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THE GREAT GOD PAN
THE GREAT GOD PAN
By ARTHUR MACHEN
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THE GREAT GOD PAN
I
THE EXPERIMENT
〃I am glad you came； Clarke； very glad indeed。 I was not sure you
could spare the time。〃
〃I was able to make arrangements for a few days； things are not very
lively just now。 But have you no misgivings； Raymond？ Is it
absolutely safe？〃
The two men were slowly pacing the terrace in front of Dr。 Raymond's
house。 The sun still hung above the western mountain…line； but it shone
with a dull red glow that cast no shadows； and all the air was quiet； a
sweet breath came from the great wood on the hillside above； and with it；
at intervals； the soft murmuring call of the wild doves。 Below； in the
long lovely valley； the river wound in and out between the lonely hills； and；
as the sun hovered and vanished into the west； a faint mist； pure white；
began to rise from the hills。 Dr。 Raymond turned sharply to his friend。
〃Safe？ Of course it is。 In itself the operation is a perfectly simple
one； any surgeon could do it。〃
〃And there is no danger at any other stage？〃
〃None； absolutely no physical danger whatsoever； I give you my word。
You are always timid； Clarke； always； but you know my history。 I have
devoted myself to transcendental medicine for the last twenty years。 I
have heard myself called quack and charlatan and impostor； but all the
while I knew I was on the right path。 Five years ago I reached the goal；
and since then every day has been a preparation for what we shall do
tonight。〃
〃I should like to believe it is all true。〃 Clarke knit his brows； and
looked doubtfully at Dr。 Raymond。 〃Are you perfectly sure； Raymond；
that your theory is not a phantasmagoriaa splendid vision； certainly； but a
mere vision after all？〃
Dr。 Raymond stopped in his walk and turned sharply。 He was a
middle…aged man； gaunt and thin； of a pale yellow complexion； but as he
answered Clarke and faced him； there was a flush on his cheek。
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THE GREAT GOD PAN
〃Look about you； Clarke。 You see the mountain； and hill following
after hill； as wave on wave； you see the woods and orchard； the fields of
ripe corn； and the meadows reaching to the reed…beds by the river。 You
see me standing here beside you； and hear my voice； but I tell you that all
these things yes； from that star that has just shone out in the sky to the
solid ground beneath our feetI say that all these are but dreams and
shadows； the shadows that hide the real world from our eyes。 There is a
real world； but it is beyond this glamour and this vision； beyond these
'chases in Arras； dreams in a career；'beyond them all as beyond a veil。 I
do not know whether any human being has ever lifted that veil； but I do
know； Clarke； that you and I shall see it lifted this very night from before
another's eyes。 You may think this all strange nonsense； it may be
strange； but it is true； and the ancients knew what lifting the veil means。
They called it seeing the god Pan。〃
Clarke shivered； the white mist gathering over the river was chilly。
〃It is wonderful indeed；〃 he said。 〃We are standing on the brink of a
strange world； Raymond； if what you say is true。 I suppose the knife is
absolutely necessary？〃
〃Yes； a slight lesion in the grey matter； that is all； a trifling
rearrangement of certain cells； a microscopical alteration that would
escape the attention of ninety…nine brain specialists out of a hundred。 I
don't want to bother you with 'shop；'Clarke； I might give you a mass of
technical detail which would sound very imposing； and would leave you
as enlightened as you are now。 But I suppose you have read； casually； in
out…of…the…way corners of your paper； that immense strides have been
made recently in the physiology of the brain。 I saw a paragraph the other
day about Digby's theory； and Browne Faber's discoveries。 Theories and
discoveries！ Where they are standing now； I stood fifteen years ago； and
I need not tell you that I have not been standing still for the last fifteen
years。 It will be enough if I say that five years ago I made the discovery
that I alluded to when I said that ten years ago I reached the goal。 After
years of labour； after years of toiling and groping in the dark； after days
and nights of disappointments and sometimes of despair； in which I used
now and then to tremble and grow cold with the thought that perhaps there
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THE GREAT GOD PAN
were others seeking for what I sought； at last； after so long； a pang of
sudden joy thrilled my soul； and I knew the long journey was at an end。
By what seemed then and still seems a chance； the suggestion of a
moment's idle thought followed up upon familiar lines and paths that I had
tracked a hundred times already； the great truth burst upon me； and I saw；
mapped out in lines of sight； a whole world； a sphere unknown； continents
and islands； and great oceans in which no ship has sailed （to my belief）
since a Man first lifted up his eyes and beheld the sun； and the stars of
heaven； and the quiet earth beneath。 You will think this all high…flown
language； Clarke； but it is hard to be literal。 And yet； I do not know
whether what I am hinting at cannot be set forth in plain and lonely terms。
For instance； this world of ours is pretty well girded now with the
telegraph wires and cables； thought； with something less than the speed of
thought； flashes from sunrise to sunset； from north to south； across the
floods and the desert places。 Suppose that an electrician of today were
suddenly to perceive that he and his friends have merely been playing with
pebbles and mistaking them for the foundations of the world； suppose that
such a man saw uttermost space lie open before the current； and words of
men flash forth to the sun and beyond the sun into the systems beyond；
and the voice of articulate…speaking men echo in the waste void that
bounds our thought。 As analogies go； that is a pretty good analogy of
what I have done； you can understand now a little of what I felt as I stood
here one evening； it was a summer evening； and the valley looked much as
it does now； I stood here； and saw before me the unutterable； the
unthinkable gulf that yawns profound between two worlds； the world of
matter and the world of spirit； I saw the great empty deep stretch dim
before me； and in that instant a bridge of light leapt from the earth to the
unknown shore； and the abyss was spanned。 You may look in Browne
Faber's book； if you like； and you will find that to the present day men of
science are unable to account for the presence； or to specify the functions
of a certain group of nerve…cells in the brain。 That group is； as it were；
land to let； a mere waste place for fanciful theories。 I am not in the
position of Browne Faber and the specialists； I am perfectly instructed as
to the possible functions of those nerve…centers in the scheme of things。
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THE GREAT GOD PAN
With a touch I can bring them into play； with a touch； I say； I can set free
the current； with a touch I can complete the communication between this
world of sense andwe shall be able to finish the sentence later on。 Yes；
the knife is necessary； but think what that knife will effect。 It will level
utterly the solid wall of sense； and probably； for the first time since