Read Online Impressions of Africa (French Literature Series) by Raymond Roussel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Raymond Roussel
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been trembling gently on the ground—to no one’s surprise, as their light movement might have been caused by some capricious breeze.
In reality, the imponderable amount of currency was under the influence of the top cylinder and its powerful force; already several coins had flown straight toward its amber lead and attached themselves solidly. Others followed suit, sometimes round and intact, sometimes having been creased and trampled underfoot.
Soon the ground was completely bare along a strictly regular stripe, bordered on either side by the remainder of coinage located outside the zone of attraction.
The lead was now hidden beneath a veritable buffer of gilded paper, covered with dates and effigies.
Several infinitesimal atoms of real gold must have entered into the composition of those tinsel riches.
Indeed, by its position, the overlayered lead corresponded, without any doubt, to the gold button meant to fill the opening at the center of the button stick. Its very specific power could thus not have been exerted on an imitation that was completely devoid of auriferous elements.
The slowness of the coins, their initial hesitation, had been caused solely by an insufficiency of pure gold in their composition.
Paying little heed to the incident, which in no way disturbed his plans, Bex grasped the width of blue drapery by its upper end, pulling it smoothly toward the top of the button stick.
The easy and regular slide required almost no effort.
The cloth, climbing up the slit, gradually hid the circular opening, which, invisible but easily divined, soon framed the first strip of stanchium.
At that point, Bex, with his knees and left hand, had to restrain the button stick, which was being pulled mightily toward the group of cylinders.
Indeed, behind the cloth, the gold button corresponding to the first strip was now encircled by the round eyelet. Two fragments of its disk, deprived of their stanchium armor, now had no obstacle between them and the amber leads aimed their way.
Bex’s resistance proved stronger than the first cylinder, which suddenly shot forward and flew like a rocket across the esplanade, slamming its tip into the button stick next to the thin protective strip.
Still leaning in mightily, the chemist had been careful to shift his body to the right, staying out of the path the monstrous pencil would take.
The force of the strike nearly toppled the button stick, but, in Bex’s firm grip, it soon regained its balance.
Now immobile, the pencil hung in a gentle slope from its unsharpened end, dipping toward the ground, to the amber tip solidly adhered to the gold button despite the blue cloth between them.
The paper coins had in no way impeded the powerful attraction of the pure metal; flattened by the impact, they still decorated the lead with their artificial sparkle.
Through the cloth, Bex gently manipulated the gold button, which he labored to lift into the portion of the vertical slot above the eyelet.
The amber lead held fast, making the operation difficult.
The chemist persisted, for lack of a more practical method. Any attempt to pry the pencil loose would have proven fruitless. Only the slow, gradual interposition of a stanchium barrier could ultimately overcome the extraordinary attachment of the two bodies.
A series of laborious efforts eventually yielded the desired result.
At the very top of the slit, the gold button, still invisible, was once more completely sheltered behind the two panels of the button stick, rejoined at that spot by its faithful and rigid strip.
Bex stood the immense pencil upright.
With the sharp edge of a lead protector, he tried to scrape bare the amber tip that was still coated in gilded paper.
The thin, rounded blade, closely shaving the yellow surface, soon bested the light paper money, whose highly diluted alloy gave only feeble resistance.
When all the coins had drifted haphazardly to the ground, Bex fit the lead protector back onto the pencil,
In reality, the imponderable amount of currency was under the influence of the top cylinder and its powerful force; already several coins had flown straight toward its amber lead and attached themselves solidly. Others followed suit, sometimes round and intact, sometimes having been creased and trampled underfoot.
Soon the ground was completely bare along a strictly regular stripe, bordered on either side by the remainder of coinage located outside the zone of attraction.
The lead was now hidden beneath a veritable buffer of gilded paper, covered with dates and effigies.
Several infinitesimal atoms of real gold must have entered into the composition of those tinsel riches.
Indeed, by its position, the overlayered lead corresponded, without any doubt, to the gold button meant to fill the opening at the center of the button stick. Its very specific power could thus not have been exerted on an imitation that was completely devoid of auriferous elements.
The slowness of the coins, their initial hesitation, had been caused solely by an insufficiency of pure gold in their composition.
Paying little heed to the incident, which in no way disturbed his plans, Bex grasped the width of blue drapery by its upper end, pulling it smoothly toward the top of the button stick.
The easy and regular slide required almost no effort.
The cloth, climbing up the slit, gradually hid the circular opening, which, invisible but easily divined, soon framed the first strip of stanchium.
At that point, Bex, with his knees and left hand, had to restrain the button stick, which was being pulled mightily toward the group of cylinders.
Indeed, behind the cloth, the gold button corresponding to the first strip was now encircled by the round eyelet. Two fragments of its disk, deprived of their stanchium armor, now had no obstacle between them and the amber leads aimed their way.
Bex’s resistance proved stronger than the first cylinder, which suddenly shot forward and flew like a rocket across the esplanade, slamming its tip into the button stick next to the thin protective strip.
Still leaning in mightily, the chemist had been careful to shift his body to the right, staying out of the path the monstrous pencil would take.
The force of the strike nearly toppled the button stick, but, in Bex’s firm grip, it soon regained its balance.
Now immobile, the pencil hung in a gentle slope from its unsharpened end, dipping toward the ground, to the amber tip solidly adhered to the gold button despite the blue cloth between them.
The paper coins had in no way impeded the powerful attraction of the pure metal; flattened by the impact, they still decorated the lead with their artificial sparkle.
Through the cloth, Bex gently manipulated the gold button, which he labored to lift into the portion of the vertical slot above the eyelet.
The amber lead held fast, making the operation difficult.
The chemist persisted, for lack of a more practical method. Any attempt to pry the pencil loose would have proven fruitless. Only the slow, gradual interposition of a stanchium barrier could ultimately overcome the extraordinary attachment of the two bodies.
A series of laborious efforts eventually yielded the desired result.
At the very top of the slit, the gold button, still invisible, was once more completely sheltered behind the two panels of the button stick, rejoined at that spot by its faithful and rigid strip.
Bex stood the immense pencil upright.
With the sharp edge of a lead protector, he tried to scrape bare the amber tip that was still coated in gilded paper.
The thin, rounded blade, closely shaving the yellow surface, soon bested the light paper money, whose highly diluted alloy gave only feeble resistance.
When all the coins had drifted haphazardly to the ground, Bex fit the lead protector back onto the pencil,
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