Two afternoons later, a letter sealed with the wax stamp of the Comédie-Française arrived at 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Lionel opened the letter and smiled faintly upon seeing the invitation from Émile Perrin, urging him to "spare time to come for a talk."
When he sat again on the sofa in the director's office, Lionel noticed that Émile Perrin's eye bags were heavier than last time.
Émile Perrin skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point:
"I have considered it carefully, Lionel, very carefully. It kept me up for several nights. The vision you described is beautiful, but the risks are enormous—yes, the old guard on the arts committee will roar, and the budget might give the accountant a heart attack... But, I agree!"
Lionel remained silent, waiting quietly for him to continue.
Émile Perrin stared intently at Lionel:
"However, I have a few conditions, or perhaps requests, that I hope you can agree to."
Lionel nodded:
"Please tell me."
Émile Perrin sighed in relief and continued:
"First, I need to know what kind of story Thunderstorm is about. I cannot stake the reputation of the Comédie-Française solely on a vague 'technical revolution'; I need the story itself to convince me."
Lionel responded with a smile:
"That is reasonable."
Émile Perrin followed up:
"Second, adapting Thunderstorm and renovating the theatre will take time; it won't be finished until spring at the earliest, which is too great a loss. Therefore, I hope you can submit another script to me before October of this year—a script... a script that is a surefire hit like The Choir."
Lionel considered for a moment:
"That is possible. Perhaps a comedy."
Émile Perrin showed a look of satisfaction:
"A comedy is good; I was hoping for a comedy!"
But immediately, his expression turned serious:
"Third, you must personally participate in the theatre's renovation, because only you know exactly the 'modern theatre' effect you desire. I cannot spend the money and end up not getting what you wanted."
Lionel readily agreed:
"That is part of my responsibility. However, Mr. Director, all renovation costs must be borne by the Comédie-Française."
Émile Perrin seemed to hear the lament of his treasury, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and nodded:
"...Of course!"
Only then did Lionel begin to recount the story of Thunderstorm:
"This story concerns an illicit secret, a conflict between two classes, and the destruction of an entire family... It takes place in a Parisian capitalist family that married its way into high society..."
Lionel sketched out the outline of the entire story in concise language, especially emphasizing the key role of the thunderstorm in setting the characters' psychological mood and driving the plot forward. Lionel waved his arms, as if he were Zeus:
"Lightning is not just the light illuminating the stage; it is a sharp sword piercing into the characters' souls."
Émile Perrin listened raptly; this story possessed a soul-stirring power, especially when combined with the sound and light effects Lionel was emphasizing.
He nodded:
"Lionel, I must admit, your ability to 'tell a play' is unmatched in all of Paris..."
The agreement between the two parties was finally reached!
Back in his study at home, Lionel immediately sat down at the typewriter and began to act. Time was tight; Thunderstorm had to be staged in the spring to maximize its impact.
His first thought turned to the "Yablochkov Candle" mentioned by Nikola Tesla. After making inquiries, he learned that this "candle" had achieved brief success at exhibitions in London and Paris, but its production had since been transferred back to Russia.
Lionel used the Parisian postal system to find Pavel Yablochkov's contact information in Saint Petersburg. He drafted a telegram inviting the inventor to provide his "electric candles" for the renovation of the Comédie-Française and requested a "custom" design.
After sending the telegram, he wrote a brief letter to Nikola Tesla, inviting him over for a discussion.
The young Serbian engineer, though somewhat puzzled by the letter, did not refuse Lionel's invitation and arrived as requested.
Lionel dispensed with excessive formalities, ushered him into the study, and spread out a simple sketch of the theatre stage on the desk—
"Mr. Tesla, I plan to cooperate with the Comédie-Française to completely overhaul its stage lighting system."
He explained his vision to Nikola Tesla:
Use high-power arc lamps to simulate the intense lightning effects required by the drama;
Use adjustable incandescent lamps in the foreground and specific areas of the stage for supplementary lighting and atmosphere creation;
Most crucially, a control system capable of relatively precise switching of these fixtures and adjusting the intensity of the arc lamps.
Nikola Tesla listened carefully, his brow furrowing slightly:
"Mr. Sorelle, this is a massive undertaking, not simply a matter of installing a few lights. It requires generators capable of stably supplying large currents, and the design of complex circuits.
The most difficult part is that control system... Arc lamps are particularly hard to control precisely. I am interested in it, but... why me? Our company has many accomplished engineers..."
Lionel looked into Tesla's eyes:
"I need someone who truly understands and loves it; some engineers only see electric light as a commodity. But when you were working at my house last time, I saw your passion for 'electricity' itself—that is the spirit a 'revolution' requires.
So, I wanted to hear your opinion first. Of course, the installation of so many lights will certainly require strong support from the 'Edison Electric Light Company.' But I want you to be among the engineers on the participating team."
Nikola Tesla paused, a look of emotion crossing his face. He was silent for a moment, then stated firmly to Lionel:
"If you are truly determined to proceed with this project, Mr. Sorelle, I... I am willing to commit my full effort. I can try to design a new solution for the control circuit, and the stability issues will require detailed calculation... This is fascinating!"
...
After seeing Nikola Tesla off, Lionel breathed a small sigh of relief.
Although Tesla was young now, he was, in fact, already a first-class electrical engineer. Lionel had done his research and knew that before coming to Paris, Tesla had been the chief electrician at the Budapest telephone exchange and had improved many pieces of equipment.
Lionel did not believe the "Edison Electric Light Company" in Paris had an engineer of a higher standard than him.
Two days later, a telegram from Saint Petersburg was delivered to Lionel.
The telegram draft was in French, concise and direct, from Pavel Yablochkov. He expressed interest in Lionel's proposal but required Lionel to travel to Saint Petersburg for a face-to-face meeting.
The Frenchman's "three-minute enthusiasm" for novelties had disappointed the inventor in the past, so his attitude was quite cautious.
Lionel held the telegram and paced in his study, vexed.
(End of Chapter)