Moving Spirit

"Moving Spirit"
Author	Arthur C. Clarke
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Tales from the White Hart
Genre(s)	Science fiction
Published in	Tales from the White Hart
Publisher	Ballantine Books
Publication date	1957
Preceded by	"The Next Tenants"
Followed by	"The Man Who Ploughed the Sea"

"Moving Spirit" is a science fiction short story by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1957. The story within a comic story is narrated by Harry Purvis, who is called to assist a scientist relative of his in a trial. The scientist has been brought before the court on charges of illegally brewing liquor. Purvis manages to get him acquitted, by arguing that he was actually working on a fictional "osmotic bomb". Purvis demonstrates this bomb by exploding it in the courtroom, thus "accidentally" destroying all the evidence. However, the scientist is later booked for driving under the influence.

The piece is one of two original stories written for Clarke's collection Tales from the White Hart, the other being "The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch."

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