Lemuria Book 2 by Strobl Karl Hans

Author:Strobl, Karl Hans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bandel Books Online
Published: 2023-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

The Triumph of the Machine

The city's toy industry had boomed in recent years.

All the cultured states demanded the mechanical toys, so colorful and so precise, the drum-beating clowns, the indefatigable fencers, the rushing automobiles, and the defiant battleships equipped with real steam engines. And even the unsophisticated states, whose needs were less urgent, were vigorously supplied with copies of these toys. In the backwoods of the colonies and in the deserts of Africa, Negro boys were often found with the ruins of one of these excellent items. A well-known explorer even claimed to have been deceived in the wilderness of the Malagarasi by a quite outlandish monkey, which, sitting in the branches of a Borassus palm tree, appeared to be the appearance of a completely new species until the discovery of a Trademark and serial number (D.R.P.No. 105 307) thwarted all hopes. But the independent press soon enough relegated this story to the category of fantastic digressions, indispensable among African researchers, and condemned it as a new move of the detestable colonial policy.

But the most sought-after were the mechanical rabbits made by Stricker & Vorderteil. These little animals, which were in no way inferior to their natural counterparts, could hop like their living models and, when the spring was tightened, ran in circles five or six times. A mechanical universal genius, an American, of course, whose abilities seemed to have fallen from heaven, had improved the pathetic, lifeless animals that were currently being produced by the factory. But just when the company seemed to be at the height of its achievements and glory, the fall followed. With the insolence of someone believing themselves to be indispensible, Mr. Hopkins one day demanded that his previous salary be doubled, that his working hours be cut in half, that he set up his own experimental workshop, and that a villa be built for him outside the city as his summer residence. Mr. Stricker showed himself inclined to give in. But Mr. Vorderteil objected most vehemently:

"One must not do this on principle alone. In half a year Hopkins would have new demands."

Mr. Stricker could see that, too.

The American accepted the boss's decision with a smile and replied to it by resigning. A little consternation and chagrin was soon overcome by the consideration that after all the most important factory secrets were already known to them, and that therefore there was no fear of any disruption of the business.

"But what," said the timid Mr. Stricker, "if Hopkins himself now opens a rival factory?"

"Let me see to it," Mr. Vorderteil reassured him. Mr. Vorderteil, who was connected by some underground way with the mayor of the town, said: “I will make sure that he does not get the permits for such a thing."

In the meantime, Mr. Hopkins performed his duties as before, refining the products of the factory with some small improvements, as if he intended to remain forever in the service of Stricker & Vorderteil, and as if he had only to shake his inventions out of his sleeve.

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