บทที่ บทที่ 42 · WAR!

WAR!

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.”

“No, no, 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 _de_fensive isn't in my line, and the _of_fensive

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.”