“I know of none,” replied Albion. “Sometimes the past seems wholly obliterated from my mind. I wish that I could forget the present — and let my thoughts revert to days gone by.”
“That is not difficult,” said Lamont Cranston. “Through concentration we can forget the present. I have done so, often.”
“I should like to know your method.”
LAMONT CRANSTON drew his left hand from behind the arm of the chair in which he was sitting. He extended his arm toward his companion.
Albion noted the long, white, tapering fingers, and his eyes were immediately attracted to a large gem, mounted on a heavy ring.
“An unusual stone,” he said.
“Yes,” answered Cranston. “It is a girasol, or fire opal. Look at it in the light. Do you see its deep red light, glowing like the embers of a fire?”
“I do,” replied Albion. He was staring at the fire opal, as though suddenly fascinated by it.
“Focus your gaze upon it,” suggested Cranston quietly. “Concentrate. Center your mind upon its reddish light. It produces a strange mental reaction. It brings back lost memories — “
Richard Albion’s hands were twitching slightly. He seemed unconscious of their movement. He seemed lost in deep thought, as though the sight of the strange gem had awakened a great interest in his brain.