I found Clarence, alone in his quarters, drowned in melancholy; and in place of the electric light, he had re-institutedⒶalteration in the MS the ancient rag lamp, and sat there in a grisly twilight with all curtains drawn tight. He sprang up and rushed for me eagerly, saying:
“Oh, it’s worth a billion milrays to look upon a live person again!”
He knew me as easily as if I hadn’t been disguised at all. Which frightened me; one may easily believe that.
“Quick, now, tell me the meaning of this fearful disaster,” I said. “How did it come about?”
“Well, if there hadn’t been any QueenⒶemendation Guenever, it wouldn’t have come so early; but it would have come, anyway. It would have come on your own account by and by; by luck, it happened to come on the queen’s.”
“And Sir Launcelot’s?”
“Just so.”
“Give me the details.”
“I reckon you will grant that during someⒶalteration in the MS years there has been only one pair of eyes in these kingdoms that has not been looking steadily askance at the queen and Sir Launcelot—”
[begin page 459]“Yes—King Arthur’s.”
—“and only one heart that was without suspicion—”
“Yes—the king’s; a heart that isn’t capable of thinking evil of a friend.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Well, the king might have gone on, still happy and unsuspecting, to the end of his days, but for one of your modern improvements—the stock-board.Ⓐalteration in the MS When you left, three miles of the London, Canterbury & Dover were ready for the rails, and also ready and ripe for manipulation in the stock market. It was wildcatⒶemendation, and everybody knew it. The stock was for sale at a give-awayⒶemendation. What does Sir Launcelot do, but—”
“Yes, I know; he quietly picked up nearly all of it, for a song; then he bought about twice as much more, deliverable upon call; and he was about to call when I left.”
“Very well, he did call. The boys couldn’t deliver. Oh, he had them—and he just settled his grip and squeezed them. They were laughing in their sleeves over their smartness in selling stock to him at 15 and 16 and along there, that wasn’t worth 10. Well, when they had laughed long enough on that side of their mouths,Ⓐalteration in the MS they rested-up that side by shifting the laugh to the other side. That was when they compromised with the Invincible at 283!”
“Good land!”
“He skinned them alive, and they deserved it—anyway, the whole kingdom rejoiced. Well, among the flayed were Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, nephews to the king. End of the first Act. Act Second, scene first, an apartment in Carlisle castle, where the court had gone for a few days’Ⓐrejected substantive hunting. Persons present, the whole tribe of the king’s nephews. Mordred and AgravaineⒶemendation propose to call the guileless Arthur’s attention to Guenever and Sir Launcelot. Sir Gawaine, Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris will have nothing to do with it. A dispute ensues, with loud talk; in the midst of it, enter the king. Mordred and Agravaine spring their devastating tale upon him. Tableau. A trap is laid for Launcelot,Ⓐalteration in the MS by the king’s command, and Sir Launcelot walks into it. He made it sufficiently uncomfortable for the ambushed witnesses—to witⒶemendation, Mordred, Agravaine, and twelve knights of lesser rank,Ⓐalteration in the MS for he killed every one of them but Mordred;Ⓐalteration in the MS but of course that couldn’t straighten matters between LauncelotⒶalteration in the MS and the king, and didn’t.”
“Oh, dear, onlyⒶalteration in the MS one thing could result—I see that. War, and the knights of the realm divided into a king’s party and a Sir Launcelot’s party.”
[begin page 460]
“Yes—that was the way of it. The king sent the queen to the stake, proposing to purify her with fire. Launcelot and his knights rescued herⒶemendation,Ⓐalteration in the MS and in doing it slew certain good old friends of yours and mine—in fact some of the best we ever had; to witⒶemendation, Sir Belias le Orgulous, Sir Segwarides, Sir Griflet le Fils de DieuⒶemendation, Sir Brandiles, Sir Aglovale—”
“Oh, you tear out my heart-stringsⒶemendation.”
“—wait, I’m not done yet—Sir Tor, Sir Gauter, Sir Gillimer—”
“The very best man in my Subordinate Nine.Ⓐemendation What a handyⒶalteration in the MS right-fielderⒶemendation he was!”
“—Sir Reynold’s three brothers, Sir Damus, Sir Priamus, Sir Kay the Stranger—”
“My peerless short-stop! I’ve seen him catch a daisy-cutter in his teeth. Come, I can’tⒶalteration in the MS stand this!”
“—Sir Driant, Sir Lambegus, Sir Herminde, Sir Pertilope, Sir Perimones, and—whom, do you think?”
“Rush! Go on.”
“Sir Gaheris, and Sir Gareth—both!”
“Oh, incredible! Their love for Launcelot was indestructible.”
“Well, it was an accident. They were simply on-lookers; they were unarmed, and were merely there to witness the queen’s punishment. Sir Launcelot smote down whoever came in the way of his blind fury, and he killed these without noticing who they were. Here is an instantaneous photograph one of our boys got of the battle;Ⓐalteration in the MS it’s for sale on every news-standⒶemendation. There—the figures nearest the queen are Sir Launcelot with his sword up, and Sir Gareth gaspingⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS his latest breath. You can catch the agony in the queen’s face through the curling smoke. It’s a rattling battle-picture.”
[begin page 461]“Indeed it is. We must take good care of it; its historical value is incalculable. Go on.”
“Well, the rest of the tale is just war, pure and simple. Launcelot retreated to his town and castle of Joyous Gard, and gathered there a great following of knights. The king, with a great host,Ⓐalteration in the MS went there, and there was desperate fighting during several days, and as a result all the plain around was paved with corpses and cast-iron. Then the ChurchⒶalteration in the MS patched up a peace between Arthur and Launcelot and the queen and everybody—everybody butⒶalteration in the MS Sir Gawaine. He was bitter about the slaying of his brothers, Gareth and Gaheris, and would not be appeased. He notified Launcelot to get him thence, and make swift preparation, and look to be soon attacked. So Launcelot sailed to his Duchy of Guienne, with his following, and Gawaine soon followed, with an army, and he beguiled Arthur to go with him. Arthur left the kingdom in Sir Mordred’s hands until you should return—”
“Ah—a king’s customary wisdom!”
“Yes. Sir Mordred set himself at once to work, to make his kingship permanent. He was going to marry Guenever, as a first move; but she fled, and shut herself up in the Tower of London. Mordred attacked; the Bishop of Canterbury dropped down on him with the Interdict. The king returned; Mordred fought him at Dover, at Canterbury, and again at Barham Down. Then there was talk of peace,Ⓐalteration in the MS and a composition. Terms, Mordred to have Cornwall and Kent, during Arthur’s life, and the whole kingdom afterward.”
“Well, upon my word! My dream of a RepublicⒶemendation to be Ⓐemendation a dream, and so remain.”
“Yes. The two armies lay near Salisbury. Gawaine—Gawaine’s head is at Dover Castle, heⒶalteration in the MS fell in the fight there—Gawaine appeared to Arthur in a dream, at least his ghost did, and warned him to refrain from conflict for a month, let the delayⒶalteration in the MS cost what it might. But battle was precipitated by an accident. Arthur had given order that if a sword was raised during the consultation over the proposed treaty with Mordred, sound the trumpet and fall on! for he had no confidenceⒶalteration in the MS in Mordred. Mordred had given a similar order to his Ⓐemendation people. Well, by and by an adder bit a knight’s heel; the knight forgot all about the order, and made a slashⒶalteration in the MS at the adder with his swordⒶalteration in the MS. Inside of half a minute those two prodigious hosts came together with a crash! TheyⒶalteration in the MS butchered away all day. Then the king—however, we have started something fresh since you left—our paper has.”
“No? What is that?”
“War correspondence!”
“Why, that’s good.”
“Yes, the paper was booming right along, for the Interdict made no impression, got no grip, while the war lasted. I had war correspondents with both armies. I will finish that battle by reading you what one of the boys says:
Then the king looked about him, and then was he ware of all his host, and of all his good knights, were left no more on live but two knights, that was Sir Lucan de butlere, and his brother Sir Bedivere: and they full wereⒶrejected substantive sore wounded. Jesu mercy, said the king, where are all my noble knights becomen?Ⓐemendation Alas that ever I should see this doleful day. For now, said Arthur, I am come to mine end. But would to God that I wist where were that traitor Sir Mordred, that hath caused all this mischief. Then was king Arthur ware where Sir Mordred leaned upon his sword among a great heap of dead men. Now give me my spear, said Arthur unto Sir Lucan, for yonder I have espied the traitor that all this woe hath wrought. Sir, let him be, said Sir Lucan, for he is unhappy: and if ye pass this unhappy day, ye shall be right well revenged upon him. Good lord, remember ye of your night’s dream, and what the spirit of Sir Gawaine told you this night, yet God of his great goodness hath preserved you hitherto. Therefore, for God’s sake, my lord, leave off by this. For blessed be God ye have won the field: for here we be three on live, and with Sir Mordred is none on live. And if ye leave off now, this wicked day of destiny is past. Tide me death, betide me life, saith the king, now I see him yonder alone, he shall never escape mine hands, for at a better avail shall I never have him. [begin page 463]
“That is a good piece of war correspondence, Clarence; you are a first-rate newspaper man. Well—is the king all right? Did he get well?”
“Poor soul, no. He is dead.”
I was utterly stunned; it had not seemed to me that any wound could be mortal to him.
“And the queen, Clarence?”
“She is a nun, in Almesbury.Ⓔexplanatory note”
“What changes! and in such a short while. It is inconceivable. What next, I wonder?”
“I can tell you what next.Ⓐemendation”
“Well?”
“Stake our lives and stand by them!”
[begin page 464]“What do you mean by that?”
“The ChurchⒶalteration in the MS is master, now. The Interdict included you with Mordred; it is not to be removed while you remain alive. The clans are gathering. The Church has gathered all the knights that are left alive, and as soonⒶalteration in the MS as you are discovered, we shall have business on our hands.”
“Stuff! With our deadly scientific war-material—with our hosts of trained—”
“Save your breath—we haven’t sixtyⒶalteration in the MS faithful left!”
“What are you saying? Our schools, our collegesⒶemendation, our vast work-shopsⒶemendation, our—”
“When those knights come, those establishmentsⒶalteration in the MS will empty themselves and go over to the enemy. Did you think you had educated the superstition out of those people?”
“I certainly did think it.”
“Well, then, you may unthink it. They stood every strain easily—until the Interdict. Since then, they merely put on a bold outside—at heart they are quaking. Make up your mind to it—when the armies come, the mask will fall.”
“It’s hard news. We are lost. They will turn our own science against us.”
“No they won’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I and a handful of the faithful have blocked that game.Ⓐalteration in the MS I’ll tell you what I’ve done, and what moved me to it. Smart as you are, the Church was smarter. It was the Church that sent you cruising—through her servants the doctors.”
“Clarence!”
“It is the truth. I know it. Every officer of your ship was the Church’s picked servant, and so wasⒶalteration in the MS every man of the crew.”
“Oh, come!”
“It is just as I tell you. I did not find out these things at once, but I found them out finally. Did you send me verbal information,Ⓐalteration in the MS by the commanderⒶemendation of the ship, to the effectⒶalteration in the MS that upon his return to you, with supplies, you were going to leaveⒶalteration in the MS Cadiz—”
“Cadiz! I haven’t been at Cadiz at all!”
—“going to leave Cadiz and cruise in distant seas indefinitely, for the health of your family? Did you send me that word?”
“Of course not. I would have written, wouldn’t I?”
“Naturally. I was troubled, and suspicious. When the commander sailed againⒶemendation I managed to ship a spy with him. I have never heard of vessel or spy since. I gave myself two weeks to hear from you in. Then I resolved to send a ship to Cadiz. There was a reason why I didn’t.”
“What was that?”
“Our navy had suddenly and mysteriously disappeared! Also asⒶemendation suddenly and as mysteriously, the railway and telegraph and telephone service ceased,Ⓐalteration in the MS the men all deserted, poles were cut down, the Church laid a ban upon the electric light! I had toⒶalteration in the MS be up and doing—and straight off. Your life was safe—nobody in these kingdoms but Merlin would venture to touchⒶalteration in the MS such a magician as you, without ten thousand men at his back—I had nothing to think of but howⒶalteration in the MS to put preparations in the best trim against your coming. I felt safe myself—nobody would be anxious to touch a pet of yours. So this is what I did. From our various works I selected all the men—boys, I mean—whose faithfulnessⒶalteration in the MS under whatsoever pressure I could swear to, andⒶalteration in the MS I called them together secretly and gave them their instructions. There are fifty-two of them; none younger than fourteen, and none above seventeen years old.”
“Why did you select boys?”
“Because all the others were born in an atmosphere of superstition, [begin page 466] and reared in it. It is in their blood and bones. We imagined we had educated it out of them; they thought so, too; the Interdict woke them up like a thunderclapⒶemendation! It revealed them to themselves, and it revealed them to me, too. With boys it was different. Such as have been under our training from seven to ten years have had no acquaintance with the Church’s terrors, and it was among these that I found my fifty-two. AsⒶalteration in the MS a next move, I paid a private visit to that old cave of Merlin’s—not the small one, the big one—”
“Yes, the one where we secretly established our first great electric plant when I was projecting a miracle.”
“Just so. And as that miracle hadn’t become necessary then, I thought it might be a good idea to utilize the plant now. I’ve provisioned the cave for a siege—”
“A good idea, a first-rateⒶemendation idea.”
“I think so. I placed fourⒶalteration in the MS of my boys there, as a guard—inside, and out of sight. Nobody was to be hurt—while outside; but any attempt to enter—well, we said,Ⓐalteration in the MS just let anybody try it!Ⓐalteration in the MS Then I went out into the hills and uncovered and cut theⒶalteration in the MS secret wireⒶrejected substantive which connected your bedroomⒶalteration in the MS with the wires that go to the dynamite deposits under all our vast factories, mills, work-shopsⒶemendation, magazines, etc., and about midnight I and my boys turned out and connected that wire with the cave, and nobody but you and I suspects where the other end of it goes to.Ⓐalteration in the MS We laid it under ground, of course, and it was all finished in a couple of hours or soⒶalteration in the MS. We shan’t have to leave our fortress, now, when we want to blow up our civilization.”
“It was the rightⒶalteration in the MS move—and the natural one; a military necessity, in the changed condition of things. Well, what changes have come! We expected to be besieged in the palace some time or other, but—however, go on.”
“Next, we built a wire fence.”
“Wire fence?”
“Yes. You dropped the hint of it yourself, twoⒶalteration in the MS or three years ago.”
“Oh, I remember—the time the ChurchⒶalteration in the MS tried her strength against us the first time, and presently thought it wise to wait for a hopefulerⒶalteration in the MS season. Well, how have you arranged the fence?”
“I start twelveⒶalteration in the MS immensely strong wires—naked, not insulated—from a bigⒶalteration in the MS dynamoⒶalteration in the MS in the cave—dynamo with no brushes exceptⒶalteration in the MS a positive and a negative one—”
[begin page 467]“Yes, that’s right.”
“The wires go out from the cave and fence-in a circle of level ground a hundred yards in diameter; they make twelve independent fences, ten feet apart—that is to say, twelve circles within circles—and their ends come into the cave again.”
“Right; go on.”
“The fences are fastened to heavy oaken posts only three feet apart, and these posts are sunk five feet in the ground.”
“That is good and strong.”
“Yes. The wires have no ground-connectionⒶalteration in the MS outside of the cave. They go out from the positive brush of the dynamo; there is a ground-connection through the negative brush; the other ends of the wire return to the cave, and each is grounded independently.”
“No-no, that won’t do!Ⓐalteration in the MS”
“Why?”
“It’s too expensive—uses up force for nothing. You don’t want any ground-connectionⒶalteration in the MS except the one through the negative brush. The other end of every wire must be brought back into the cave and fastened independently, and without Ⓐalteration in the MS any ground-connection. Now, then, observe the economy of it. A cavalry charge hurls itself against the fence; you are using no power, you are spending no money, for there is only one ground-connectionⒶemendation till those horses come against the wire; the moment they touch it they form a connectionⒶalteration in the MS with the negative brush through the ground Ⓐalteration in the MS, and drop dead. Don’t you see?—youⒶalteration in the MS are using no energy until it is needed; your lightningⒶalteration in the MS is there, and ready, like the load in a gun; but it isn’t costing you a cent till you touch it off. Oh, yes, the single ground-connectionⒶalteration in the MS—”
“Of course! I don’t know how I overlooked that. It’s not only cheaper, but it’s more effectual than the other way, for if wires break orⒶemendation get tangled, no harm is done.”
“No; especially if we have a tell-taleⒶemendation in the cave and disconnect the broken wire. Well, go on.Ⓐalteration in the MS The gatlings?”
“Yes—that’s arranged. In the centre of the inner circle,Ⓐalteration in the MS on a spacious platform six feet high,Ⓐalteration in the MS I’ve grouped a battery of thirteen gatling guns, and provided plenty of ammunition.”
“That’s it. They command every approach, and when the Church’s knights arrive, there’s going to be music.Ⓐalteration in the MS The brow of the precipiceⒶalteration in the MS overⒶalteration in the MS the cave—”
[begin page 468]“I’ve got a wire fence there, and a gatling. They won’t drop any rocks down on us.”
“Well, and the glass-cylinder dynamite torpedoes?”
“That’s attended to. It’s the prettiest garden that was ever planted. It’s a belt forty feet wide, and goes around theⒶalteration in the MS outer fence—distance between it and the fence, one hundred yards—kind of neutral ground, that space is. There isn’t a single square yardⒶalteration in the MS of that whole belt but is equipped with a torpedo. We laid them on the surface of the ground, and sprinkled a layer of sand over them. It’s an innocent looking garden, but you let a man start in to hoe it once, and you’ll see.”
“You tested the torpedoes?”
“Well, I was going to, but—”
“But what? Why, it’s an immense oversight not to apply a—”
“Test? Yes, I know; but they’re all right; I laid a few in the public road beyond our lines, andⒶalteration in the MS they’ve been tested.”
“Oh, that alters the case. Who did it?”
“A Church committee.”
“How kind!”
“Yes. They came to command us to make submission.Ⓐalteration in the MS You see they didn’t really come to test the torpedoes; that was merely an incident.”
“Did the committeeⒶalteration in the MS make aⒶalteration in the MS report?”
“Yes,Ⓐalteration in the MS they made one. You could have heard it a mile.”
“Unanimous?”
“That was the nature of it. AfterⒶemendation that, I put up some signs, for the protection of future committees, and we have hadⒶalteration in the MS no intruders since.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Clarence, you’ve done a world of work, and done it perfectly.”
“We had plentyⒶalteration in the MS of time for it;Ⓐalteration in the MS there wasn’t any occasion for hurry.”
We sat silent a while, thinking. Then my mind was made up, and I said:
“Yes, everything is ready; everything is ship-shapeⒶemendation, no detail is wanting. I know what to do, now.”
“So do I: sit down and wait.”
“No, sir! rise up and strike!”
“Do you mean it?”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Yes, indeedⒶalteration in the MS! The defensive isn’t in my line, and the offensive is. That is, when I hold a fair hand—two-thirds as good a hand as the [begin page 469] enemy. Oh, yes, we’ll rise up and strike; that’s our game.”
“A hundred to one, you are right. When does the performance begin?”
“ Now Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS ! We’ll proclaim the Republic.”
“Well, that will precipitate things, sure enough!”
“It will make them buzz, I tell you! England will be a hornet’s nest before noon to-morrow, if the Church’s hand hasn’t lost its cunning—and we know it hasn’t. Now you write and I’ll dictateⒶalteration in the MS—thus:
“PROCLAMATION.
“Be it known unto all. Whereas, the king having died and left no heir, itⒶalteration in the MS becomes my duty to continue the executiveⒶalteration in the MS authority vested in me, until a government shall have been created and set in motion. The monarchy has lapsed, it no longer exists. By consequence, all politicalⒶalteration in the MS power has revertedⒶemendation to its original source, the people of the nation. With the monarchy, its several adjuncts died also; wherefore there is no longer a nobility, no longer a privileged class, no longer an Established Church: all men are become exactly equal, they are upon one common level, and religion is free. A Republic is hereby proclaimed, as being the natural estate of a nation when other authority has ceased. It is the duty of the BritishⒶemendation people to meet together immediately, and by their votes elect representatives and deliver into their hands the government.”
I signed it “The Boss,” and dated it from Merlin’s CaveⒶalteration in the MS. Clarence said:
“Why, that tells where we are, and invites them to call, right away.”
“That is the idea. We strike—by the Proclamation—then it’s theirⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS innings. Now have the thing set up and printed and posted, right off; that is, give the order; then, if you’ve got a couple of bicycles handy at the foot of the hill,Ⓐalteration in the MS ho for Merlin’s CaveⒶalteration in the MS!”
“I shall be ready in ten minutes. What a cyclone there is going to be to-morrow when this piece of paper gets to work!. . . . . . . It’s a pleasant old palace, this is; I wonder if we shall ever again—but never mind about that.”