by H G Wells

The chief attendant three dynamos that buzzed and rattled at Camberwell, and kept the electric railway going, came out of Yorkshire, name was James Holroyd practical electrician, but fond of whisky, heavy, red-haired brute with irregular teeth He doubted the existence Deity, but accepted Carnot's cycle, and he had read Shakespeare and found him weak in chemistry His helper came mysterious East, name was Azuma-zi But Holroyd called him Pooh-bah Holroyd liked nigger help because stand kicking--a habit with Holroyd--and pry machinery and try to learn the ways of it Certain odd possibilities negro mind brought into abrupt contact crown civilisation Holroyd never fully realised, though just end he got some inkling

To define Azuma-zi was beyond ethnology , perhaps, more negroid than anything else, though his hair was curly rather than frizzy, nose had bridge Moreover, his skin was brown rather than black, whites eyes were yellow His broad cheekbones and narrow chin gave his face something viperine V His head, too, was broad behind, and low and narrow forehead, his brain twisted round reverse way to European's short of stature and still shorter of English In conversation numerous odd noises of no known marketable value, infrequent words were carved and wrought into heraldic grotesqueness Holroyd tried to elucidate his religious beliefs, and--especially after whisky--lectured to him against superstition and missionaries Azuma-zi, however, shirked the discussion gods, even though kicked

Azuma-zi had come, clad in white but insufficient raiment, stoke-hole Lord Clive_, Straits Settlements and beyond, into London He had heard even youth greatness and riches of London, where all the women are white and fair, and even the beggars streets are white, and he had arrived, with newly-earned gold coins pocket, to worship shrine of civilisation The day landing was dismal one; the sky was dun, and wind-worried drizzle filtered down greasy streets, but he plunged boldly delights of Shadwell, and was presently cast up, shattered in health, civilised in costume, penniless, and, except in matters direst necessity, practically dumb animal, to toil for James Holroyd, and bullied by him dynamo shed at Camberwell And to James Holroyd bullying was labour of love

There were three dynamos with their engines at Camberwell The two that there beginning are small machines; the larger one was new The smaller machines made reasonable noise; their straps hummed over the drums, every the brushes buzzed and fizzled, air churned steadily, whoo ! whoo ! whoo ! between their poles One was loose in its foundations and kept the shed vibrating But the big dynamo drowned these little noises altogether sustained drone iron core, which somehow set part ironwork humming The place made the visitor's head reel throb, throb, throb engines, the rotation big wheels, the spinning ball-valves, the occasional spittings steam, and over all the deep, unceasing, surging note big dynamo This last noise was from an engineering point of view defect, but Azuma-zi accounted it unto the monster for mightiness and pride

were possible the noises shed always reader as he reads, tell all our story to such an accompaniment steady stream of din, the ear picked out first one thread and then another; the intermittent snorting, panting, and seething steam engines, the suck and thud pistons, the dull beat air spokes great driving wheels came round, note the leather straps made ran tighter and looser, and fretful tumult dynamos; and, over all, sometimes inaudible, ear tired of it, and then creeping back senses again, trombone note big machine The floor never felt steady and quiet beneath one's feet, but quivered and jarred confusing, unsteady place, and enough to send anyone's thoughts jerking into odd zigzags And for three months, while the big strike engineers was in progress, Holroyd, who was blackleg, and Azuma-zi, who was mere black, were never stir and eddy of it, but slept and fed little wooden shanty shed gates

Holroyd delivered theological lecture text big machine soon after Azuma-zi came He had to shout heard din "Look ," said Holroyd; "where's your 'eathen idol to match 'im ? " And Azuma-zi looked For moment Holroyd was inaudible, and then Azuma-zi heard: "Kill hundred men Twelve per cent, ordinary shares," said Holroyd, " 's something like Gord "

Holroyd was proud big dynamo, and expatiated upon its size and power to Azuma-zi until heaven knows what odd currents of thought that incessant whirling and shindy set up curly black cranium explain most graphic manner the dozen or so ways man killed , and once Azuma-zi shock as sample quality , breathing-times labour-- heavy labour, being his own, but most of Holroyd's--Azuma-zi would sit and watch the big machine the brushes would sparkle and spit blue flashes, at which Holroyd would swear, but all the rest was as smooth and rhythmic as breathing The band ran shouting over the shaft, and ever behind one as one watched complacent thud piston So it lived all day big airy shed, and Holroyd to wait upon it; not prisoned up and slaving to drive ship other engines --mere captive devils British Solomon-- , but machine enthroned Those two smaller dynamos Azuma-zi by force of contrast despised; the large one he privately christened the Lord Dynamos They were fretful and irregular, but the big dynamo was steady How great ! How serene and easy in its working ! Greater and calmer even Buddhas he had seen at Rangoon, and yet not motionless, but living ! The great black coils spun, spun, spun, the rings ran round under the brushes, deep note coil steadied the whole It affected Azuma-zi queerly

Azuma-zi was not fond of labour sit about and watch the Lord Dynamos while Holroyd went away the yard porter whisky, although his proper place was not dynamo shed but behind the engines, and, moreover, if Holroyd caught him skulking he got hit with rod of stout copper wire go and stand close colossus, and look up great leather band running overhead black patch band that came round, and it pleased him somehow among all the clatter to watch this return again and again Odd thoughts spun whirl of it Scientific people tell us that savages give souls to rocks and trees,--and machine is thousand times more alive than rock or tree And Azuma-zi was practically savage still; the veneer of civilisation lay no deeper than his slop suit, his bruises, coal grime face and hands His father before him had worshipped meteoric stone, kindred blood, it , had splashed the broad wheels of Juggernaut

every opportunity Holroyd gave him of touching and handling the great dynamo that was fascinating him He polished and cleaned it until the metal parts were blinding sun mysterious sense of service in doing this go up and touch its spinning coils gently The gods he had worshipped were all far away The people in London hid their gods

At last his dim feelings grew more distinct, and took shape in thoughts, and at last in acts When roaring shed one morning he salaamed Lord Dynamos, and then, when Holroyd was away, he went and whispered thundering machine that its servant, and prayed it pity on him and save him from Holroyd As so rare gleam of light came in open archway throbbing machine-shed, Lord Dynamos, as he whirled and roared, was radiant with pale gold Then Azuma-zi knew that his service was acceptable Lord feel so lonely as he had done, and he had indeed been alone in London And even when his work-time was over, rare, he loitered shed

Then, the Holroyd maltreated him, Azuma-zi went presently Lord Dynamos and whispered, "Thou seest, O my Lord ! " angry whirr machinery seemed to answer him Thereafter it appeared to him that whenever Holroyd came shed different note came sounds dynamo "My Lord bides his time," said Azuma-zi to himself "The iniquity fool ripe " And he waited and watched day of reckoning One day evidence of short circuiting, and Holroyd, making an unwary examination-- afternoon--got rather severe shock Azuma-zi from behind the engine saw him jump off and curse peccant coil

" warned," said Azuma-zi to himself "Surely my Lord is very patient "