AwholearmyofPolygons,whoturnedouttofightasprivatesoldiers,wasutterlyannihilatedbyasuperiorforceofIsoscelesTriangles—theSquaresandPentagonsmeanwhileremainingneutral.
Infuriatedbypoliticalanimosity,thewivesinmanyanoblehouseholdweariedtheirlordswithprayerstogiveuptheiroppositiontotheColourBilll;andsome,findingtheirentreatiesfruitless,fellonandslaughteredtheirinnocentchildrenandhusband,perishingthemselvesintheactofcarnage.
Greatindeedwastheperil.ItseemedasthoughthePriestshadnochoicebetweensubmissionandextermination;whensuddenlythecourseofeventswascompletelychangedbyoneofthosepicturesqueincidentswhichStatesmenoughtnevertoneglect,oftentoanticipate,andsometimesperhapstooriginate,becauseoftheabsurdlydisproportionatepowerwithwhichtheyappearltothesympathiesofthepopulace.
IthappenedthatanIsoscelesofalowtype,withabrainlittleifatallabovefourdegrees—accidentallydabblinginthecoloursofsomeTradesmanwhoseshophehadplundered—paintedhimself,orcausedhimselftobepainted(forthestoryvaries)withthetwelvecoloursofaDodecagon.
GoingintotheMarketPlaceheaccostedinafeignedvoiceamaiden,theorphandaughterofanoblePolygon,whoseaffectioninformerdayshehadsoughtinvain;andbyaseriesofdeceptions—aided,ontheoneside,byastringofluckyaccidentstoolongtorelate,and,ontheother,byanalmostinconceivablefatuityandneglectofordinaryprecautionsonthepartoftherelationsofthebride—hesucceededinconsummatingthemarriage.
Sympathywiththemiserablevictimandanticipationsofsimilardeceptionsforthemselves,theirsisters,andtheirdaughters,madethemnowregardtheColourBillinanentirelynewaspect.
Notafewopenlyavowedthemselvesconvertedtoantagonism;therestneededonlyaslightstimulustomakeasimilaravowal.
Seizingthisfavourableopportunity,theCircleshastilyconvenedanextraordinaryAssemblyoftheStates;andbesidestheusualguardofConvicts,theysecuredtheattendanceofalargenumberofreactionaryWomen.
Amidstanunprecedentedconcourse,theChiefCircleofthosedays—bynamePantocyclus—arosetofindhimselfhissedandhootedbyahundredandtwentythousandIsosceles.
ButhesecuredsilencebydeclaringthathenceforththeCircleswouldenteronapolicyofConcession;yieldingtothewishesofthemajority,theywouldaccepttheColourBill.
Theuproarbeingatonceconvertedtoapplause,heinvitedChromatistes,theleaderoftheSedition,intothecentreofthehall,toreceiveinthenameofhisfollowersthesubmissionoftheHierarchy.
Thenfollowedaspeech,amasterpieceofrhetoric,whichoccupiednearlyadayinthedelivery,andtowhichnosummarycandojustice.
WithagraveappearanceofimpartialityhedeclaredthatastheywerenowfinallycommittingthemselvestoReformorInnovation,itwasdesirablethattheyshouldtakeonelastviewoftheperimeterofthewholesubject,itsdefectsaswellasitsadvantages.
GraduallyintroductionthementionofthedangerstotheTradesmen,theProfessionalClassesandtheGentlemen,hesilencedtherisingmurmursoftheIsoscelesbyremindingthemthat,inspiteofallthesedefects,hewaswillingtoaccepttheBillifitwasapprovedbythemajority.
Butitwasmanifestthatall,excepttheIsosceles,weremovedbyhiswordsandwereeitherneutraloraversetotheBill.
TurningnowtotheWorkmenheassertedthattheirinterestsmustnotbeneglected,andthat,iftheyintendedtoaccepttheColourBill,theyoughtatleasttodosowithfullviewoftheconsequences.
Manyofthem,hesaid,wereonthepointofbeingadmittedtotheclassoftheRegularTriangles;othersanticipatedfortheirchildrenadistinctiontheycouldnothopeforthemselves.
WiththeuniversaladoptionofColour,alldistinctionswouldcease;RegularitywouldbeconfusedwithIrregularity;developmentwouldgiveplacetoretrogression;theWorkmanwouldinafewgenerationsbedegradedtotheleveloftheMilitar,oreventheConvictClass;politicalpowerwouldbeinthehandsofthegreatestnumber,thatistosaytheCriminalClasses,whowerealreadymorenumerousthantheWorkmen,andwouldsoonout-numberalltheotherClassesputtogetherwhentheusualCompensativeLawsofNaturewereviolated.
AsubduedmurmurofassentranthroughtheranksoftheArtisans,andChromatistes,inalarm,attemptedtostepforwardandaddressthem.
ButhefoundhimselfencompassedwithguardsandforcedtoremainsilentwhiletheChiefCircleinafewimpassionedwordsmadeafinalappealtotheWomen,exclaimingthat,iftheColourBillpassed,nomarriagewouldhenceforthbesafe,nowoman'shonoursecure;fraud,deception,hypocrisywouldpervadeeveryhousehold;domesticblisswouldsharethefateoftheConstitutionandpasstospeedyperdition.
Atthesewords,whichwerethepreconcertedsignalforaction,theIsoscelesConvictsfellonandtransfixedthewretchedChromatistes;theRegularClasses,openingtheirranks,madewayforabandofWomenwho,underdirectionoftheCircles,movedbackforemost,inivisiblyandunerringlyupontheunconscioussoldiers;theArtisans,imitatingtheexampleoftheirbetters,alsoopenedtheirranks.
UndertheskillfulgeneralshipoftheCirclesalmosteveryWoman'schargewasfatalandverymanyextractedtheirstinguninjured,readyforasecondslaughter.
Surprised,leader-less,attackedinfrontbyinvisiblefoes,andfindingegresscutoffbytheConvictsbehindthem,theyatonce—aftertheirmanner—lostallpresenceofmind,andraisedthecryof"treachery."Thissealedtheirfate.
Inhalfanhournotoneofthatvastmultitudewasliving;andthefragmentsofsevenscorethousandoftheCriminalClassslainbyoneanother'sanglesattestedthetriumphofOrder.
TheMilitiaoftheEquilateralswasatoncecalledout,andeveryTrianglesuspectedofIrregularityonreasonablegrounds,wasdestroyedbyCourtMartial,withouttheformalityofexactmeasurementbytheSocialBoard.
ThehomesoftheMilitaryandArtisanclasseswereinspectedinacourseofvisitationextendingthroughupwardsofayear;andduringthatperiodeverytown,village,andhamletwassystematicallypurgedofthatexcessofthelowerorderswhichhadbeenbroughtaboutbytheneglecttopaythetributeofCriminalstotheSchoolsandUniversity,andbytheviolationofothernaturalLawsoftheConstitutionofFlatland.
EventheutteranceofanyworddenotingColour,exceptbytheCirclesorbyqualifiedscientificteachers,waspunishedbyaseverepenalty.
OnlyatourUniversityinsomeoftheveryhighestandmostesotericclasses—whichImyselfhaveneverbeenprivilegedtoattend—itisunderstoodthatthesparinguseofColourisstillsanctionedforthepurposeofillustratingsomeofthedeeperproblemsofmathematics.
Theartofmakingitisknowntoonlyonelivingperson,theChiefCircleforthetimebeing;andbyhimitishandeddownonhisdeath-bedtononebuthisSuccessor.
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