THE WORLD SET FREE
It is an index of knowledge that grows continually, an index that becomes continually truer. There was never anything like it before."
"When I came into the education committee," said Karenin, "that index of human knowledge seemed an impossible thing. Research had produced a chaotic mountain of results, in a hundred languages and a thousand different types of publication. . . ." He smiled at his memories. 'How we groaned at the job!"
"Already the ordering of that chaos is nearly done. You shall see."
"I have been so busy with my own work—Yes, I shall be glad to see."
The patient regarded the surgeon for a time with interested eyes.
"You work here always?" he asked abruptly.
"No," said Fowler.
"But mostly you work here?"
"I have worked about seven years out of the past ten. At times I go away—down there. One has to. At least I have to. There is a sort of grayness comes over all this, one feels hungry for life, real, personal passionate life, love-making, eating and drinking for the fun of the thing, jostling crowds, having adventures, laughter—above all laughter———"
"Yes," said Karenin understandingly.
272
