I FOUND Clarence alone in his quarters,
drowned in melancholy; and
in place of the electric
light, he
had reinstituted 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 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
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 --"
"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."
"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. When you
left, three miles of the London,
Canterbury and Dover were ready
for the rails, and also ready
and ripe for manipulation in
the stock-market. It was wildcat,
and everybody knew it. The stock
was for sale at a give-away.
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, 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'
hunting. Persons present, the
whole tribe of the king's nephews.
Mordred and Agravaine 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, by the
king's command, and Sir Launcelot
walks into it. He made it sufficiently
uncomfortable for the ambushed
witnesses -- to wit, Mordred,
Agravaine, and twelve knights
of lesser rank, for he killed
every one of them but Mordred;
but of course that couldn't straighten
matters between Launcelot and
the king, and didn't."
"Oh, dear,
only 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."
"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, and
in doing it slew certain good
old friends of yours and mine
-- in fact, some of the best
we ever had; to wit, Sir Belias
le Orgulous, Sir Segwarides,
Sir Griflet le Fils de Dieu,
Sir Brandiles, Sir Aglovale --"
"Oh, you tear
out my heartstrings."
"-- wait, I'm
not done yet -- Sir Tor, Sir
Gauter, Sir Gillimer
--"
"The very best
man in my subordinate nine.
What a handy right-fielder
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 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
onlookers; 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; it's for sale
on every news-stand. There --
the figures nearest the queen
are Sir Launcelot with his sword
up, and Sir Gareth gasping his
latest breath. You can catch
the agony in the queen's face
through the curling smoke. It's
a rattling battle-picture."
"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, 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 patched up a peace
between Arthur and Launcelot
and the queen and everybody --
everybody but 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 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
to BE a dream,
and so remain."
"Yes. The two
armies lay near Salisbury.
Gawaine -- Gawaine's
head is at Dover Castle, he 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 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 in Mordred. Mordred
had given a similar order to
HIS people. Well, by and by an
adder bit a knight's heel; the
knight forgot all about the order,
and made a slash at the adder
with his sword. Inside of half
a minute those two prodigious
hosts came together with a crash!
They 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
were full sore wounded. Jesu
mercy, said the king, where are
all my noble knights becomen?
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. God speed you well,
said Sir Bedivere. Then the king
gat his spear in both his hands,
and ran toward Sir Mordred crying,
Traitor, now is thy death day
come. And when Sir Mordred heard
Sir Arthur, he ran until him
with his sword drawn in his hand.
And then King Arthur smote Sir
Mordred under the shield, with
a foin of his spear throughout
the body more than a fathom.
And when Sir Mordred felt that
he had his death's wound, he
thrust himself, with the might
that he had, up to the butt of
King Arthur's spear. And right
so he smote his father Arthur
with his sword holden in both
his hands, on the side of the
head, that the sword pierced
the helmet and the brain-pan,
and therewithal Sir Mordred fell
stark dead to the earth. And
the noble Arthur fell in a swoon
to the earth, and there he swooned
oft-times
"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."
"What changes!
and in such a short while.
It is inconceivable.
What next, I wonder?"
"I can tell
you what next."
"Well?"
"Stake our
lives and stand by them!"
"What do you
mean by that?"
"The Church
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 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
faithful left!"
"What are you
saying? Our schools, our colleges,
our vast workshops,
our --"
"When those
knights come, those establishments
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. 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 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, by the commander
of the ship, to the effect that
upon his return to you, with
supplies, you were going to leave
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 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 suddenly and as mysteriously,
the railway and telegraph and
telephone service ceased, the
men all deserted, poles were
cut down, the Church laid a ban
upon the electric light! I had
to be up and doing -- and straight
off. Your life was safe -- nobody
in these kingdoms but Merlin
would venture to touch such a
magician as you without ten thousand
men at his back -- I had nothing
to think of but how 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
under whatsoever pressure I could
swear to, and 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
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!
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 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 idea."
"I think so.
I placed four 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 just let anybody try
it! Then I went out into the
hills and uncovered and cut the
secret wires which connected
your bedroom with the wires that
go to the dynamite deposits under
all our vast factories, mills,
workshops, 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.
We laid it under ground, of course,
and it was all finished in a
couple of hours or so. We sha'n't
have to leave our fortress now
when we want to blow up our civilization."
"It was the
right move -- and the natural
one; 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
or three
years ago."
"Oh, I remember
-- the time the Church tried
her strength
against us the first time, and
presently thought it wise to
wait for a hopefuler season.
Well, how have you arranged the
fence?"
"I start twelve
immensely strong wires -- naked,
not insulated
-- from a big dynamo in the cave
-- dynamo with no brushes except
a positive and a negative one
--"
"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 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."
"Nono, that
won't do!"
"Why?"
"It's too expensive
-- uses up force for nothing.
You don't
want any ground-connection 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 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 till those
horses come against the wire;
the moment they touch it they
form a connection with the negative
brush THROUGH THE GROUND, and
drop dead. Don't you see? --
you are using no energy until
it is needed; your lightning
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
--"
"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 get tangled, no harm
is done.
"No, especially
if we have a tell-tale in the
cave and disconnect
the broken wire. Well, go on.
The gatlings?"
"Yes -- that's
arranged. In the center of
the inner circle,
on a spacious platform six feet
high, 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. The brow of the
precipice over the cave --"
"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 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 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 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 . You see
they didn't really come to test
the torpedoes; that was merely
an incident."
"Did the committee
make a report?"
"Yes, they
made one. You could have heard
it a mile."
"Unanimous?"
"That was the
nature of it. After that I
put up some signs,
for the protection of future
committees, and we have had no
intruders since."
"Clarence,
you've done a world of work,
and done it perfectly."
"We had plenty
of time for it; there wasn't
any occasion
for hurry."
We sat silent awhile, thinking.
Then my mind was made up, and
I said:
"Yes, everything
is ready; everything is shipshape,
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?"
"Yes, indeed!
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 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! We'll
proclaim the Republic."
"Well, that
WILL precipitate things, sure
enough!"
"It will make
them buzz, I tell you! England
will be a hornets'
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 thus:
"PROCLAMATION
---
"BE IT KNOWN
UNTO ALL. Whereas the king
having died and left
no heir, it becomes my duty to
continue the executive 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 power has reverted
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 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.
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 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, ho for
Merlin's Cave!"
"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."
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