Once he thought the combination might be right, but there was no power. So he added other lines of wire to his connections, and still others, until he had used almost every wire in the room.
Yet it still would not work. After pausing a moment to try to think what was wrong, he went at it again. He put this and that line together, adding another here and another there. Then, suddenly, as he made a last change, a quick flash of light almost blinded him. The switchboard crackled ominously, as if struggling to carry a powerful current.
Rob covered his face at the flash, but when he realized he wasn't hurt, he took his hands away. With blinking eyes, he tried to look at a wonderful brilliant light which seemed to fill the room, making it many times brighter than the brightest day.
Although at first completely dazzled, he quickly recovered and looked around some more. He discovered that the light was concentrated near one spot, from which all the glorious rays seemed to radiate.
He closed his eyes a moment to rest them. Then re-opening them and shading them somewhat with his hands, he made out the form of a curious Being. It stood with majesty and composure in the center of the magnificent light and looked down upon him, smiling.
Rob was a courageous boy, but a thrill of fear passed over him in spite of himself as he gazed upon the wondrous vision that confronted him. For several moments he sat as if turned to stone, but he kept his eyes fastened on the Being, devouring every detail of his appearance.
And what a strange appearance!
His jacket was a wavering mass of white light, edged with braid of red flames that shot little tongues in all directions. The buttons blazed in golden fire. His trousers had a bluish, shining color, with glowing stripes of crimson braid. His vest blended all the colors of the rainbow into a flashing, glorious mass. His features were majestic, and his eyes held the soft but penetrating brilliance of electric lights.
It was hard to meet the gaze of those searching eyes, but Rob did it. The splendid apparition bowed and said in a low, clear voice:
"I am here."
"I know that," answered the boy, trembling, "but WHY are you here?"
"Because you have touched the Master Key of Electricity, and I must obey the laws of nature that compel me to respond to your summons."
"I -- I didn't know I touched the Master Key," faltered the boy.
"I understand that. You did it unconsciously. No one in the world has ever done it before, for up until now Nature kept the secret safe locked within her."
Rob took time to consider this statement.
"Then who are you?" he inquired, at length.
"The Demon of Electricity," was the solemn answer.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Rob, "a demon!"
"Certainly. I am, in truth, the Slave of the Master Key, and I am forced to obey the commands of any one who is wise and brave enough -- or, as in your own case, fortunate and fool-hardy enough -- to touch it."
"I -- I've never guessed there was such a thing as a Master Key, or -- or a Demon of Electricity, and -- and I'm awfully sorry I -- I called you up!" stammered the boy, flustered by the imposing appearance of his companion.
The Demon actually smiled at this speech, a smile that was almost reassuring.
"I am not sorry," he said, in kinder tone, "for it is not much fun waiting century after century for some one to command my services. I have often thought my existence was unnecessary, since you @Earth people are so stupid that you seem unlikely ever to master the secret of electrical power."
"Oh, we have some great masters among us!" cried Rob, a bit angry at the Demon's statement. "Now, there's @Edison -- "
"Edison!" exclaimed the Demon, with a faint sneer; "what does he know?"
"Lots of things," declared the boy. "He's invented no end of wonderful electrical things."
"You are wrong to call them wonderful," replied the Demon, lightly. "He really knows little more than yourself about the laws that control electricity. His inventions are trifling things in comparison with the really wonderful results anyone who actually knows how to direct electricity could produce. Why, I've stood for months by Edison's elbow, hoping and longing for him to touch the Master Key, but I can see plainly he will never accomplish it."
"Then there's @Tesla," said the boy.
The Demon actually laughed.
"There is Tesla, to be sure," he said. "But what of him?"
"Why, he's discovered a powerful light," the boy replied, "and he's in communication with the people in @Mars."
"What people?" The Demon chuckled.
"Why, the people who live there."
"There are none."
This great statement almost took Rob's breath away. All the great science fiction novelists had written about the @Martians for years.
