Certainly，ifeveramanfoundaguineawhenhewaslookingforapinitismygoodfriendProfessorGibberne。Ihaveheardbeforeofinvestigatorsovershootingthemark，butneverquitetotheextentthathehasdone。Hehasreally，thistimeatanyrate，withoutanytouchofexaggerationinthephrase，foundsomethingtorevolutionisehumanlife。Andthatwhenhewassimplyseekinganall-roundnervousstimulanttobringlanguidpeopleuptothestressesofthesepushfuldays。Ihavetastedthestuffnowseveraltimes，andIcannotdobetterthandescribetheeffectthethinghadonme。Thatthereareastonishingexperiencesinstoreforallinsearchofnewsensationswillbecomeapparentenough。
ProfessorGibberne，asmanypeopleknow，ismyneighbourinFolkestone。
Unlessmymemoryplaysmeatrick，hisportraitatvariousageshasalreadyappearedinTheStrandMagazine——Ithinklatein1899；
butIamunabletolookitupbecauseIhavelentthatvolumetosomeonewhohasneversentitback。Thereadermay，perhaps，recallthehighforeheadandthesingularlylongblackeyebrowsthatgivesuchaMephistopheliantouchtohisface。HeoccupiesoneofthosepleasantlittledetachedhousesinthemixedstylethatmakethewesternendoftheUpperSandgateRoadsointeresting。
HisistheonewiththeFlemishgablesandtheMoorishportico，anditisinthelittleroomwiththemullionedbaywindowthatheworkswhenheisdownhere，andinwhichofaneveningwehavesooftensmokedandtalkedtogether。Heisamightyjester，but，besides，helikestotalktomeabouthiswork；heisoneofthosemenwhofindahelpandstimulusintalking，andsoIhavebeenabletofollowtheconceptionoftheNewAcceleratorrightupfromaveryearlystage。Ofcourse，thegreaterportionofhisexperimentalworkisnotdoneinFolkestone，butinGowerStreet，inthefinenewlaboratorynexttothehospitalthathehasbeenthefirsttouse。
Aseveryoneknows，oratleastasallintelligentpeopleknow，thespecialdepartmentinwhichGibbernehasgainedsogreatanddeservedareputationamongphysiologistsistheactionofdrugsuponthenervoussystem。Uponsoporifics，sedatives，andanaestheticsheis，Iamtold，unequalled。Heisalsoachemistofconsiderableeminence，andIsupposeinthesubtleandcomplexjungleofriddlesthatcentresabouttheganglioncellandtheaxisfibretherearelittleclearedplacesofhismaking，littlegladesofillumination，that，untilheseesfittopublishhisresults，arestillinaccessibletoeveryotherlivingman。Andinthelastfewyearshehasbeenparticularlyassiduousuponthisquestionofnervousstimulants，andalready，beforethediscoveryoftheNewAccelerator，verysuccessfulwiththem。Medicalsciencehastothankhimforatleastthreedistinctandabsolutelysafeinvigoratorsofunrivalledvaluetopractisingmen。IncasesofexhaustionthepreparationknownasGibberne’sBSyruphas，Isuppose，savedmorelivesalreadythananylifeboatroundthecoast。
“Butnoneoftheselittlethingsbegintosatisfymeyet，“hetoldmenearlyayearago。“Eithertheyincreasethecentralenergywithoutaffectingthenervesortheysimplyincreasetheavailableenergybyloweringthenervousconductivity；andallofthemareunequalandlocalintheiroperation。Onewakesuptheheartandvisceraandleavesthebrainstupefied，onegetsatthebrainchampagnefashionanddoesnothinggoodforthesolarplexus，andwhatIwant——andwhat，ifit’sanearthlypossibility，Imeantohave——
isastimulantthatstimulatesallround，thatwakesyouupforatimefromthecrownofyourheadtothetipofyourgreattoe，andmakesyougotwo——oreventhree——toeverybodyelse’sone。Eh？
That’sthethingI’mafter。“
“Itwouldtireaman，“Isaid。
“Notadoubtofit。Andyou’deatdoubleortreble——andallthat。
Butjustthinkwhatthethingwouldmean。Imagineyourselfwithalittlephiallikethis“——heheldupalittlebottleofgreenglassandmarkedhispointswithit——“andinthispreciousphialisthepowertothinktwiceasfast，movetwiceasquickly，dotwiceasmuchworkinagiventimeasyoucouldotherwisedo。“
“Butissuchathingpossible？“
“Ibelieveso。Ifitisn’t，I’vewastedmytimeforayear。Thesevariouspreparationsofthehypophosphites，forexample，seemtoshowthatsomethingofthesort……Evenifitwasonlyoneandahalftimesasfastitwoulddo。“
“ItWOULDdo，“Isaid。
“Ifyouwereastatesmaninacorner，forexample，timerushingupagainstyou，somethingurgenttobedone，eh？“
“Hecoulddosehisprivatesecretary，“Isaid。
“Andgain——doubletime。AndthinkifYOU，forexample，wantedtofinishabook。“
“Usually，“Isaid，“IwishI’dneverbegun’em。“
“Oradoctor，driventodeath，wantstositdownandthinkoutacase。Orabarrister——oramancrammingforanexamination。“
“Worthaguineaadrop，“saidI，“andmoretomenlikethat。“
“Andinaduel，again，“saidGibberne，“whereitalldependsonyourquicknessinpullingthetrigger。“
“Orinfencing，“Iechoed。
“Yousee，“saidGibberne，“ifIgetitasanall-roundthingitwillreallydoyounoharmatall——exceptperhapstoaninfinitesimaldegreeitbringsyouneareroldage。Youwilljusthavelivedtwicetootherpeople’sonce——“
“Isuppose，“Imeditated，“inaduel——itwouldbefair？“
“That’saquestionfortheseconds，“saidGibberne。
Iharkedbackfurther。“AndyoureallythinksuchathingIS
possible？“Isaid。
“Aspossible，“saidGibberne，andglancedatsomethingthatwentthrobbingbythewindow，“asamotor-bus。Asamatteroffact——“
Hepausedandsmiledatmedeeply，andtappedslowlyontheedgeofhisdeskwiththegreenphial。“IthinkIknowthestuff……
AlreadyI’vegotsomethingcoming。“Thenervoussmileuponhisfacebetrayedthegravityofhisrevelation。Herarelytalkedofhisactualexperimentalworkunlessthingswereveryneartheend。
“Anditmaybe，itmaybe——Ishouldn’tbesurprised——itmayevendothethingatagreaterratethantwice。“
“Itwillberatherabigthing，“Ihazarded。
“Itwillbe，Ithink，ratherabigthing。“
ButIdon’tthinkhequiteknewwhatabigthingitwastobe，forallthat。
Irememberwehadseveraltalksaboutthestuffafterthat。“TheNewAccelerator“hecalledit，andhistoneaboutitgrewmoreconfidentoneachoccasion。Sometimeshetalkednervouslyofunexpectedphysiologicalresultsitsusemighthave，andthenhewouldgetalittleunhappy；atothershewasfranklymercenary，andwedebatedlongandanxiouslyhowthepreparationmightbeturnedtocommercialaccount。“It’sagoodthing，“saidGibberne，“atremendousthing。
IknowI’mgivingtheworldsomething，andIthinkitonlyreasonableweshouldexpecttheworldtopay。Thedignityofscienceisallverywell，butIthinksomehowImusthavethemonopolyofthestufffor，say，tenyears。Idon’tseewhyALLthefuninlifeshouldgotothedealersinham。“
Myowninterestinthecomingdrugcertainlydidnotwaneinthetime。
Ihavealwayshadaqueerlittletwisttowardsmetaphysicsinmymind。Ihavealwaysbeengiventoparadoxesaboutspaceandtime，anditseemedtomethatGibbernewasreallypreparingnolessthantheabsoluteaccelerationoflife。Supposeamanrepeatedlydosedwithsuchapreparation:hewouldliveanactiveandrecordlifeindeed，buthewouldbeanadultateleven，middle-agedattwenty-five，andbythirtywellontheroadtoseniledecay。ItseemedtomethatsofarGibbernewasonlygoingtodoforanyonewhotookhisdrugexactlywhatNaturehasdonefortheJewsandOrientals，whoaremenintheirteensandagedbyfifty，andquickerinthoughtandactthanweareallthetime。Themarvelofdrugshasalwaysbeengreattomymind；youcanmaddenaman，calmaman，makehimincrediblystrongandalertorahelplesslog，quickenthispassionandallaythat，allbymeansofdrugs，andherewasanewmiracletobeaddedtothisstrangearmouryofphialsthedoctorsuse！
ButGibbernewasfartooeageruponhistechnicalpointstoenterverykeenlyintomyaspectofthequestion。
Itwasthe7thor8thofAugustwhenhetoldmethedistillationthatwoulddecidehisfailureorsuccessforatimewasgoingforwardaswetalked，anditwasonthe10ththathetoldmethethingwasdoneandtheNewAcceleratoratangiblerealityintheworld。ImethimasIwasgoinguptheSandgateHilltowardsFolkestone——IthinkIwasgoingtogetmyhaircut，andhecamehurryingdowntomeetme——Isupposehewascomingtomyhousetotellmeatonceofhissuccess。Irememberthathiseyeswereunusuallybrightandhisfaceflushed，andInotedeventhentheswiftalacrityofhisstep。
“It’sdone，“hecried，andgrippedmyhand，speakingveryfast；
“it’smorethandone。Comeuptomyhouseandsee。“
“Really？“
“Really！“heshouted。“Incredibly！Comeupandsee。“
“Anditdoes——twice？
“Itdoesmore，muchmore。Itscaresme。Comeupandseethestuff。
Tasteit！Tryit！It’sthemostamazingstuffonearth。“Hegrippedmyarmand，walkingatsuchapacethatheforcedmeintoatrot，wentshoutingwithmeupthehill。Awholechar-a-banc-fulofpeopleturnedandstaredatusinunisonafterthemannerofpeopleinchars-a-banc。Itwasoneofthosehot，cleardaysthatFolkestoneseessomuchof，everycolourincrediblybrightandeveryoutlinehard。Therewasabreeze，ofcourse，butnotsomuchbreezeassufficedundertheseconditionstokeepmecoolanddry。Ipantedformercy。
