Short Excerpts from TESLA'S FREQUENCY
Tesla Recruits Some Help
(Nikola Tesla recruits Rado and Drago, his prizefighter friends from Serbia, to his cause. If I have used any Serbian words wrong, please let me know. I'm not a native Serbian speaker.)
Rado leaned over and massaged his knuckles. “You have some enemies you need flattened?”
“Not so fast, my drogi," said Nikola. "It is more complicated than that. You see, these enemies are...well...from another planet.”
Drago squinted. “So? Just tell us where to hit them and we'll take care of the rest.”
“Sorry, boys, they're not easy to hit. They have advanced weaponry.”
“Space-men?” Drago clasped his meaty hands together and leaned forward, quite serious. “ Why did we not hear of this?”
“Because they...they do something to people's brains. They came once before, and people could remember nothing of it afterwards.”
“So what happened to these kopilye?”
“My friends and I...we convinced them that they weren't welcome on Earth. But...a few of them must have decided to stay. So we're going to pay a visit to their campground, where they're trying to stir up trouble.”
Drago rubbed his knuckles. “I get it. We show 'em they're still not welcome. Child's play.”
*************************************
Tesla Recruits Some Help
(Nikola Tesla recruits Rado and Drago, his prizefighter friends from Serbia, to his cause. If I have used any Serbian words wrong, please let me know. I'm not a native Serbian speaker.)
Rado leaned over and massaged his knuckles. “You have some enemies you need flattened?”
“Not so fast, my drogi," said Nikola. "It is more complicated than that. You see, these enemies are...well...from another planet.”
Drago squinted. “So? Just tell us where to hit them and we'll take care of the rest.”
“Sorry, boys, they're not easy to hit. They have advanced weaponry.”
“Space-men?” Drago clasped his meaty hands together and leaned forward, quite serious. “ Why did we not hear of this?”
“Because they...they do something to people's brains. They came once before, and people could remember nothing of it afterwards.”
“So what happened to these kopilye?”
“My friends and I...we convinced them that they weren't welcome on Earth. But...a few of them must have decided to stay. So we're going to pay a visit to their campground, where they're trying to stir up trouble.”
Drago rubbed his knuckles. “I get it. We show 'em they're still not welcome. Child's play.”
*************************************
Tesla the Wizard
“You'd best leave me alone.” He turned the full force of his electric gaze on his pursuers: the eyes that flashed lightning, the charisma that had mesmerized crowds. It still worked: bystanders found themselves drawn to stare at the elderly gentleman who had suddenly revealed himself to be...something more, a mystic figure brandishing a walking stick like a wizard's wand.
The flock of birds settled around him: on one shoulder, the White Pigeon. On the other, a black crow. Other birds perched nearby, like his silent honor guard. His white hair seemed to glow; his old-fashioned black morning coat seemed to ripple, and a faint aura crackled around him.
************************************************************
Elderly Tesla Goes Missing
(The name of Tesla's nephew has been changed in deference to the real Tesla family.)
“Have you seen my uncle Niko?” Petar Kostic fixed Ike with a searching look. “He's an odd fellow, that's for sure. Do you know him well? I'm concerned for his safety. He has all kinds of strange delusions.”
“Won't you have some coffee?” Ophelia put in.
“Thank you, Ma'am, but I don't have time to waste. When I find Uncle Niko, he is liable to be on top of some skyscraper, claiming that he's signalling to the stars. Really—at his age! You have no idea how much worry...I swear, when I find him, I'm signing him into a rest home.”
Ike covered his mouth, barely restraining laughter. “Good luck with that, sir. I don't think there is a rest home on this planet that can hold Nikola.”
Tesla and the Nazis
“Herr Hitler has commanded your presence,” said Obersturmfuehrer Hans Toifel. “You will build Death Ray installations and Artifact Transmitters. You'll have the very best facilities and equipment, and a huge supply of labor around the clock. With your help, the victory of the Reich will be assured!”
Niko buried his face in his clenched fists. Perhaps something would happen...a miracle, to rescue him. Heart attack, tornado, earthquake. He looked up in the sky. St. Sava, he began to pray, then stopped. If he was forced to invoke divine intervention, it was a different deity he needed to call upon now. Mighty Thor, deliver me!
The Theremin
“What the hell are you doing, Dr. Nick?” the big muscleman grabbed Niko's arm. “You're not to work without supervision.”
“Good evening, Rudolf. I'm building a musical instrument.”
“The hell you are.” Rudolf peered at the device in front of Niko. “That looks like an electronic gizmo to me.”
“Precisely. It is a Theremin, the world's only musical instrument that produces sound through wireless frequencies.”
Rudolf scowled. “Are you lying? This wouldn't be some kind of secret weapon, would it?”
“Can I not create something merely for personal enjoyment?” Niko spread his hands. “I need a way to relax.”
The Theremin produced a lovely harmonic tone, which fit so well as part of an orchestral performance...but oscillators could also be tuned for many purposes besides music.
“You'd best leave me alone.” He turned the full force of his electric gaze on his pursuers: the eyes that flashed lightning, the charisma that had mesmerized crowds. It still worked: bystanders found themselves drawn to stare at the elderly gentleman who had suddenly revealed himself to be...something more, a mystic figure brandishing a walking stick like a wizard's wand.
The flock of birds settled around him: on one shoulder, the White Pigeon. On the other, a black crow. Other birds perched nearby, like his silent honor guard. His white hair seemed to glow; his old-fashioned black morning coat seemed to ripple, and a faint aura crackled around him.
************************************************************
Elderly Tesla Goes Missing
(The name of Tesla's nephew has been changed in deference to the real Tesla family.)
“Have you seen my uncle Niko?” Petar Kostic fixed Ike with a searching look. “He's an odd fellow, that's for sure. Do you know him well? I'm concerned for his safety. He has all kinds of strange delusions.”
“Won't you have some coffee?” Ophelia put in.
“Thank you, Ma'am, but I don't have time to waste. When I find Uncle Niko, he is liable to be on top of some skyscraper, claiming that he's signalling to the stars. Really—at his age! You have no idea how much worry...I swear, when I find him, I'm signing him into a rest home.”
Ike covered his mouth, barely restraining laughter. “Good luck with that, sir. I don't think there is a rest home on this planet that can hold Nikola.”
Tesla and the Nazis
“Herr Hitler has commanded your presence,” said Obersturmfuehrer Hans Toifel. “You will build Death Ray installations and Artifact Transmitters. You'll have the very best facilities and equipment, and a huge supply of labor around the clock. With your help, the victory of the Reich will be assured!”
Niko buried his face in his clenched fists. Perhaps something would happen...a miracle, to rescue him. Heart attack, tornado, earthquake. He looked up in the sky. St. Sava, he began to pray, then stopped. If he was forced to invoke divine intervention, it was a different deity he needed to call upon now. Mighty Thor, deliver me!
The Theremin
“What the hell are you doing, Dr. Nick?” the big muscleman grabbed Niko's arm. “You're not to work without supervision.”
“Good evening, Rudolf. I'm building a musical instrument.”
“The hell you are.” Rudolf peered at the device in front of Niko. “That looks like an electronic gizmo to me.”
“Precisely. It is a Theremin, the world's only musical instrument that produces sound through wireless frequencies.”
Rudolf scowled. “Are you lying? This wouldn't be some kind of secret weapon, would it?”
“Can I not create something merely for personal enjoyment?” Niko spread his hands. “I need a way to relax.”
The Theremin produced a lovely harmonic tone, which fit so well as part of an orchestral performance...but oscillators could also be tuned for many purposes besides music.