life.
Myshevskiy. Oh, really? Frankly, I didn’t think of that, professor. It is probably because a human being is an egoist by nature. How could he blamed of it? The God created him so.
Golyshkin. However, fortunately, for humanity The God created not all people as egoists. The history contains the examples when some individuals sacrificed their lives for the sake of other people.
Myshevskiy. Well, black sheep occurs in all herds. And after all, if each individual is happy, isn’t it enough for all humanity to be happy?
Golyshkin. You are quite a sophist, Mr. Myshevsky, I should tell you. It makes you somewhat similar to your desirable elixir-stone. Your ideas like poison get into people’s minds breaking noble ideals and turn romantic souls into cynics.
Myshevskiy. I’d say you are too stern to me, professor.
Golyshkin. Well, let’s stop this useless arguing, Mr. Myshevsky. We’d better return to the point of our conversation. Don’t you know that the philosophers’ stone is not more than a fable of ancient alchemists?
Myshevskiy. Yeah, I heard about it. Moreover, this fable had been actively exploited by all sorts of quacks. They made their money on those simpletons who believed in superficial power of the elixir-stone.
Golyshkin. So, you see…
Myshevskiy. What about Raimondus Lullius then? Do you know about the Spaniard who lived back in the 14th century? The British King Edward ordered him to make sixty thousand pounds of gold out of Azoth, Tin, and Saturn. And he did fulfill the order!
Golyshkin. At that time, all money transactions were made with tin metal. There wasn’t much gold in the royal treasury.
Myshevskiy. However, according to the historical documents the royal treasury was filled with gold at the times of Edward the King. It was used for bargaining exclusively big deals with the Hans Republic.
Golyshkin. Even historical documents might contain a sporadic mistake.
Myshevskiy. Okay, let’s assume that a quantity of gold was exaggerated. But one can’t dispute the fact itself! The golden coins made by Raimondus Lullius have been kept today in the British museums.
Golyshkin. It’s a great hoax!
Myshevskiy. Stalver Udarpyatovich! Are you blaming the British King for telling lies?
Golyshkin. Not the King, but the so-called chroniclersе.
Myshevskiy. Professor, why don’t you want to believe the simplest explanation? Somehow Raimondus Lullius managed to get the recipe of creating the elixir stone. Or does the time where he lived seem too mysterious to you?
Golyshkin. I would say yes. Medieval period is sunk in the darkness. Some historical chronicles claim that fire-spitting dragons used to dwell at that times. Should I believe them too?
Myshevskiy. Do you mean dragons? Actually, I didn’t think of that… All is possible… However, some elements of Mendeleev’s table might be transmuted into gold. That was proven yet in the 20th century.
Golyshkin. Yes, it often happens in the process of nuclear reactor working. But the concentration of gold which is emitted in the result of it is too small and too expensive. Obviously, it can’t be considered as a reasonable way.
Myshevskiy. That’s why scientists prefer not to take it seriously. Besides, this chemical reaction has some negative impact on functioning of the nuclear reactor itself. However, it’s a fact.
Golyshkin. So, what does it prove?
Myshevskiy. It proves that transmutation of any metal into gold is possible! The problem is that the recipe of the elixir-stone has been lost in centuries. And all those who knew had turned into ashes long ago.
Golyshkin. Okay, let it be so. But why did you come to see me?
Myshevskiy. The reason is your book, professor. You state that a spirit-rapping is a real opportunity to talk to the dead.
Golyshkin. Wait a minute, Mr. Myshevsky! I think I’ve got you! That’s it! You are not going to waste your life making experiments. Why to seat for years in the laboratory bending your head over retorts hoping to see a punch of gold sand on the bottom of one of them one day? No way, that’s not for you! Instead of all that you want to get into spiritual contact with one of those who used to know a recipe of the elixir-stone and get the secret of transmutation. Please, correct me, if I am wrong.
Myshevskiy. You are right professor.
Golyshkin. So, who did you chose for this purpose? The Spaniard Lullius? Or Edward the King?
Myshevskiy. That is Hermes Trismegistus.
Golyshkin. My God! You are crazier than I thought.
Myshevskiy. What does surprise you, professor? Nobody knows about the elixir-stone more than Hermes Trismegistus. It was not for nothing that he was called Hermes Trice the Great. It was this Egyptian who introduced the elixir-stone which he received in the result of his alchemic experiments.
Golyshkin. But this is a mythological personality! According to the old legends he was a son of Egyptian Gods Osiris and Isis. He is also often compared to Thoth, the ancient Egyptian wizard God. Most likely this person never existed at all.
Myshevskiy. Actually, he did and even wrote books. Actually, the world learnt about the elixir-stone exactly from his books. Unfortunately, most of the them were destroyed by the fire at the Alexandria library. Those few saved were hidden in the underground caches in the desert by Hermes Trismegistus’s adepts.
Golyshkin. Do you really believe all that?
Myshevskiy. Some translations of his books are available today. Unfortunately, they are too distorted. Almost nothing could be understood from them.
Golyshkin. Well, are you sure that during a spirit séance this mythological Egyptian would show up from the other world and open you his secret recipe?
Myshevskiy. Why not? I think many people before me tried to do this. Most of them didn’t succeed. But some were lucky.
Golyshkin. It looks like you are absolutely sure, Myshevsky, that Hermes Tricemegistus wouldn’t reject you.
Myshevskiy. Not me.
Golyshkin. Why?
Myshevskiy. Because what I need from Hermes Tricemegistus is not the recipe of the elixir-stone. I already know this recipe.
Behind the door Rodion tries to kiss Olga’s lips, but she blocks his lips with her hand.
Rodion. Why not, Olya? Don’t you like it?
Olga. Hush!
Olga puts her finger on his lips encouraging him to listen to the voices in the room.
Golyshkin. Did you get your recipe from one of those poor translations of that great Egyptian alchemist? Or did you get it from those books destroyed by fire at the Alexandrian library?
Myshevskiy. Don’t mock professor. I inherited it from my father.
Golyshkin. Well, well… Excuse me, what did your father do?
Myshevskiy.
