Part 18 (1/2)

Newton enters from behind the tower. He is wearing an English gentleman's outfit of blue velvet coat with lace ruffs, white breeches, and silk stockings, and he is carrying a cane. He appears, smoothing a dent from his three-cornered hat.

NEWTON (muttering) That travel agent shall hear of this. 'Tis not safe to walk abroad by day in these parts. (He puts his hat back on his head, looks up, and shouts toward the top of the tower.) And what, sir, is the meaning of this outrage? Thou art a menace to decent, G.o.d-fearing citizens. What hast thou to say for thyself?

GALILEO (shouting back) I already said, was accidente. Ees not expected for people to be out there in midday sun. You Engleesh?

NEWTON I do have that distinct honor.

GALILEO You okay?

NEWTON It's hardly any thanks to you if I am. Had the luncheon box not fallen a matter of mere seconds after the apple was despatched-as was evidently the case-me brains would have been done in as well as me feather. A negligence suit would have been incontestable, and I can a.s.sure you that the sum involved would not have been a trifling one.

GALILEO (curiously) Why you so sure that box falla after apple, eh?

NEWTON A matter of observation and simple logic, my good man. Both objects arrived at the same instant. It is common knowledge, is it not, that in falling, a heavier body will acquire a greater velocity than a lighter one. The box was clearly heavier than the apple. Therefore one is obliged to conclude that it commenced its descent later.

GALILEO Well, ees not so, see. Both falla from 'ere at same time. I am up 'ere. I see.

NEWTON (sighs) That's quite absurd. I have no doubt whatsoever that the two trajectories terminated simultaneously, which contradicts your a.s.sertion. Obviously your recollection has been distorted by preconceived notions or a subjective error.

GALILEO Ees no so, Engleesh. I know what I see. Maybe itsa your observations that not so wonderful.

NEWTON (to himself) Hrrmph! What an extraordinary suggestion. (He resumes shouting.) Very well.

We'll see about that. Kindly repeat the experiment, and this time watch closely.

GALILEO No, you watch. (He takes another apple and picks a brick from the pile of rubble, then leans out over the parapet.) You ready?

NEWTON (backing to a safe distance) Proceed.

Galileo releases the brick and the apple together. They fall and land at the same time. Newton stares in amazement.

NEWTON 'Pon me soul, the fellow's right! This is indeed a more intriguing business than I had given mind to pondering before. (He looks up.) Perforce I must retract my words. It seems I owe you an apology, sir.

GALILEO Grazie.

NEWTON Do it again.

GALILEO Certamente.

Galileo continues dropping pairs of apples and bricks from the top of the tower. While this is going on, various people enter from left and right. Some exit again, shaking their heads, while others stay to watch.

Eventually the stage around the foot of the tower is littered with apples and bricks, and a crowd of curious bystanders has gathered behind Newton. Oblivious to them, Newton looks up once more, and as he does so, he sees the moon above the tower. He straightens up slowly, staring at it.

GALILEO Whatsa matter now down there?

NEWTON (after a pause) I have a conundrum to exercise your wits, sir. Consider as an hypothesis that the tower were constructed as high as the moon itself. That condition satisfied, and given the apple and brick were released without imparted momentum, would they plunge to the ground in the manner we have been observing, or would they remain suspended as does the moon? If the former, then why, pray, does the moon itself fail to obey that same compulsion? And if the latter, what form of agency would preserve them in seeming in defiance of the nature of all objects to fall to the earth? Well, sir, answer me that.

GALILEO You losta me somewhere. Say again.

NEWTON (muttering) Oh, G.o.d help us. (In a louder voice) Would they stay up? If so, why? If not, what keeps the moon up?

Galileo looks up at the sky and scratches his head. After a moment or two he looks down again.

GALILEO I gotta one for you. Ask question other way round. Moon goes around Earth like stone on string, yes? So, where ees string? Why Moon not go off on straight line?-not, why doesn't eet fall down?

NEWTON (to himself) Egad, a conundrum for a conundrum. Would not the apple and the brick partic.i.p.ate also in the tendency to be propelled tangentially? Methinks we have the elements of a contradiction.

GALILEO One force up, one force down. Both forces same, so notheeng moves-just like moon. Ees okay, no?

NEWTON (thinks, then shakes his head and shouts back) The outward force on the apple and the brick would differ by virtue of their different ma.s.ses. How, then, a.s.suming equality of angular velocity, could equilibrium be preserved for both?

GALILEO Ees okay eef downward forces different too. Brick ees 'eavy, apple not so 'eavy.

NEWTON Hmm, were that true, then the ma.s.ses would tend to cancel. All objects would describe similar trajectories . . . Aha! And that would imply that all bodies would experience equal acceleration towards the ground.

GALILEO Which ees what I 'ave been saying. Everytheeng 'its ground at same time. Makesa no difference. What you theenk we just been looking at?