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AlthoughIhadlessthanaminuteforreflection,Ifelt,byakindofinstinct,thatImustconcealmyexperiencesfrommyWife.
NotthatIapprehended,atthemoment,anydangerfromherdivulgingmysecret,butIknewthattoanyWomaninFlatlandthenarrativeofmyadventuresmustneedsbeunintelligible.
SoIendeavouredtoreassureherbysomestory,inventedfortheoccasion,thatIhadaccidentallyfallenthroughthetrap-doorofthecellar,andhadtherelainstunned.
TheSouthwardattractioninourcountryissoslightthateventoaWomanmytalenecessarilyappearedextraordinaryandwell-nighincredible;butmyWife,whosegoodsensefarexceedsthatoftheaverageofherSex,andwhoperceivedthatIwasunusuallyexcited,didnotarguewithmeonthesubject,butinsistedthatIwaswillandrequiredrepose.
Iwasgladofanexcuseforretiringtomychambertothinkquietlyoverwhathadhappened.
WhenIwasatlastbymyself,adrowsysensationfellonme;butbeforemyeyesclosedIendeavouredtoreproducetheThirdDimension,andespeciallytheprocessbywhichaCubeisconstructedthroughthemotionofaSquare.
ItwasnotsoclearasIcouldhavewished;butIrememberedthatitmustbe"Upward,andyetnotNorthward,"andIdeterminedsteadfastlytoretainthesewordsasthecluewhich,iffirmlygrasped,couldnotfailtoguidemetothesolution.
Somechanicallyrepeating,likeacharm,thewords,"Upward,yetnotNorthward,"Ifellintoasoundrefreshingsleep.
DuringmyslumberIhadadream.IthoughtIwasoncemorebythesideoftheSphere,whoselustroushuebetokenedthathehadexchangedhiswrathagainstmeforperfectlyplacability.
WeweremovingtogethertowardsabrightbutinfinitesimallysmallPpoint,towhichmyMasterdirectedmyattention.
Asweapproached,methoughtthereissuedfromitaslighthummingnoiseasfromoneofyourSpacelandbluebottles,onlylessresonantbyfar,soslightindeedthatevenintheperfectstillnessoftheVacuumthroughwhichwesoard,thesoundreachednotourearstillwecheckedourflightatadistantfromitofsomethingundertwentyhumandiagonals.
"Lookyonder,"saidmyGuide,"inFlatlandthouhastlived;ofLinelandthouhastreceivedavision;thouhastsoarredwithmetotheheightsofSpaceland;now,,inordertocompletetherangeofthyexperience,Iconducttheedownwardtothelowestdepthofexistence,eventotherealmofPointland,theAbyssofNodimensions.
"Beholdyonmiserablecreature.ThatPointisaBeinglikeourselves,butconfinedtothenon-dimensionalGulf.
HeishimselfhisownWorld,hisownUniverse;ofanyotherthanhimselfhecanformnoconception;heknowsnotLength,norBreadth,norHeight,forhehashadnoexperienceofthem;hehasnocognizanceevenofthenumberTwo;norhasheathoughtofPlurality;forheishimselfhisOneandAll,beingreallyNothing.
Yetmarkhisperfectself-contentment,andhencelearnhislesson,thattobeself-contentedistobevileandignorant,andthattoaspireisbetterthantobeblindlyandimpotentlyhappy.Nowlisten."
Heceased;andtherearosefromthelittlebuzzingcreatureatiny,low,monotonous,butdistincttinkling,asfromoneofyourSpacelandphonographs,fromwhichIcaughtthesewords,"Infinitebeatitudeofexistence!
Itis;andthereisnothingelsebesideIt."
"What,"saidI,"doesthepunycreaturemeanby'it'?"
"Hemeanshimself,"saidtheSphere:"haveyounotnoticedbeforenow,thatbabiesandbabyishpeopllewhocannotdistinguishthemselvesfromtheworld,speakofthemselvesintheThirdPerson?Buthush!"
"ItfillsallSpace,"continuedthelittlesoliloquizingCreature,"andwhatItfills,Itis.
WhatItthinks,thatItutters;andwhatItutters,thatIthears;andItitselfisThinker,Utterer,Hearer,THought,Word,Audition;itistheOne,andyettheAllinAll.
Ah,thehappiness,ah,thehappinessofBeing!"
"Canyounotstartlethelittlethingoutofitscomplacency?"
saidI."Tellitwhatitreallyis,asyoutoldme;revealtoitthenarrowlimitationsofPointland,andleadituptosomethinghigher."
"Thatisnoeasytask,"saidmyMaster;"tryyou."
Hereon,raisingbyvoicetotheuttermost,IaddressedthePointasfollows:
"Silence,silence,contemptibleCreature.
YoucallyourselftheAllinAll,butyouaretheNothing:yourso-calledUniverseisamerespeckinaLine,andaLineisamereshadowascomparedwith—""Hush,hush,youhavesaidenough,"interruptedtheSphere,"nowlisten,andmarktheeffectofyourharangueontheKingofPointland."
ThelustreoftheMonarch,whobeamedmorebrightlythaneveruponhearingmywords,shewedclearlythatheretainedhiscomplacency;andIhadhardlyceasedwhenhetookuphisstrainagain."Ah,thejoy,ah,thejoyofThought!WhatcanItnotachievebythinking!
ItsownThoughtcomingtoItself,suggestiveoftsdisparagement,therebytoenhanceItshappiness!
Sweetrebellionstirreduptoresultintriumph!
Ah,thedivinecreativepoweroftheAllinOne!Ah,thejoy,thejoyofBeing!"
"Yousee,"saidmyTeacher,"howlittleyourwordshavedone.
SofarastheMonarchunderstandthematall,heacceptsthemashisown—forhecannotconceiveofanyotherexcepthimself—andplumeshimselfuponthevarietyof'ItsThought'asaninstanceofcreativePower.
LetusleavethisGodofPointlandtotheignorantfruitionofhisomnipresenceandomniscience:nothingthatyouorIcandocanrescuehimfromhisself-satisfaction."
Afterthis,aswefloatedgentlybacktoFlatland,IcouldhearthemildvoiceofmyCompanionpointingthemoralofmyvision,andstimulatingmetoaspire,andtoteachotherstoaspire.
Hehadbeenangeredatfirst—heconfessed—bymyambitiontosoartoDimensionsabovetheThird;but,sincethen,hehadreceivedfreshinsight,andhewasnottooproudtoacknowledgehiserrortoaPupil.
ThenheproceededtoinitiatemeintomysteriesyethigherthanthoseIhadwitnessed,shewingmehowtoconstructExtra-SolidsbythemotionofSolids,andDoubleExtra-SolidsbythemotionofExtra-Solids,andall"strictlyaccordingtoAnalogy,"allbymethodssosimple,soeasy,astobepatenteventotheFemaleSex.
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