He meditated for about five minutes before answering: "Is it within your knowledge that those who make guns seek ever to make them powerful enough to penetrate the thickest armor; and that the men who make armor seek always to make it strong enough to resist the most powerful guns, so that first the guns are stronger, and then the armor, and then the guns and then the armor again, until nations groan beneath the burden of extravagance?
You know that?
"Understand, then, that that is but imitation of a higher law.

A fragment of the force that we control is greater than the whole power of all the guns in the world, and forever we are seeking the knowledge of how to protect ourselves against it, so that we may safely experiment with higher potencies.

As we learn the secret of safety we increase the power, and then learn more safety, and again increase the power.
Perpetually there comes a stage at which we dare not go forward--yet--because we do not yet know what the result of higher potencies will be on our own bodies.

Do you understand me?
So.

There will be an experiment to-night to ascertain the utmost limit of our present ability to resist the force." "You mean they'll try the force on you ?" He nodded.
"Why not use an alligator?
There are lots of creatures that die harder than a human being." "It must be one who understands," he answered.