He managed a thin laugh. "Well," he said. "Tonight will prove something, anyway."
I remember the greetings when the other scientists arrived, the slightly embarrassed attempts at conviviality. Within half an hour all of the nine men arrived and were seated before Marsten's table. All his former co-professors at the University where Marsten no longer taught. I could see that Marsten was obsessed almost as much with proving that these men's lack of faith in him was wrong, as he was in proving his own theories right.
I felt apprehensive as Marsten started to talk. But as his self-confidence, his obvious faith in himself began to show, I felt better. His enthusiasm and confidence was so contagious that it even affected the nine scientists so that they, too, became more interested than embarrassed.
"Gentlemen," Marsten was saying, "you know from my letters why you have been asked here. Needless to say, I am grateful beyond words that you came to be shown proof of what you've refused so far to believe—and with good cause. Tonight I shall demonstrate scientifically the existence of mental telepathy. I shall prove to all of you in an interrelated and undeniable way so that there will be no doubt concerning my facts. No doubt whatsoever."
No one else said anything. Feet shuffled and there was a cough or two. All of them knew what this would mean if Marsten could prove his theories; what it would mean to him if he failed.
Marsten went on. "If I show that you can read my mind, that should prove my theories to your satisfaction. I shall do this without any hypnotic suggestion.
"I have not told anyone of the techniques which I've worked out over a period of years, not even Max Reinach here. This will be my first group demonstration of my theories. Until I was ready to give conclusive scientific proof I did not confide fully to anyone, even to Max, my closest associate."
He had told me a little, that is true. So little, in fact, that I knew not much more about his theories than the rest of the scientists gathered here tonight.
"... and so, gentlemen, I shall get the experiment over with as quickly as possible. There are two rooms, as you see, one at each end of the hall. I shall go into one room and lock the door. It is impossible for me to see or hear anything that goes on outside that room. Before the experiment starts I shall ask you to examine that room yourselves, in any way you like."
De Vaca and Dr. Morrison went into the room, examined it thoroughly. Then one of them stayed inside while the other came out, closed the door, tested for sound. Finally, Morrison said, "We agree—it is a sound-proof room. It is bare inside. There is no opening other than this door."