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lived　much　as　many　people　had　lived　in　the　new…made

giant　hotels　of　the　Victorian　days；　eating；　reading；

thinking；　playing；　conversing；　all　in　places　of　public

resort；　going　to　their　work　in　the　industrial　quarters

of　the　city　or　doing　business　in　their　offices　in　the

trading　section。



He　perceived　at　once　how　necessarily　this　state　of

affairs　had　developed　from　the　Victorian　city。　The

fundamental　reason　for　the　modern　city　had　ever　been

the　economy　of　co…operation。　The　chief　thing　to　prevent　

the　merging　of　the　separate　households　in　his

own　generation　was　simply　the　still　imperfect　civilisation　

of　the　people；　the　strong　barbaric　pride；　passions；

and　prejudices；　the　jealousies；　rivalries；　and　violence

of　the　middle　and　lower　classes；　which　had　necessitated

the　entire　separation　of　contiguous　households。　But

the　change；　the　taming　of　the　people；　had　been　in

rapid　progress　even　then。　In　his　brief　thirty　years　of

previous　life　he　had　seen　an　enormous　extension　of

the　habit　of　consuming　meals　from　home；　the　casually

patronised　horse…box　coffee…house　had　given　place　to

the　open　and　crowded　Aerated　Bread　Shop　for

instance；　women's　clubs　had　had　their　beginning；　and

an　immense　development　of　reading　rooms；　lounges

and　libraries　had　witnessed　to　the　growth　of　social

confidence。　These　promises　had　by　this　time　attained

to　their　complete　fulfillment。　The　locked　and　barred

household　had　passed　away。



These　people　below　him　belonged；　he　learnt；　to　the

lower　middle　class；　the　class　just　above　the　blue

labourers；　a　class　so　accustomed　in　the　Victorian

period　to　feed　with　every　precaution　of　privacy　that

its　members；　when　occasion　confronted　them　with　a

public　meal；　would　usually　hide　their　embarrassment

under　horseplay　or　a　markedly　militant　demeanour。

But　these　gaily；　if　lightly　dressed　people　below；　albeit

vivacious；　hurried　and　uncommunicative；　were　

dexterously　mannered　and　certainly　quite　at　their　ease

with　regard　to　one　another。



He　noted　a　slight　significant　thing；　the　table；　as

far　as　he　could　see；　was　and　remained　delightfully　neat；

there　was　nothing　to　parallel　the　confusion；　the　

broadcast　crumbs；　the　splashes　of　viand　and　condiment；　the

overturned　drink　and　displaced　ornaments；　which　would

have　marked　the　stormy　progress　of　the　Victorian　meal。

The　table　furniture　was　very　different。　There　were

no　ornaments；　no　flowers；　and　the　table　was　without　a

cloth；　being　made；　he　learnt；　of　a　solid　substance　

having　the　texture　and　appearance　of　damask。　He　

discerned　that　this　damask　substance　was　patterned　with

gracefully　designed　trade　advertisements。



In　a　sort　of　recess　before　each　diner　was　a　complete

apparatus　of　porcelain　and　metal。　There　was　one

plate　of　white　porcelain；　and　by　means　of　taps　for　hot

and　cold　volatile　fluids　the　diner　washed　this　himself

between　the　courses；　he　also　washed　his　elegant　white

metal　knife　and　fork　and　spoon　as　occasion　required。



Soup　and　the　chemical　wine　that　was　the　common

drink　were　delivered　by　similar　taps；　and　the　remaining

covers　travelled　automatically　in　tastefully　arranged

dishes　down　the　table　along　silver　rails。　The　diner

stopped　these　and　helped　himself　at　his　discretion。

They　appeared　at　a　little　door　at　one　end　of　the　table；

and　vanished　at　the　other。　That　turn　of　democratic

sentiment　in　decay；　that　ugly　pride　of　menial　souls；

which　renders　equals　loth　to　wait　on　one　another；　was

very　strong　he　found　among　these　people。　He　was　so

preoccupied　with　these　details　that　it　was　only　just　as

he　was　leaving　the　place　that　he　remarked　the　huge

advertisement　dioramas　that　marched　majestically

along　the　upper　walls　and　proclaimed　the　most　

remarkable　commodities。



Beyond　this　place　they　came　into　a　crowded　hall；

and　he　discovered　the　cause　of　the　noise　that　had　

perplexed　him。　They　paused　at　a　turnstile　at　which　a

payment　was　made。



Graham's　attention　was　immediately　arrested　by　a

violent；　loud　hoot；　followed　by　a　vast　leathery　voice。

〃The　Master　is　sleeping　peacefully；〃　it　vociferately。

〃He　is　in　excellent　health。　He　is　going　to　devote　the

rest　of　his　life　to　aeronautics。　He　says　women　are

more　beautiful　than　ever。　Galloop！　Wow！　Our

wonderful　civilisation　astonishes　him　beyond　measure。

Beyond　all　measure。　Galloop。　He　puts　great　trust

in　Boss　Ostrog；　absolute　confidence　in　Boss　Ostrog。

Ostrog　is　to　be　his　chief　minister；　is　authorised　to

remove　or　reinstate　public　officersall　patronage　will

be　in　his　hands。　All　patronage　in　the　hands　of　Boss

Ostrog！　The　Councillors　have　been　sent　back　to　their

own　prison　above　the　Council　House。〃



Graham　stopped　at　the　first　sentence；　and；　looking

up；　beheld　a　foolish　trumpet　face　from　which　this　was

brayed。　This　was　the　General　Intelligence　Machine。

For　a　space　it　seemed　to　be　gathering　breath；　and　a

regular　throbbing　from　its　cylindrical　body　was　

audible。　Then　it　trumpeted　〃Galloop；　Galloop；〃　and

broke　out　again。



〃Paris　is　now　pacified。　All　resistance　is　over。

Galloop！　The　black　police　hold　every　position　of

importance　in　the　city。　They　fought　with　great　bravery；　

singing　songs　written　in　praise　of　their　ancestors

by　the　poet　Kipling。　Once　or　twice　they　got　out　of

hand；　and　tortured　and　mutilated　wounded　and　captured　

insurgents；　men　and　women。　Moraldon't　go

rebelling。　Haha！　Galloop；　Galloop！　They　are

lively　fellows。　Lively　brave　fellows。　Let　this　be　a　lesson

to　the　disorderly　banderlog　of　this　city。　Yah！　

Banderlog！　Filth　of　the　earth！　Galloop；　Galloop！〃



The　voice　ceased。　There　was　a　confused　murmur

of　disapproval　among　the　crowd。　〃Damned　niggers。〃

A　man　began　to　harangne　near　them。　〃Is

this　the　Master's　doing；　brothers？　Is　this　the

Master's　doing？〃



〃Black　police！〃　said　Graham。〃　What　is　that？

You　don't　mean〃



Asano　touched　his　arm　and　gave　him　a　warning

look；　and　forthwith　another　of　these　mechanisms　I

screamed　deafeningly　and　gave　tongue　in　a　shrill　voice。

〃Yahaha；　Yahah；　Yap！　Hear　a　live　paper　yelp！

Live　paper。　Yaha！　Shocking　outrage　in　Paris。

Yahahah！　The　Parisians　exasperated　by　the　black

police　to　the　pitch　of　assassination。　Dreadful　

reprisals。　Savage　times　come　again。　Blood！　Blood！

Yaha！〃　The　nearer　Babble　Machine　hooted　stupendously；　

〃Galloop；　Galloop；〃　drowned　the　end　of　the

sentence；　and　proceeded　in　a　rather　flatter　note　than

before　with　novel　comments　on　the　horrors　of　disorder。

〃Law　and　order　must　be　maintained；〃　said　the　nearer

Babble　Machine。



〃But；〃　began　Graham。



〃Don't　ask　questions　here；〃　said　Asano；　〃or　you

will　be　involved　in　an　argument。〃



〃Then　let　us　go　on；〃　said　Graham；　〃for　I　want　to

know　more　of　this。〃



As　he　and　his　companion　pushed　their　way　through

the　excited　crowd　that　swarmed　beneath　these　voices；

towards　the　exit；　Graham　conceived　more　clearly　the

proportion　and　features　of　this　room。　Altogether；

great　and　small；　there　must　have　been　nearly　a　thousand　

of　these　erections；　piping；　hooting；　bawling　and

gabbling　in　that　great　space；　each　with　its　crowd　of

excited　listeners；　the　majority　of　them　men　dressed

in　blue　canvas。　There　were　all　sizes　of　machines；

from　the　little　gossipping　mechanisms　that　chuckled

out　mechanical　sarcasm　in　odd　corners；　through　a

number　of　grades　to　such　fifty…foot　giants　as　that　which

had　first　hooted　over　Graham。



This　place　was　unusually　crowded；　because　of　the

intense　public　interest　in　the　course　of　affairs　in　Paris。

Evidently　the　struggle　had　been　much　more　savage

than　Ostrog　had　represented　it。　All　the　mechanisms

were　discoursing　upon　that　topic；　and　the　repetition

of　the　people　made　the　huge　hive　buzz　with　such

phrases　as　〃Lynched　policemen；〃　〃Women　burnt

alive；〃　〃Fuzzy　Wuzzy。〃　〃But　does　the　Master　allow

such　things？　〃　asked　a　man　near　him。　〃Is　this　the

beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？〃



Is　__this__　the　beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？　For　a

long　time　after　he　had　left　the　place；　the　hooting；

whistling　and　braying　of　the　machines　pursued　him；

〃Galloop；　Galloop；〃　〃Yahahah；　Yaha；　Yap！　Yaha！〃

Is　this　the　beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？



Directly　they　were　out　upon　the　ways　he　began　to

question　Asano　closely　on　the　nature　of　the　Parisian

struggle。　〃This　disarmament！　What　was　their

trouble？　What　does　it　all　mean？〃　Asano　seemed

chiefly　anxious　to　reassure　him　that　it　was　〃all　right。〃

〃But　these　outrages！〃　〃You　cannot　have　an　omelette；〃　

said　Asano；　〃without　breaking　eggs。　It　is　only

the　rough　people。　Only　in　one　part　of　the　city。　All

the　rest　is　all　right。　The　Parisian　labourers　are　the

wildest　in　the　world；　except　ours。〃



〃What！　the　Londoners？　〃



〃No；　the　Japanese。　They　have　to　be　kept　in　order。〃

〃　But　burning　women　alive！　〃



〃A　Commune！〃　said　Asano。　〃They　would　rob

you　of　your　property。　They　would　do　away　with

property　and　give　the　world　over　to　mob　rule。　You

are　Master；　the　world　is　yours。　But　there　will　be　no

Commune　here。　There　is　no　need　for　black　police

here。



〃And　every　consideration　has　been　shown。　It　is

their　own　negroesFrench　speaking　negroes。　Senegal　

regiments；　and　Niger　and　Timbuctoo。〃



〃Regiments？〃　said　Graham；　〃I　thought　there　was

only　one。〃



〃No；〃　said　Asano；　and　glanced　at　him。　〃There　is

more　than　one。〃



Graham　felt　unpleasantly　helpless。



〃I　did　not　think；〃　he　began　and　stopped　abruptly

He　went　off　at　a　tangent　to　ask　for　information　

about　these　Babble　Machines。　For　the　most

part；　the　crowd　present　had　been　shabbily　or　even

raggedly　dressed；　and　Graham　learnt　that　so　far　as

the　more　prosperous　classes　were　concerned；　in　all

the　more　comfortable　private　apartments　of　the　city

were　fixed　Babble　Machines　that　would　speak　directly

a　lever　was　pulled。　The　tenant　of　the　apartment

could　connect　this　with　the　cables　of　any　of　the　great

News　Syndicates　that　he　preferred。　When　he　learnt

this　presently；　he　demanded　the　reason　of　their