
above the cliffs.
Now just compare it to this
reference picture...
"Not just saw it, Mr. Malone. I shot one. I recovered the body and
then preserved it to bring back to England for a full examination."
A pterodactyl!?! Haven't
they been extinct for
millions of years?
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For at least 65
million...
You're saying
you saw a
pterodactyl!
Surely with that kind of evidence your fellow scientists Tonight there will be a lecture by Professor Summerlee, a
must believe your story! naturalist of some popular repute. I have been asked to sit upon
the platform and thank the speaker at the end. I think I will take
the oppurtunity, with infinite tack and delicacy, to throw out a few
The evidence is gone. On the return trip my canoe rolled over remarks of my own which might arouse interest in the audience.
and everything was lost! I was only able to save the
sketchbook and a few photos. I have the greatest story in And may I
science to tell, but am dismissed as a crackpot! I believe that come? By all means. It will be a comfort to know I
trapped on top of that plateau by the cliffs are creatures that
have at least one ally in the hall, however
have not been seen for millions of years.
inefficient and ignorant of the subject he may be.
But what can be done?
I invited my friend
from Nature
Magazine, Tarp
Henry, to join me
and we arrived at
eight-thirty at the
lecture hall of the
Zoological
Institute. The
topic of talk was
billed as "The
Record of the
Ages."
Halfway through the lecture the Professor started
talking about dinosaurs.
This is really intolerable! I must ask you, Professor Challenger,
...that frightful brood of saurians that still to cease these ignorant and unmannerly interruptions!
affright our eyes when seen as fossils, but
which were fortunately extinct long before the
I must in turn ask you to cease to make assertions
first apperance of mankind upon this planet.
which are not in strict accordance with scientific fact.
Question!
Dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million
I repeat, which were extinct before
years, Challenger, despite your wild and
the coming of man...
totally unscientific claims.
Question!
You're the unscientific one. I've seen a living
pterodactyl. The fact that I was unable to
bring it back does not mean it did not exist.
Gentlemen, gentlemen. There is obviously only one way to
check the validity of Professor Challengers assertions. An Would a more heroic adventure ever come my way? My chance
expedition must be formed to go to South America. Professor to win Gladys!
Summerlee, do you wish to be a part of it?
I will go. I am Edward I am Lord John Roxton. I
Yes, I do! Malone, reporter for have already been up the
the Daily Gazette. Amazon and know the ground.
Professor Summerlee will
need a younger colleague.
May I ask for volunteers? Very well.
We have our
expedition.
I was Well, we've taken the jump, you and me, Mr. Malone. Ever been to South America before?
stunned by
what I had
No, I'm afraid I have not, Sir John. I know that you have
just done. made several trips there, however.
When it
was all
over Sir It's a huge area. Rain forests the size of Didn't you have
some trouble on
John Europe. I don't know if there's
your last visit?
approached prehistoric animals there, but I do know
that much of it is totally unexplored.
me.
You mean the slavers. I hate them. It's totally illegal,
yet they raid the Indian villages anyway to get workers for
the rubber planations. I hired a private army and put one
That reminds me, do you own any firearms?
band out of business. Its leader, a scoundrel named
Predro Lopez, swore an oath hunt me down and kill me.
I'm sure my paper will provide
me with anything I need...
What happened?
Drop by my rooms. I should be able to
lend you a rifle and a pistol.
A pistol? For
Well, I'm here to tell the tale and he isn't.
hunting?
Oh, I see...
For self protection. The
slavers are gone, but we
still may have river
pirates to contend with...
River pirates! What had I gotten myself into?
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Here are the directions I promised you. In return you will
Preperations for our expedition were quickly made and soon we swear not to open this sealed package till you reach the
found ourselves on the dock ready to board the liner that would outpost of Manaos on the Amazon and not until the time and
take us to our adventure in South America. Professor Challenger date written on the outside. Do I have your word?
was there to see us off.
Oh really, Challenger, all this silliness-
Do I have your word?
Yes, you do.
We arrived two weeks before the agreed upon time to open the
We crossed the Atlantic without incident and changed ships
instructions.
for our trip up the immense Amazon River. Eventally we
passed the narrows at Obidos and reached the tiny outpost I can't believe we are just going to sit here until July 15
town of Manaos. waiting to open those directions. Let's just get it over with!
He'll never know!
I gave my word, Professor Summerlee.
Besides it will take two weeks to hire help
and buy all our supplies.
To join us on the expedition Lord John hired a local guide with a The moment to open the directions soon arrived.
sour disposition named Gomez. He also engaged the jolly, good
natured African Zambo as our cook. Two Indians from the I don't understand! The papers inside are all blank...
nearby Mojo tribe rounded out our little expedition as porters.
It's an open admission! We I never intended for you
only have to return home to open the envelop, but
and report him as the brazen I'm afraid I'm a bit late...
imposter he is!