THE STRUGGLE IN THE COUNCIL HOUSE
As Asano and Graham along to the about the Council House, they saw the of the people rising. "To your wards! To your wards!" Everywhere men and in were from unknown employments, up the of the middle path; at one place Graham saw an of the by a of men, at another a of men in the yellow of the Labour Police, by a crowd, along the way that in the opposite direction.
The of "To your wards!" at last a as they near the Government quarter. Many of the were unintelligible. "Ostrog has us," one man in a voice, again and again, that into Graham's ear until it him. This person close Graham and Asano on the way, to the people who on the as he past them. His about Ostrog with some orders. Presently he and disappeared.
Graham's mind was with the din. His plans were and unformed. He had one picture of some position from which he address the multitudes, another of meeting Ostrog to face. He was full of rage, of excitement, his hands gripped, his were pressed together.
The way to the Council House across the was impassable, but Asano met that and took Graham into the of the post-office. The post-office was at work, but the blue-clothed moved or had stopped to through the of their at the men who were going by outside. "Every man to his ward! Every man to his ward!" Here, by Asano's advice, Graham his identity.
They to the Council House by a cradle. Already in the since the of the Councillors a great had been in the of the ruins. The of the sea-water had been and tamed, and temporary pipes ran overhead along a looking of girders. The sky was with and that the Council House, and a of new with and other going to and upon it to the left of the white pile.
The moving that ran across this area had been restored, for once under the open sky. These were the that Graham had from the little in the hour of his awakening, not nine days since, and the of his Trance had been on the side, where now of and were together.
It was already high day and the sun was brightly. Out of their tall of electric light came the with of people, who off them and over the and of the ruins. The air was full of their shouting, and they were pressing and the building. For the most part that of swarms, but here and there Graham see that a to itself. And every voice for order in the chaos. "To your wards! Every man to his ward!"
The them into a which Graham as the ante-chamber to the Hall of the Atlas, about the of which he had walked days ago with Howard to himself to the Vanished Council, an hour from his awakening. Now the place was empty for two attendants. These men to the Sleeper in the man who from the seat.
"Where is Ostrog?" he demanded. "I must see Ostrog forthwith. He has me. I have come to take out of his hands." Without waiting for Asano, he across the place, the steps at the end, and, the aside, himself the Titan.
The was empty. Its had very since his of it. It had in the of the outbreak. On the right hand of the great the upper of the had been away for nearly two hundred of its length, and a of the same that had Graham at his had been across the gap. This deadened, but did not the of the people outside. "Wards! Wards! Wards!" they to be saying. Through it there were visible the and supports of metal that rose and according to the of a great of workmen. An machine, with arms of red painted metal across this green picture. On it were still a number of at the below. For a moment he these things, and Asano him.
"Ostrog," said Asano, "will be in the small offices there." The little man looked now and his Graham's face.
They had ten from the a little to the left of the Atlas rolled up, and Ostrog, by Lincoln and by two black and yellow negroes, appeared the of the hall, a second that was and open. "Ostrog," Graham, and at the of his voice the little party astonished.
Ostrog said something to Lincoln and alone.
Graham was the to speak. His voice was loud and dictatorial. "What is this I hear?" he asked. "Are you here—to keep the people down?"
"It is none too soon," said Ostrog. "They have been out of hand more and more, since the revolt. I under-estimated—"
"Do you that these are on the way?"
"On the way. As it is, you have the people—outside?"
"No wonder! But—after what was said. You have taken too much on yourself, Ostrog."
Ostrog said nothing, but nearer.
"These must not come to London," said Graham. "I am Master and they shall not come."
Ostrog at Lincoln, who at once came them with his two close him. "Why not?" asked Ostrog.
"White men must be by white men. Besides—"
"The are only an instrument."
"But that is not the question. I am the Master. I to be the Master.
And I tell you these shall not come."
"The people—"
"I in the people."
"Because you are an anachronism. You are a man out of the Past—an accident. You are Owner of the world. Nominally—legally. But you are not Master. You do not know to be Master."
He at Lincoln again. "I know now what you think—I can something of what you to do. Even now it is not too late to you. You of equality—of some of order—you have all those worn-out of the nineteenth century fresh and in your mind, and you would this age that you do not understand."
"Listen!" said Graham. "You can it—a like the sea. Not voices—but a voice. Do you understand?"
"We them that," said Ostrog.
"Perhaps. Can you teach them to it? But of this! These must not come."
There was a pause and Ostrog looked him in the eyes.
"They will," he said.
"I it," said Graham.
"They have started."
"I will not have it."
"No," said Ostrog. "Sorry as I am to the method of the Council—. For your own good—you must not with—Disorder. And now that you are here—. It was of you to come here."
Lincoln his hand on Graham's shoulder. Abruptly Graham the of his in to the Council House. He the that the from the ante-chamber. The hand of Asano intervened. In another moment Lincoln had Graham's cloak.
He and at Lincoln's face, and a had him by and arm. He himself away, his noisily, and he back, to be by the other attendant. Then he the ground and he was at the of the hall.
He shouted, rolled over, fiercely, an attendant's leg and him headlong, and to his feet.
Lincoln appeared him, again with a under the point of the and still. Graham two strides, stumbled. And then Ostrog's arm was his neck, he was over backward, heavily, and his arms were to the ground. After a he to and at Ostrog's throat.
"You—are—a prisoner," Ostrog, exulting. "You—were a fool—to come back."
Graham his about and through the green window in the of the the men who had been the to the people them. They had seen!
Ostrog his and started. He something to Lincoln, but Lincoln did not move. A among the above the Atlas. The two of that had been across this were rent, the of the darkened, curved, ran the framework, and in a moment the Council open to the air. A in by the gap, with it a of voices from the without, an babblement, "Save the Master!" "What are they doing to the Master?" "The Master is betrayed!"
And then he that Ostrog's attention was distracted, that Ostrog's had relaxed, and, his arms free, he to his knees. In another moment he had Ostrog back, and he was on one foot, his hand Ostrog's throat, and Ostrog's hands the about his neck.
But now men were them from the dais—men he misunderstood. He had a of someone in the the of the antechamber, and then Ostrog had from him and these were upon him. To his astonishment, they him. They the of Ostrog.
He was a dozen yards he that they were not friends—that they were him the open panel. When he saw this he back, he to himself down, he for help with all his strength. And this time there were cries.
The upon his relaxed, and behold! in the of the rent upon the wall, one and then a number of little black appeared and arms. They came from the into the light that had to the Silent Rooms. They ran along it, so near were they that Graham see the in their hands. Then Ostrog was in his ear to the men who him, and once more he was with all his against their to him the opening that to him. "They can't come down," Ostrog. "They daren't fire. It's all right. We'll save him from them yet."
For long minutes as it to Graham that continued. His were rent in a dozen places, he was in dust, one hand had been upon. He the of his supporters, and once he shots. He his way, his wild and aimless. But no help came, and surely, irresistibly, that black, opening came nearer.
The pressure upon him and he up. He saw Ostrog's and that he was no longer held. He about and came full into a man in black. One of the green close to him, a of came into his face, and a flashed. The about him.
He saw a man in one of the black and yellow not three yards from his face. Then hands were upon him again.
He was being in two now. It as though people were to him. He wanted to and not. Someone was about his thighs, he was being in of his efforts. He suddenly, he to struggle. He was up on men's and away from that panel. Ten thousand were cheering.
He saw men in and black after the Ostrogites and firing. Lifted up, he saw now across the whole of the the Atlas image, saw that he was being the in the centre of the place. The end of the was already full of people him. They were looking at him and cheering.
He aware that a him. Active men about him orders. He saw close at hand the black man in yellow who had been among those who had him in the public theatre, directions. The was already packed with people, the little metal with a load, the at the end had been away, and the was crowded. He make the man near him for the about them. "Where has Ostrog gone?" he asked.
The man he questioned pointed over the the panels about the on the opposite the gap. They open, and men, with black sashes, were through them and into the and passages beyond. It to Graham that a of through the riot. He was in a across the great an opening the gap.
He men with a of to keep the off him, to make a space clear about him. He passed out of the hall, and saw a crude, new him by sky. He was to his feet; someone his arm and him. He the man in yellow close at hand. They were taking him up a narrow of brick, and close at hand rose the great red painted masses, the and and the still of the big machine.
He was at the top of the steps. He was across a narrow footway, and with a the of opened again him. "The Master is with us! The Master! The Master!" The the of like a wave, against the of ruins, and came in a of cries. "The Master is on our side!"
Graham that he was no longer by people, that he was upon a little temporary of white metal, part of a that about the great of the Council House. Over all the of the and the people; and here and there the black of the and and of in the chaos. Up the stairs of and by which his had the opening in the Atlas Chamber a solid crowd, and little black to and were to these congested, to stir. Behind him, at a higher point on the scaffolding, a number of men with the of a black standard. Through the in the him he look upon the packed in the Hall of the Atlas. The to the south came out and vivid, nearer as it by an of the air. A up from the stage as if to meet the aeroplanes.
"What has of Ostrog?" asked Graham, and as he spoke he saw that all were from him the of the Council House building. He looked also in this direction of attention. For a moment he saw nothing but the of a wall, hard and clear against the sky. Then in the he the of a room and with a start the green and white of his prison. And across this opened room and up to the very of the of the came a little white by two other smaller in black and yellow. He the man him "Ostrog," and to ask a question. But he did, of the of another of those who were with him and a pointing. He looked, and behold! the that had been from the stage when last he had looked in that direction, was them. The was still to his attention.
Nearer it came, larger and larger, until it had over the of the and into view of the below. It across the space and rose and passed overhead, to clear the of the Council House, a shape with the through its ribs. It the of the ruins.
Graham transferred his attention to Ostrog. He was with his hands, and his were the him. In another moment the came into view again, a little thing away, in a wide and going slower.
Then the man in yellow shouted: "What are they doing? What are the people doing? Why is Ostrog left there? Why is he not captured? They will him—the will him! Ah!"
The was by a from the ruins. The of the green across the to Graham, and, looking down, he saw a number of black and yellow along one of the that open to the air the upon which Ostrog stood. They as they ran at men unseen, and then a number of in pursuit. These minute had the effect; they as they ran like little model soldiers in a toy. This of a house cut open gave that and passages a quality of unreality. It was two hundred yards away from him, and very nearly fifty above the in the below. The black and yellow men ran into an open archway, and and a volley. One of the close to the edge, up his arms, sideways, to Graham's to over the for seconds, and down. Graham saw him a corner, out, over heels, over heels, and the red arm of the machine.
And then a came Graham and the sun. He looked up and the sky was clear, but he the little had passed. Ostrog had vanished. The man in yellow him, and perspiring, pointing and blatant.
"They are grounding!" the man in yellow. "They are grounding. Tell the people to fire at him. Tell them to fire at him!"
Graham not understand. He loud voices these orders.
Suddenly he saw the of the come over the of the and stop with a jerk. In a moment Graham that the thing had in order that Ostrog might by it. He saw a out of the gulf, that the people him were now up at the stem.
A man him hoarsely, and he saw that the had the that had been by the men in black and yellow a moment before, and were in a along the open passage.
And the over the of the Council House and like a swallow. It dropped, at an of forty-five degrees, so that it to Graham, it to most of those below, that it not possibly again.
It so closely past him that he see Ostrog the of the seat, with his streaming; see the white-faced over the that the machine upward. He the of men below.
Graham the him and gasped. The second an age. The of the passed an of the people, who and and one another below.
And then it rose.
For a moment it looked as if it not possibly clear the opposite cliff, and then that it not possibly clear the wind-wheel that beyond.
And behold! it was clear and soaring, still sideways, upward, into the wind-swept sky.
The of the moment gave place to a of as the people that Ostrog had them. With activity they their fire, until the into a roar, until the whole area and and the air with the thin of their weapons.
Too late! The machine smaller and smaller, and about and to the stage from which it had so risen. Ostrog had escaped.
For a while a from the ruins, and then the attention came to Graham, high among the scaffolding. He saw the of the people him, their at his rescue. From the of the came the song of the like a across that sea of men.
The little group of men about him on his escape. The man in yellow was close to him, with a set and eyes. And the song was rising, louder and louder; tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp.
Slowly the came of the full meaning of these to him, the of the in his position. Ostrog, who had him he had that before, was there—the antagonist. There was no one to for him any longer. Even the people about him, the and of the multitude, looked to see what he would do, looked to him to act, his orders. He was king indeed. His was at an end.
He was very to do the thing that was of him. His nerves and were quivering, his mind was a little confused, but he neither anger. His hand that had been upon and was hot. He was a little about his bearing. He he was not afraid, but he was not to afraid. In his life he had often been more in playing of skill. He was of action, he he must not think too much in detail of the of the about him be should be by the of its intricacy.
Over there those square shapes, the stages, meant Ostrog; against Ostrog, who was so clear and and decisive, he who was so and undecided, was for the whole of the world.
