Nikola Tesla Books
CHAPTER EIGHT Tesla's life as the story of a man obsessed with the desire to control the naked forces of nature. He struggled to tame electricity, at that time an unknown and powerful force. Did this desire to exercise control over electrical power come from the same origin as his need to control his own inner nature? Had his life's work become a metaphor for the need to control the emotional forces within his own body? I realized that my arguments were becoming a little far-fetched but I couldn't help wondering if Tesla had been guilty of an inner blindness, a final act of treason on the part of his critical power when it came to his dream of broadcast power. Reflections such as these occupied me for the next few days until the morning I was to meet Andrew Microwski for lunch. My trip downtown took less time than I had expected and I arrived at our meeting place only to discover that the restaurant was not due to open for another five minutes. We had agreed to eat in a café located inside the city's theatre complex. From its windows, we would be able to look out at the frozen canal, which was filled with skaters at lunchtime. As I had several minutes to wait, I strolled over to a comfortable armchair located in the foyer and sat down. I had no idea of Microwski's age or his appearance, so I decided to play the game I had invented while waiting in an airport lounge on the way to an important scientific conference. I used to sit watching the various arrivals and try to guess which of them could be a scientist. In the past, my success rate had been exceptionally high. This time the target was a member of PACE and I scanned the group standing outside the café for possible candidates. After a few moments the café opened and this seemed to trigger a fresh influx of people. One of them strode forward in an ill-fitting coat, his oversized snow boots flapping about his heels. Without doubt, here was an eccentric and dedicated scientist. I stood up and held out my hand to Dr Microwski. At the same moment, I felt someone clap me on the shoulder and spun round to face a heavily built young man. 'Dr David Peat?' he asked. 'I spotted you - I'm Andrew Microwski. Can I help you?' Andrew was a cheerful and enthusiastic man, neat and with a slight foreign accent and exceptional confidence. He guided me into the restaurant 74
