Invisible World Read Online Free PDF Page A

Explorer , headed for America. My respect for Bronwyn’s powers had been vastly renewed. Van Leeuwenhoek had indeed changed our lives, just as she’d predicted. With incredible speed, Father rented the manor house to a family who wanted to spend the summer in the country. We were packed and out the door within a matter of days.
    This idea of sailing abroad to study Van Leeuwenhoek’s animalcules captivated Father’s scientific imagination. The reminder of his grandmother and mother and of their tragic fate worried him, though. When he voiced his fears, Van Leeuwenhoek reassured him, “You will be working in isolation with my associate, using his laboratories in the city of Saint Augustine. I will join you there within the next month. These experiments will be conducted under conditions of utter secrecy. We don’t want to open ourselves up to ridicule before we see if the work bears any fruit at all.”
    â€œFather, you know that I’ve never heard the thoughts of animals,” I reminded him as we stood watching the churning waters below us. “I only see pictures in my head. I believe that might be how animals think, in images.”
    â€œSo then you will tell us what images you see. When my mother worked with the unborn, they couldn’t speak yet, but she sensed any discomfort or fear they might be expressing.”
    Bronwyn and Kate came alongside us. Kate was nearly green with seasickness and leaned heavily on Bronwyn. “Why don’t you lie down in your bed below, Kate?” Father suggested.
    Kate leaned forward over the side of the Golden Explorer . “That only makes things worse, Father,” she replied. “It’s stifling hot down there.”
    I felt so sorry for her. “How long will this voyage take?”
    â€œFive to seven weeks depending on the weather conditions,” Father reported.
    Bronwyn put her arm around Kate’s shoulders. “Come with me, pet,” she soothed. “I have packed some ground ginger root, a remedy for nausea that will help you. Perhaps we can persuade the ship’s cook to boil it in a tea for us.”
    â€œBronwyn will fix her up,” Father remarked as Kate and Bronwyn departed.
    Many days were long and uninteresting. There were some children on board, younger than me, with whom I would play various games, just to pass the time. Their parents were content to let me occupy their offspring. I didn’t mind since the children were pretty and lively.
    In the evenings, we dined together at a long table next to the Golden Explorer ’s kitchen. The quarters were tight, which forced everyone to be friendly. At every meal, Father sat beside and spoke to a man of learning named Reverend Finnias. They debated everything imaginable.
    â€œThe goal of natural history is to catalog the creations of the Lord,” Reverend Finnias insisted one night.
    â€œI disagree,” Father replied. “This new age of scientific reason insists that we ask the question of how things work. We must be continually measuring and weighing our results in a scientific manner.”
    â€œDon’t speak to me of science!” Reverend Finnias thundered. “Science is the portal by which the Devil works his malfeasance. Science makes people question God.”
    â€œNot at all,” Father argued. “There is room in the world for both God and science.”
    These conversations stretched long into the nights. Though Father and Reverend Finnias could never seem to agree on anything, neither man ever lost interest in the debate.
    After a few weeks of baking sun and mild breezes, the voyage was beset with stormy weather, day in and day out. It greatly impeded our progress. By the time we had been at sea for nearly seven weeks, we had not even reached the Bermudas. Although I was eager to be finished with this journey, I was nervous about reaching the island of Bermuda, which I had heard referred to as the Isle of