Chapter II: The Proclamation

At a point ten years farther along that dusky road the Wind set me down in a prodigious room. I had never before seen so large and splendid a construction, so gracefully embellished, so justly proportioned. The shape was elliptical, and it seemed as if the architect had drawn his inspiration from the Coliseum at Rome. This Hall, however, was much larger, and had the additional distinction of a roof, which, supported by a granite column, was only rendered visible from beneath by means of great bosses of clear gold. Galleries ran round the walls, and there was even a corkscrew balustrade winding up round the central pillar. Every part of the building was crowded with people. There seemed to be no window in the place, so that I could not tell whether or no it was night. The whole assembly was illuminated by a thousand electric discs, and the ventilation was almost perfectly planned on a system to me entirely strange. There was a raised throne at one end of the building on which sat a King decently dressed in black. I recognised the green-eyed man, and learnt that his name was Harris, Joshua Harris. The entire body of the Hall was filled by soldiers in mud-coloured tunics and waterproof boots. These were the men that had conquered the world.

As soon as the populace were well assembled the King made a sign to his Herald, who blew so sudden and terrific a blast with his trumpet that the multitude stopped their chattering with a start. The Herald proceeded to bawl a proclamation through his megaphone. I heard him distinctly, but should never have been able to reproduce his exact words had not the Wind very kindly handed to me one of the printed copies for free distribution which it had wafted from a chair. The proclamation ran thus:--

"I, Joshua Harris, by right of conquest and in virtue of my
intelligence, King of Britain, Emperor of the two Americas,
and Lord High Suzerain of the World, to the Princes,
Presidents, and Peoples of the said world,--Greeting. Ye
know that in days past an old man now dead showed me how
man's dolorous and fruitless sojourn on this globe might
cease by his own act and wisdom; how pain and death and the
black Power that made us might be frustrated of their
accustomed prey. Then I swore an oath to fulfil that old
man's scheme, and I gathered my followers, who were the
miserable men, and the hungry men, and we have conquered all
there is to conquer by our cannon and by our skill. Already
last year I gave public notice, in the proclamation of
Vienna, in the proclamation of Cairo, in the proclamation of
Pekin, and in the proclamation of Rio Janeiro, that all
bearing of children must cease, and that all women should be
permanently sterilised according to the prescription of
Doctor Smith. Therefore to-day, since there is no remote
African plain, no island far away in the deep South Seas
where our forces are not supreme and our agents not
vigilant, I make my final proclamation to you, my army, and
to you, Princes, Presidents, and Peoples of this world, that
from this hour forth there be no child born of any woman,
or, if born, that it be slain with its father and its mother
(_a fainting woman had here to be carried out_), and to you,
my terrestrial forces, I entrust the execution of my
commands.

"Joy then be with you, my people, for the granaries are full
of corn and wine that I have laid up, sufficient for many
years to come; joy be with you, since you are the last and
noblest generation of mankind, and since Doctor Smith by his
invention, and I by my wise prevision, have enabled you to
live not only without payment and without work (_loud cheers
from the galleries_), but also with luxury and splendour,
and with all the delights, and none of the dangers, of
universal love."

I expected the proclamation to be followed by an outburst of applause; but instead the whole multitude sat calm and motionless. Looking round I was struck by the hideous appearance of mankind. It was especially revolting to look at the ears of the soldiers in front, who had their backs turned to me. These stuck out from the bullet-like heads, and made the men look like two-handled teapots on stands. Yet here and there appeared in the galleries some woman's countenance beautified by the sorrows of our race, or some tall youth whose eyes expressed the darkest determination. The silence seemed to gather in folds. I was studying drowsily the Asiatic dresses and the nude people from Melanesia, when I heard a noise which I thought was that of the Wind. But I saw it was the King, who had begun to laugh. It was a very strange noise indeed, and very strange laughter.