2. The Castle on the Crag

by H.G. Wells

　　Section 1

　　The quarantine place to which the Earthlings were taken must havebeen at a very considerable distance from the place of theConference, because they were nearly six hours upon their journey,and all the time they were flying high and very swiftly. They wereall together in one flying ship; it was roomy and comfortable andcould have held perhaps four times as many passengers. They wereaccompanied by about thirty Utopians in gas-masks, among whom weretwo women. The aviators wore dresses of a white fleecy substancethat aroused the interest and envy of both Miss Grey and LadyStella. The flying ship passed down the valley and over the greatplain and across a narrow sea and another land with a rocky coastand dense forests, and across a great space of empty sea. There wasscarcely any shipping to be seen upon this sea at all; it seemed toMr. Barnstaple that no earthly ocean would be so untravelled; onlyonce or twice did he see very big drifting vessels quite unlike anyearthly ships, huge rafts or platforms they seemed to be ratherthan ships, and once or twice he saw what was evidently a cargoboat--one with rigged masts and sails. And the air was hardlymore frequented. After he was out of sight of land he saw onlythree aeroplanes until the final landfall.

　　They crossed a rather thickly inhabited, very delightful-lookingcoastal belt and came over what was evidently a rainless desertcountry, given over to mining and to vast engineering operations.Far away were very high snowy mountains, but the aeroplane descendedbefore it came to these. For a time the Earthlings were flying overenormous heaps of slaggy accumulations, great mountains of them,that seemed to be derived from a huge well-like excavation thatwent down into the earth to an unknown depth. A tremendous thunderof machinery came out of this pit and much smoke. Here there werecrowds of workers and they seemed to be living in camps among thedebris. Evidently the workers came to this place merely for spellsof work; there were no signs of homes. The aeroplane of theEarthlings skirted this region and flew on over a rocky and almosttreeless desert deeply cut by steep gorges of the canyon type. Fewpeople were to be seen, but there were abundant signs of engineeringactivity. Every torrent, every cataract was working a turbine, andgreat cables followed the cliffs of the gorges and were carriedacross the desert spaces. In the wider places of the gorges therewere pine woods and a fairly abundant vegetation.

　　The high crag which was their destination stood out, an almostcompletely isolated headland, in the fork between two convergentcanyons. It towered up to a height of perhaps two thousand feetabove the foaming clash of the torrents below, a great mass of palegreenish and purple rocks, jagged and buttressed and cleft deeplyby joint planes and white crystalline veins. The gorge on one sideof it was much steeper than that on the other, it was so overhungindeed as to be darkened like a tunnel, and here within a hundredfeet or so of the brow a slender metallic bridge had been flungacross the gulf. Some yards above it were projections that mighthave been the remains of an earlier bridge of stone. Behind, thecrag fell steeply for some hundreds of feet to a long slope coveredwith a sparse vegetation which rose again to the main masses of themountain, a wall of cliffs with a level top.

　　It was on this slope that the aeroplane came down alongside of threeor four smaller machines. The crag was surmounted by the tall ruinsof an ancient castle, within the circle of whose walls clustered anumber of buildings which had recently harboured a group of chemicalstudents. Their researches, which had been upon some question ofatomic structure quite incomprehensible to Mr. Barnstaple, werefinished now and the place had become vacant. Their laboratory wasstill stocked with apparatus and material; and water and powerwere supplied to it from higher up the gorge by means of pipes andcables. There was also an abundant store of provisions. A numberof Utopians were busily adapting the place to its new purpose ofisolation and disinfection when the Earthlings arrived.

　　Serpentine appeared in the company of a man in a gas-mask whose namewas Cedar. This Cedar was a cytologist, and he was in charge of thearrangements for this improvised sanatorium.

　　Serpentine explained that he himself had flown to the crag inadvance, because he understood the equipment of the place and theresearch that had been going on there, and because his knowledge ofthe Earthlings and his comparative immunity to their infections madehim able to act as an intermediary between them and the medical menwho would now take charge of their case. He made these explanationsto Mr. Burleigh, Mr. Barnstaple, Lord Barralonga and Mr. Hunker. Theother Earthlings stood about in small groups beside the aeroplanefrom which they had alighted, regarding the castellated summit ofthe crag, the scrubby bushes of the bleak upland about them and thetowering cliffs of the adjacent canyons with no very favourableexpressions.

　　Mr. Catskill had gone apart nearly to the edge of the great canyon,and was standing with his hands behind his back in an attitudealmost Napoleonic, lost in thought, gazing down into those sunlessdepths. The roar of the unseen waters below, now loud, now nearlyinaudible, quivered in the air.

　　Miss Greeta Grey had suddenly produced a Kodak camera; she had beenreminded of its existence when packing for this last journey, andshe was taking a snapshot of the entire party.

　　Cedar said that he would explain the method of treatment he proposedto follow, and Lord Barralonga called "Rupert!" to bring Mr.Catskill into the group of Cedar's hearers.

　　Cedar was as explicit and concise as Urthred had been. It wasevident, he said, that the Earthlings were the hosts of a varietyof infectious organisms which were kept in check in their bodiesby immunizing counter substances, but against which the Utopianshad no defences ready and could hope to secure immunity only aftera painful and disastrous epidemic. The only way to prevent thisepidemic devastating their whole planet indeed, was firstly togather together and cure all the cases affected, which was beingdone by converting the Conference Park into a big hospital, andnext to take the Earthlings in hand and isolate them absolutelyfrom the Utopians until they could be cleaned of their infections.It was, he confessed, an inhospitable thing to do to the Earthlings,but it seemed the only possible thing to do, to bring them into thispeculiarly high and dry desert air and there to devise methods fortheir complete physical cleansing. If that was possible it would bedone, and then the Earthlings would again be free to go and come asthey pleased in Utopia.

　　"But suppose it is not possible?" said Mr. Catskill abruptly.

　　"I think it will be."

　　"But if you fail?"

　　Cedar smiled at Serpentine. "Physical research is taking up the workin which Arden and Greenlake were foremost, and it will not be longbefore we are able to repeat their experiment. And then to reverseit."

　　"With us as your raw material?"

　　"Not until we are fairly sure of a safe landing for you."

　　"You mean," said Mr. Mush, who had joined the circle about Cedarand Serpentine, "that you are going to send us back?"

　　"If we cannot keep you," said Cedar, smiling.

　　"Delightful prospect!" said Mr. Mush unpleasantly. "To be shotacross space in a gun. Experimentally."

　　"And may I ask," came the voice of Father Amerton, "may I ask thenature of this _treatment_ of yours, these experiments of which we areto be the--guinea pigs, so to speak. Is it to be anything in thenature of vaccination?"

　　"Injections," explained Mr. Barnstaple.

　　"I have hardly decided yet," said Cedar. "The problem raisesquestions this world has forgotten for ages."

　　"I may say at once that I am a confirmed anti-vaccinationist," saidFather Amerton. "Absolutely. Vaccination is an outrage on nature. IfI had any doubts before I came into this world of--of _vitiation_, Ihave no doubts now. Not a doubt! If God had meant us to have theseserums and ferments in our bodies he would have provided morenatural and dignified means of getting them there than a squirt."

　　Cedar did not discuss the point. He went on to further apologies.For a time he must ask the Earthlings to keep within certainlimits, to confine themselves to the crag and the slopes below it asfar as the mountain cliffs. And further, it was impossible to setyoung people to attend to them as had hitherto been done. They mustcook for themselves and see to themselves generally. The applianceswere all to be found above upon the crest of the crag and he andSerpentine would make any explanations that were needful. They wouldfind there was ample provision for them.

　　"Then are we to be left alone here?" asked M. Catskill.

　　"For a time. When we have our problem clearer we will come again andtell you what we mean to do."

　　"Good," said Mr. Catskill. "Good."

　　"I wish I hadn't sent my maid by train," said Lady Stella.

　　"I have come to my last clean collar," said M. Dupont with a littlehumorous grimace. "It is no joke this week-end with LordBarralonga."

　　Lord Barralonga turned suddenly to his particular minion. "I believethat Ridley has the makings of a very good cook."

　　"I don't mind trying my hand," said Ridley. "I've done mostthings--and once I used to look after a steam car."

　　"A man who can keep one of those--those things in order can doanything," said Mr. Penk with unusual emotion. "I've no objectionto being a temporary general utility along of Mr. Ridley. I beganmy career in the pantry and I ain't ashamed to own it."

　　"If this gentleman will show us the gadgets," said Mr. Ridley,indicating Serpentine.

　　"Exactly," said Mr. Penk.

　　"And if all of us give as little trouble as possible," said MissGreeta bravely.

　　"I think we shall be able to manage," said Mr. Burleigh to Cedar."If at first you can spare us a little advice and help."

　　Section 2

　　Cedar and Serpentine remained with the Earthlings upon QuarantineCrag until late in the afternoon. They helped to prepare a supperand set it out in the courtyard of the castle. They departed with apromise to return on the morrow, and the Earthlings watched them andtheir accompanying aeroplanes soar up into the sky.

　　Mr. Barnstaple was surprised to find himself distressed at theirgoing. He had a feeling that mischief was brewing amongst hiscompanions and that the withdrawal of these Utopians removed a checkupon this mischief. He had helped Lady Stella in the preparation ofan omelette; he had to carry back a dish and a frying-pan to thekitchen after it was served, so that he was the last to seat himselfat the supper-table. He found the mischief he dreaded well afoot.

　　Mr. Catskill had finished his supper already and was standing withhis foot upon a bench orating to the rest of the company.

　　"I ask you, Ladies and Gentlemen," Mr. Catskill was saying; "I askyou: Is not Destiny writ large upon this day's adventure? Not fornothing was this place a fortress in ancient times. Here it is readyto be a fortress again. M'm--a fortress.... In such an adventure aswill make the stories of Cortez and Pizarro pale their ineffectualfires!"

　　"My dear Rupert!" cried Mr. Burleigh. "What have you got in thathead of yours now?"

　　Mr. Catskill waved two fingers dramatically. "The conquest of aworld!"

　　"Good God!" cried Mr. Barnstaple. "Are you mad?"

　　"As Clive," said Mr. Catskill, "or Sultan Baber when he marched toPanipat."

　　"It's a tall proposition," said Mr. Hunker, who seemed to have hadhis mind already prepared for these suggestions, "but I'm inclinedto give it a hearing. The alternative so far as I can figure it outis to be scoured and whitewashed inside and out and then fired backinto our own world--with a chance of hitting something hard on theway. You tell them, Mr. Catskill."

　　"Tell them," said Lord Barralonga, who had also been prepared. "It'sa gamble, I admit. But there's situations when one has to gamble--orbe gambled with. I'm all for the active voice."

　　"It's a gamble--certainly," said Mr. Catskill. "But upon this narrowpeninsula, upon this square mile or so of territory, the fate, Sir,of two universes awaits decision. This is no time for the faintheart and the paralyzing touch of discretion. Plan swiftly--actswiftly...."

　　"This is simply _thrilling_!" cried Miss Greeta Grey clasping herhands about her knees and smiling radiantly at Mr. Mush.

　　"These people," Mr. Barnstaple interrupted, "are three thousandyears ahead of us. We are like a handful of Hottentots in ashowman's van at Earl's Court, planning the conquest of London."

　　Mr. Catskill, hands on hips, turned with extraordinary good humourupon Mr. Barnstaple. "Three thousand years away from us--_yes_! Threethousand years ahead of us--_no_! That is where you and I join issue.You say these people are super-men. M'm--super-men.... I say they aredegenerate men. Let me call your attention to my reasons for thisbelief--in spite of their beauty, their very considerable materialand intellectual achievements and so forth. Ideal people, I admit....What then?... My case is that they have reached a summit--andpassed it, that they are going on by inertia and that they havelost the power not only of resistance to disease--that weakness weshall see develop more and more--but also of meeting strange anddistressing emergencies. They are gentle. Altogether too gentle.They are ineffectual. They do not know what to do. Here is FatherAmerton. He disturbed that first meeting in the most insulting way.(You know you did, Father Amerton. I'm not blaming you. You aremorally--sensitive. And there were things to outrage you.) He wasthreatened--as a little boy is threatened by a feeble old woman.Something was to be done to him. Has anything been done to him?"

　　"A man and a woman came and talked to me," said Father Amerton.

　　"And what did you do?"

　　"Simply confuted them. Lifted up my voice and confuted them."

　　"What did they say?"

　　"What _could_ they say?"

　　"We all thought tremendous things were going to be done to poorFather Amerton. Well, and now take a graver case. Our friend LordBarralonga ran amuck with his car--and killed a man. M'm. Even at homethey'd have endorsed your licence you know. And fined your man. Buthere?... The thing has scarcely been mentioned since. Why? Becausethey don't know what to say about it or do about it. And now theyhave put us here and begged us to be good. Until they are ready tocome and try experiments upon us and inject things into us and Idon't know what. And if we submit, Sir, if we submit, we lose one ofour greatest powers over these people, our power of at once givingand resisting malaise, and in addition, I know not what powers ofinitiative that may very well be associated with that physiologicaltoughness of which we are to be robbed. They may trifle with ourductless glands. But science tells us that these very glands secreteour personalities. Mentally, morally we shall be dissolved. If wesubmit, Sir--if we submit. But suppose we do not submit; what then?"

　　"Well," said Lord Barralonga, "what then?"

　　"They will not know what to do. Do not be deceived by any outwardshows of beauty and prosperity. These people are living, as theancient Peruvians were living in the time of Pizarro, in anenervating dream. They have drunken the debilitating draught ofSocialism and, as in ancient Peru, there is no health nor power ofwill left in them any more. A handful of resolute men and women whocan dare--may not only dare but triumph in the face of such a world.And thus it is I lay my plans before you."

　　"You mean to jump this entire Utopian planet?" said Mr. Hunker.

　　"Big order," said Lord Barralonga.

　　"I mean, Sir, to assert the rights of a more vigorous form of sociallife over a less vigorous form of social life. Here we are--in afortress. It is a real fortress and quite defensible. While youothers have been unpacking, Barralonga and Hunker and I have beenseeing to that. There is a sheltered well so that if need arises wecan get water from the canyon below. The rock is excavated intochambers and shelters; the wall on the land side is sound and high,glazed so that it cannot be scaled. This great archway can easily bebarricaded when the need arises. Steps go down through the rock tothat little bridge which can if necessary be cut away. We have notyet explored all the excavations. In Mr. Hunker we have a chemist--hewas a chemist before the movie picture claimed him as its master--andhe says there is ample material in the laboratory for a storeof bombs. This party, I find, can muster five revolvers withammunition. I scarcely dared hope for that. We have food for manydays."

　　"Oh! This is ridiculous!" cried Mr. Barnstaple standing up and thensitting down again. "This is preposterous! To turn on these friendlypeople! But they can blow this little headland to smithereenswhenever they want to."

　　"Ah!" said Mr. Catskill and held him with his outstretched finger."We've thought of that. But we can take a leaf from the book ofCortez--who, in the very centre of Mexico, held Montezuma as hisprisoner and hostage. We too will have our hostage. Before we lifta finger--. First our hostage...."

　　"Aerial bombs!"

　　"Is there such a thing in Utopia? Or such an idea? And again--we musthave our hostage."

　　"Somebody of importance," said Mr. Hunker.

　　"Cedar and Serpentine are both important people," said Mr. Burleighin tones of disinterested observation.

　　"But surely, Sir, you do not countenance this schoolboy's dream ofpiracy!" cried Mr. Barnstaple, sincerely shocked.

　　"Schoolboys!" cried Father Amerton. "A cabinet minister, a peer anda great entrepreneur!"

　　"My dear Sir," said Mr. Burleigh, "we are, after all, onlyenvisaging eventualities. For the life of me, I do not see why weshould not thresh out these possibilities. Though I pray to Heavenwe may never have to realize them. You were saying, Rupert--?"

　　"We have to establish ourselves here and assert our independence andmake ourselves _felt_ by these Utopians."

　　"'Ear, 'ear!" said Mr. Ridley cordially. "One or two I'd like tomake feel personally."

　　"We have to turn this prison into a capitol, into the first footholdof mankind in this world. It is like a foot thrust into a reluctantdoor that must never more close upon our race."

　　"It is closed," said Mr. Barnstaple. "Except by the mercy of theseUtopians we shall never see our world again. And even with theirmercy, it is doubtful."

　　"That's been keeping me awake nights," said Mr. Hunker.

　　"It's an idea that must have occurred to all of us," said Mr.Burleigh.

　　"And it's an idea that's so thundering disagreeable that one hasn'tcared to talk about it," said Lord Barralonga.

　　"I never 'ad it until this moment," said Penk."You don't reely mean to say, Sir, _we can't get back_?"

　　"Things will be as they will be," said Mr. Burleigh. "That is why Iam anxious to hear Mr. Catskill's ideas."

　　Mr. Catskill rested his hands on his hips and his manner became verysolemn. "For once," he said, "I am in agreement with Mr. Barnaby. Ibelieve that the chances are _against_ our ever seeing the dear citiesof our world again."

　　"I felt that," said Lady Stella, with white lips. "I _knew_ that twodays ago."

　　"And so behold my week-end expand to an eternity!" said M. Dupont,and for a time no one said another word.

　　"It's as if--" Penk said at last. "Why! One might be dead!"

　　"But I _murst_ be back," Miss Greeta Grey broke out abruptly, as onewho sets aside a foolish idea. "It's absurd. I have to go on at theAlhambra on September the 2nd. It's imperative. We came here quiteeasily; it's ridiculous to say I can't go back in the same way."

　　Lord Barralonga regarded her with affectionate malignity. "Youwait," he said.

　　"But I murst!" she sang.

　　"There's such things as impossibilities--even for Miss Greeta Grey."

　　"Charter a special aeroplane!" she said. "Anything."

　　He regarded her with an elfin grin and shook his head.

　　"My dear man," she said, "you've only seen me in a holiday mood, sofar. Work is serious."

　　"My dear girl, that Alhambra of yours is about as far from us now asthe Court of King Nebuchadnezzar.... It can't be done."

　　"But it _murst_," she said in her queenly way. "And that's all aboutit."

　　Section 3

　　Mr. Barnstaple got up from the table and walked apart to where a gapin the castle wall gave upon the darkling wilderness without. He satdown there. His eyes went from the little group talking around thesupper table to the sunlit crest of the cliffs across the canyon andto the wild and lonely mountain slopes below the headland. In thisworld he might have to live out the remainder of his days.

　　And those days might not be very numerous if Mr. Catskill had hisway. Sydenham, and his wife and the boys were indeed as far--"as theCourt of King Nebuchadnezzar."

　　He had scarcely given his family a thought since he had posted hisletter at Victoria. Now he felt a queer twinge of desire to sendthem some word or token--if only he could. Queer that they wouldnever hear from him or of him again! How would they get on withouthim? Would there be any difficulty about the account at the bank? Orabout the insurance money? He had always intended to have a jointand several account with his wife at the bank, and he had neverquite liked to do it. Joint and several.... A thing every man oughtto do.... His attention came back to Mr. Catskill unfolding hisplans.

　　"We have to make up our minds to what may be a prolonged, a veryprolonged stay here. Do not let us deceive ourselves upon thatscore. It may last for years--it may last for generations."

　　Something struck Penk in that. "I don't 'ardly see," he said, "howthat can be--_generations_?"

　　"I am coming to that," said Mr. Catskill.

　　"Un'appily," said Mr. Penk, and became profoundly restrained andthoughtful with his eyes on Lady Stella.

　　"We have to remain, a little alien community, in this world until wedominate it, as the Romans dominated the Greeks, and until we masterits science and subdue it to our purpose. That may mean a longstruggle. It may mean a very long struggle indeed. And meanwhile wemust maintain ourselves as a community; we must consider ourselvesa colony, a garrison, until that day of reunion comes. We must holdour hostages, Sir, and not only our hostages. It may be necessaryfor our purpose, and if it is necessary for our purpose, so be it--toget in others of these Utopians, to catch them young, before thisso-called education of theirs unfits them for our purpose, to trainthem in the great traditions of our Empire and our race."

　　Mr. Hunker seemed on the point of saying something but refrained.

　　M. Dupont got up sharply from the table, walked four paces away,returned and stood still, watching Mr. Catskill.

　　"Generations?" said Mr. Penk.

　　"Yes," said Mr. Catskill. "Generations. For here we arestrangers--strangers, like that other little band of adventurerswho established their citadel five-and-twenty centuries ago upon theCapitol beside the rushing Tiber. This is our Capitol. A greaterCapitol--of a greater Rome--in a vaster world. And like that band ofRoman adventurers we too may have to reinforce our scanty numbers atthe expense of the Sabines about us, and take to ourselves servantsand helpers and--_mates_! No sacrifice is too great for the highpossibilities of this adventure."

　　M. Dupont seemed to nerve himself for the sacrifice.

　　"Duly married," injected Father Amerton.

　　"Duly married," said Mr. Catskill in parenthesis. "And so, Sir, wewill hold out here and maintain ourselves and dominate this desertcountryside and spread our prestige and our influence and our spiritinto the inert body of this decadent Utopian world. Until at last weare able to master the secret that Arden and Greenlake were seekingand recover the way back to our own people, opening to the crowdedmillions of our Empire--"

　　Section 4

　　"Just a moment," said Mr. Hunker. "Just a moment! About thisempire--!"

　　"Exactly," said M. Dupont, recalled abruptly from some romanticday-dream. "About your Empire--!"

　　Mr. Catskill regarded them thoughtfully and defensively. "When I sayEmpire I mean it in the most general sense."

　　"Exactly," snapped M. Dupont.

　　"I was thinking generally of our--Atlantic civilization."

　　"Before, Sir, you go on to talk of Anglo-Saxon unity and theEnglish-speaking race," said M. Dupont, with a rising note ofbitterness in his voice, "permit me to remind you, Sir, of one veryimportant fact that you seem to be overlooking. The language ofUtopia, Sir, is French. I want to remind you of that. I want torecall it to your mind. I will lay no stress here on the sacrificesand martyrdoms that France has endured in the cause of Civilization--"

　　The voice of Mr. Burleigh interrupted. "A very natural misconception.But, if you will pardon the correction, the language of Utopia is_not_ French."

　　Of course, Mr. Barnstaple reflected, M. Dupont had not heard theexplanation of the language difficulty.

　　"Permit me, Sir, to believe the evidence of my own ears," theFrenchman replied with dignified politeness. "These Utopians, I canassure you, speak French and nothing but French--and very excellentFrench it is."

　　"They speak no language at all," said Mr. Burleigh.

　　"Not even English?" sneered M. Dupont.

　　"Not even English."

　　"Not League of Nations, perhaps? But--Bah! Why do I argue? They speakFrench. Not even a Bosch would deny it. It needs an Englishman--"

　　A beautiful wrangle, thought Mr. Barnstaple. There was no Utopianpresent to undeceive M. Dupont and he stuck to his beliefmagnificently. With a mixture of pity and derision and anger, Mr.Barnstaple listened to this little band of lost human beings, inthe twilight of a vast, strange and possibly inimical world, growingmore and more fierce and keen in a dispute over the claims of theirthree nations to "dominate" Utopia, claims based entirely upongreeds and misconceptions. Their voices rose to shouts and sank topassionate intensity as their life-long habits of national egotismreasserted themselves. Mr. Hunker would hear nothing of any"Empire"; M. Dupont would hear of nothing but the supreme claim ofFrance. Mr. Catskill twisted and turned. To Mr. Barnstaple thisconflict of patriotic prepossessions seemed like a dog-fight on asinking ship. But at last Mr. Catskill, persistent and ingenious,made headway against his two antagonists.

　　He stood at the end of the table explaining that he had used theword Empire loosely, apologizing for using it, explaining that whenhe said Empire he had all Western Civilization in mind. "When I saidit," he said, turning to Mr. Hunker, "I meant a common brotherhoodof understanding." He faced towards M. Dupont. "I meant our triedand imperishable Entente."

　　"There are at least no Russians here," said M. Dupont. "And noGermans."

　　"True," said Lord Barralonga. "We start ahead of the Hun here, andwe can keep ahead."

　　"And I take it," said Mr. Hunker, "that Japanese are barred."

　　"No reason why we shouldn't start clean with a complete colour bar,"reflected Lord Barralonga. "This seems to me a White Man's World."

　　"At the same time," said M. Dupont, coldly and insistently, "youwill forgive me if I ask you for some clearer definition of ourpresent relationship and for some guarantee, some effectiveguarantee, that the immense sacrifices France has made and stillmakes in the cause of civilized life, will receive their properrecognition and their due reward in this adventure....

　　"I ask only for justice," said M. Dupont.

　　Section 5

　　Indignation made Mr. Barnstaple bold. He got down from his perchupon the wall and came up to the table.

　　"Are you mad," he said, "or am I?

　　"This squabble over flags and countries and fanciful rights anddeserts--it is hopeless folly. Do you not realize even now theposition we are in?"

　　His breath failed him for a moment and then he resumed.

　　"Are you incapable of thinking of human affairs except in terms offlags and fighting and conquest and robbery? Cannot you realizethe proportion of things and the quality of this world into whichwe have fallen? As I have said already, we are like some band ofsavages in a show at Earl's Court, plotting the subjugation ofLondon. We are like suppressed cannibals in the heart of a greatcity dreaming of a revival of our ancient and forgotten filthiness.What are our chances in this fantastic struggle?"

　　Mr. Ridley spoke reprovingly. "You're forgetting everythink you justbeen told. Everythink. 'Arf their population is laid out with fluand measles. And there's no such thing as a 'ealthy fighting willleft in all Utopia."

　　"Precisely," said Mr. Catskill.

　　"Well, suppose you have chances? If that makes your scheme the morehopeful, it also makes it the more horrible. Here we are liftedup out of the troubles of our time to a vision, to a reality ofcivilization such as our own world can only hope to climb to inscores of centuries! Here is a world at peace, splendid, happy,full of wisdom and hope! If our puny strength and base cunning cancontrive it, we are to shatter it all! We are proposing to wreck aworld! I tell you it is not an adventure. It is a crime. It is anabomination. I will have no part in it. I am against you in thisattempt."

　　Father Amerton would have spoken but Mr. Burleigh arrested him by agesture.

　　"What would _you_ have us do?" asked Mr. Burleigh.

　　"Submit to their science. Learn what we can from them. In a littlewhile we may be cured of our inherent poisons and we may bepermitted to return from this outlying desert of mines and turbinesand rock, to those gardens of habitation we have as yet scarcelyseen. There we too may learn something of civilization.... In theend we may even go back to our own disordered world--with knowledge,with hope and help, missionaries of a new order."

　　"But why--?" began Father Amerton.

　　Again Mr. Burleigh took the word. "Everything you say," he remarked,"rests on unproven assumptions. You choose to see this Utopia throughrose-tinted glasses. We others--for it is"--he counted--"eleven toone against you--see things without such favourable preconceptions."

　　"And may I ask, Sir," said Father Amerton, springing to his feetand hitting the table a blow that set all the glasses talking. "MayI ask, who _you_ are, to set yourself up as a judge and censor ofthe common opinion of mankind? For I tell you, Sir, that here inthis lonely and wicked and strange world, we here, we twelve, dorepresent mankind. We are the advance guard, the pioneers--in thenew world that God has given us, even as He gave Canaan to IsraelHis chosen, three thousand years ago. Who are _you_--"

　　"Exactly," said Penk. "Who are you?"

　　And Mr. Ridley reinforced him with a shout: "Oo the 'ell are _you_?"

　　Mr. Barnstaple had no platform skill to meet so direct an attack. Hestood helpless. Astonishingly Lady Stella came to his rescue.

　　"That isn't fair, Father Amerton," she said. "Mr. Bastaple,whoever he is, has a perfect right to express his own opinion."

　　"And having expressed it," said Mr. Catskill, who had been walkingup and down on the other side of the table to that on which Mr.Barnstaple stood, "M'm, having expressed it, to allow us to proceedwith the business in hand. I suppose it was inevitable that weshould find the conscientious objector in our midst--even in Utopia.The rest of us, I take it, are very much of one mind about oursituation."

　　"We are," said Mr. Mush, regarding Mr. Barnstaple with a malevolentexpression.

　　"Very well. Then I suppose we must follow the precedents establishedfor such cases. We will not ask Mr.--Mr. Bastaple to share thedangers--and the honours--of a combatant. We will ask him merely to docivilian work of a helpful nature--"

　　Mr. Barnstaple held up his hand. "No," he said. "I am not disposedto be helpful. I do not recognize the analogy of the situation tothe needs of the Great War, and, anyhow, I am entirely opposed tothis project--this brigandage of a civilization. You cannot call me aconscientious objector to fighting, because I do not object tofighting in a just cause. But this adventure of yours is not a justcause.... I implore you, Mr. Burleigh, you who are not merely apolitician, but a man of culture and a philosopher, to reconsiderwhat it is we are being urged towards--towards acts of violence andmischief from which there will be no drawing back!"

　　"Mr. Barnstaple," said Mr. Burleigh with grave dignity and somethinglike a note of reproach in his voice, "I _have_ considered. But Ithink I may venture to say that I am a man of some experience, sometraditional experience, in human affairs. I may not altogether agreewith my friend Mr. Catskill. Nay! I will go further and say that inmany respects I do _not_ agree with him. If I were the autocrat hereI would say that we have to offer these Utopians resistance--forour self-respect--but not to offer them the violent and aggressiveresistance that he contemplates. I think we could be far moresubtle, far more elaborate, and far more successful than Mr.Catskill is likely to be. But that is my own opinion. Neither Mr.Hunker nor Lord Barralonga, nor Mr. Mush, nor M. Dupont shares it.Nor do Mr.--our friends, the ah!--technical engineers here shareit. And what I do perceive to be imperative upon our little bandof Earthlings, lost here in a strange universe, is unity of action.Whatever else betide, dissension must not betray us. We must holdtogether and act together as one body. Discuss if you will, whenthere is any time for discussion, but in the end _decide_. And havingdecided abide loyally by the decision. Upon the need of securing ahostage or two I have no manner of doubt whatever. Mr. Catskill isright."

　　Mr. Barnstaple was a bad debater. "But these Utopians are as humanas we are," he said. "All that is most sane and civilized inourselves is with them."

　　Mr. Ridley interrupted in a voice designedly rough. "Oh Lord!"he said. "We can't go on jawing 'ere for ever. It's sunset, andMr.--this gentleman 'as 'ad 'is say, and more than 'is say. Weought to have our places and know what is expected of us beforenight. May I propose that we elect Mr. Catskill our Captain withfull military powers?"

　　"I second that," said Mr. Burleigh with grave humility.

　　"Perhaps M. Dupont," said Mr. Catskill, "will act with me asassociated Captain, representing our glorious ally, his own greatcountry."

　　"In the absence of a more worthy representative," acquiesced M.Dupont, "and to see that French interests are duly respected."

　　"And if Mr. Hunker would act as my lieutenant?... Lord Barralongawill be our quartermaster and Father Amerton our chaplain and censor.Mr. Burleigh, it goes without saying, will be our civil head."

　　Mr. Hunker coughed. He frowned with the expression of one who makesa difficult explanation. "I won't be exactly lieutenant," hesaid. "I'll take no official position. I've a sort of distastefor--foreign entanglements. I'll be a looker-on--who helps. But Ithink you will find you can count on me, Gentlemen--when help isneeded."

　　Mr. Catskill seated himself at the head of the table and indicatedthe chair next to his for M. Dupont. Miss Greeta Grey seated herselfon his other hand between him and Mr. Hunker. Mr. Burleigh remainedin his place, a chair or so from Mr. Hunker. The rest came and stoodround the Captain except Lady Stella and Mr. Barnstaple.

　　Almost ostentatiously Mr. Barnstaple turned his back on the newcommand. Lady Stella, he saw, remained seated far down the table,looking dubiously at the little crowd of people at the end. Then hereyes went to the desolate mountain crest beyond.

　　She shivered violently and stood up. "It's going to be very coldhere after sunset," she said, with nobody heeding her. "I shall goand unpack a wrap."

　　She walked slowly to her quarters and did not reappear.

　　Section 6

　　Mr. Barnstaple did not want to seem to listen to this Council ofWar. He walked to the wall of the old castle and up a flight ofstone steps and along the rampart to the peak of the headland. Herethe shattering and beating sound of the waters in the two convergentcanyons was very loud.

　　There was still a bright upper rim of sunlit rock on the mountainface behind, but all the rest of the world was now in a deepeningblue shadow, and a fleecy white mist was gathering in the canyonsbelow and hiding the noisy torrents. It drifted up almost to thelevel of the little bridge that spanned the narrower canyon to arailed stepway from the crest on the further side. For the firsttime since he had arrived in Utopia Mr. Barnstaple felt a chillin the air. And loneliness like a pain.

　　Up the broader of the two meeting canyons some sort of engineeringwork was going on and periodic flashes lit the drifting mist. Faraway over the mountains a solitary aeroplane, very high, caughtthe sun's rays ever and again and sent down quivering flashes ofdazzling golden light, and then, as it wheeled about, vanished againin the deepening blue.

　　He looked down into the great courtyard of the ancient castle belowhim. The modern buildings in the twilight looked like phantompavilions amidst the archaic masonry. Someone had brought a light,and Captain Rupert Catskill, the new Cortez, was writing orders,while his Commando stood about him.

　　The light shone on the face and shoulders and arms of Miss GreetaGrey; she was peering over the Captain's arm to see what he waswriting. And as Mr. Barnstaple looked he saw her raise her handsuddenly to conceal an involuntary yawn.