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shouting；　running　people　who　were　gesticulating　past。

〃The　Master　is　betrayed！〃　they　cried。　〃The　Master

is　betrayed！〃



Suddenly　the　situation　shaped　itself　in　his　mind　real

and　urgent。　His　heart　began　to　beat　fast　and　strong。



〃It　has　come；〃　he　said。〃　I　might　have　known。　The

hour　has　come。〃



He　thought　swiftly。　〃What　am　I　to　do？　〃



〃Go　back　to　the　Council　House；〃　said　Asano。



〃Why　should　I　not　appeal？　The　people　are

here。



〃You　will　lose　time。　They　will　doubt　if　it　is　you。

But　they　will　mass　about　the　Council　House。　There

you　will　find'　their　leaders。　Your　strength　is　there

with　them。〃



〃Suppose　this　is　only　a　rumour？〃



〃It　sounds　true；〃　said　Asano。



〃Let　us　have　the　facts；〃　said　Graham。



Asano　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃We　had　better

get　towards　the　Council　House；〃　he　cried。　〃That　is

where　they　will　swarm。　Even　now　the　ruins　may　be

impassable。〃



Graham　regarded　him　doubtfully　and　followed　him。



They　went　up　the　stepped　platforms　to　the　swiftest

one；　and　there　Asano　accosted　a　labourer。　The

answers　to　his　questions　were　in　the　thick；　vulgar

speech。



〃What　did　he　say？　〃　asked　Graham。



〃He　knows　little；　but　he　told　me　that　the　Black

Police　would　have　arrived　here　before　the　people

knewhad　not　someone　in　the　Wind…Vane　Offices

Learnt。　He　said　a　girl。〃



〃A　girl？　Not？〃



〃　He　said　a　girlhe　did　not　know　who　she　was。

Who　came　out　from　the　Council　House　crying　aloud；

and　told　the　men　at　work　among　the　ruins。〃



And　then　another　thing　was　shouted；　something

that　turned　an　aimless　tumult　into　determinate　movements；　

it　came　like　a　wind　along　the　street。　〃To　your

Wards；　to　your　Wards。　Every　man　get　arms。　Every

man　to　his　Ward！〃



CHAPTER　XXII





THE：　STRUGGLE　IN　THE　COUNCIL　HOUSE



As　Asano　and　Graham　hurried　along　to　the　ruins

about　the　Council　House；　they　saw　everywhere　the

excitement　of　the　people　rising。　〃To　your　Wards

To　your　Wards！〃　Everywhere　men　and　women　in

blue　were　hurrying　from　unknown　subterranean

employments；　up　the　staircases　of　the　middle　path…　at

one　place　Graham　saw　an　arsenal　of　the　revolutionary

committee　besieged　by　a　crowd　of　shouting　men；　at

another　a　couple　of　men　in　the　hated　yellow　uniform

of　the　Labour　Police；　pursued　by　a　gathering　crowd；

fled　precipitately　along　the　swift　way　that　went　in　the

opposite　direction。



The　cries　of　〃To　your　Wards！〃　became　at　last　a

continuous　shouting　as　they　drew　near　the　

Government　quarter。　Many　of　the　shouts　were　

unintelligible。　〃Ostrog　has　betrayed　us；〃　one　man　bawled　in

a　hoarse　voice；　again　and　again；　dinning　that　refrain

into　Graham's　ear　until　it　haunted　him。　This　person

stayed　close　beside　Graham　and　Asano　on　the　swift

way；　shouting　to　the　people　who　swarmed　on　the　lower

platforms　as　he　rushed　past　them。　His　cry　about

Ostrog　alternated　with　some　incomprehensible　orders

Presently　he　went　leaping　down　and　disappeared。



Graham's　mind　was　filled　with　the　din。　His　plans

were　vague　and　unformed。　He　had　one　picture　of

some　commanding　position　from　which　he　could

address　the　multitudes；　another　of　meeting　Ostrog　face

to　face。　He　was　full　of　rage；　of　tense　muscular　

excitement；　his　hands　gripped；　his　lips　were　pressed　together。



The　way　to　the　Council　House　across　the　ruins　was

impassable；　but　Asano　met　that　difficulty　and　took

Graham　into　the　premises　of　the　central　post…office。

The　post…office　was　nominally　at　work；　but　the　blue…

clothed　porters　moved　sluggishly　or　had　stopped　to

stare　through　the　arches　of　their　galleries　at　the

shouting　men　who　were　going　by　outside。　〃Every

man　to　his　Ward！　Every　man　to　his　Ward！〃　Here；

by　Asano's　advice；　Graham　revealed　his　identity。



They　crossed　to　the　Council　House　by　a　cable

cradle。　Already　in　the　brief　interval　since　the　

capitulation　of　the　Councillors　a　great　change　had　been

wrought　in　the　appearance　of　the　ruins。　The　spurting

cascades　of　the　ruptured　sea　water…mains　had　been　

captured　and　tamed；　and　huge　temporary　pipes　ran　

overhead　along　a　flimsy　looking　fabric　of　girders。　The

sky　was　laced　with　restored　cables　and　wires　that

served　the　Council　House；　and　a　mass　of　new　fabric

with　cranes　and　other　building　machines　going　to　and

fro　upon　it；　projected　to　the　left　of　the　white　pile。



The　moving　ways　that　ran　across　this　area　had

been　restored；　albeit　for　once　running　under　the　open

sky。　These　were　the　ways　that　Graham　had　seen　from

the　little　balcony　in　the　hour　of　his　awakening；　not

nine　days　since；　and　the　hall　of　his　Trance　had　been　on

the　further　side；　where　now　shapeless　piles　of　smashed

and　shattered　masonry　were　heaped　together。



It　was　already　high　day　and　the　sun　was　shining

brightly。　Out　of　their　tall　caverns　of　blue　electric

light　came　the　swift　ways　crowded　with　multitudes　of

people；　who　poured　off　them　and　gathered　ever　denser

over　the　wreckage　and　confusion　of　the　ruins。　The

air　was　full　of　their　shouting；　and　they　were　pressing

and　swaying　towards　the　central　building。　For　the

most　part　that　shouting　mass　consisted　of　shapeless

swarms；　but　here　and　there　Graham　could　see　that　a

rude　discipline　struggled　to　establish　itself。　And　every

voice　clamoured　for　order　in　the　chaos。　〃To　your

Wards！　Every　man　to　his　Ward！〃



The　cable　carried　them　into　a　hall　which　Graham

recognised　as　the　ante…chamber　to　the　Hall　of　the

Atlas；　about　the　gallery　of　which　he　had　walked　days

ago　with　Howard　to　show　himself　to　the　vanished

Council；　an　hour　from　his　awakening。　Now　the　place

was　empty　except　for　two　cable　attendants。　These

men　seemed　hugely　astonished　to　recognise　the

Sleeper　in　the　man　who　swung　down　from　the　cross

seat。



〃Where　is　Helen　Wotton？〃　he　demanded。　〃Where

is　Helen　Wotton？〃



They　did　not　know。



〃　Then　where　is　Ostrog？　I　must　see　Ostrog　

forthwith。　He　has　disobeyed　me。　I　have　come　back　to

take　things　out　of　his　hands。〃　Without　waiting　for

Asano；　he　went　straight　across　the　place；　ascended　the

steps　at　the　further　end；　and；　pulling　the　curtain　aside；

found　himself　facing　the　perpetually　labouring　Titan。



The　hall　was　empty。　Its　appearance　had　changed

very　greatly　since　his　first　sight　of　it。　It　had　suffered

serious　injury　in　the　violent　struggle　of　the　first　

outbreak。　On　the　right　hand　side　of　the　great　figure　the

upper　half　of　the　wall　had　been　torn　away　for　nearly

two　hundred　feet　of　its　length；　and　a　sheet　of　the　same

glassy　film　that　had　enclosed　Graham　at　his　awakening

had　been　drawn　across　the　gap。　This　deadened；　but

did　not　altogether　exclude　the　roar　of　the　people　outside。

〃Wards！　Wards！　Wards！〃　they　seemed　to

be　saying。　Through　it　there　were　visible　the　beams

and　supports　of　metal　scaffoldings　that　rose　and　fell

according　to　the　requirements　of　a　great　crowd　of

workmen。　An　idle　building　machine；　with　lank　arms

of　red　painted　metal　that　caught　the　still　plastic　blocks

of　mineral　paste　and　swung　them　neatly　into　position；

stretched　gauntly　across　this　green　tinted　picture。　On

it　were　still　a　number　of　workmen　staring　at　the　crowd

below。　For　a　moment　he　stood　regarding　these

things；　and　Asano　overtook　him。



〃Ostrog；〃　said　Asano；　〃will　be　in　the　small　offices

beyond　there。〃　The　little　man　looked　livid　now　and

his　eyes　searched　Graham's　face。



They　had　scarcely　advanced　ten　paces　from　the

curtain　before　a　little　panel　to　the　left　of　the　Atlas

rolled　up；　and　Ostrog；　accompanied　by　Lincoln　and

followed　by　two　black　and　yellow　clad　negroes；

appeared　crossing　the　remote　corner　of　the　hall；

towards　a　second　panel　that　was　raised　and　open。

〃Ostrog；〃　shouted　Graham；　and　at　the　sound　of　his

voice　the　little　party　turned　astonished。



Ostrog　said　something　to　Lincoln　and　advanced

alone。



Graham　was　the　first　to　speak。　His　voice　was　loud

and　dictatorial。　〃What　is　this　I　hear？〃　he　asked。

〃Are　you　bringing　negroes　hereto　keep　the　people

down？〃



〃It　is　none　too　soon；〃　said　Ostrog。　〃They　have

been　getting　out　of　hand　more　and　more；　since　the

revolt。　I　under…estimated〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　these　infernal　negroes　are　on

the　way？〃



〃On　the　way。　As　it　is；　you　have　seen　the　people

outside？　〃



〃No　wonder！　Butafter　what　was　said。　You

have　taken　too　much　on　yourself；　Ostrog。〃

　

Ostrog　said　nothing；　but　drew　nearer。



〃These　negroes　must　not　come　to　London；〃　said

Graham。　〃I　am　Master　and　they　shall　not　come。〃



Ostrog　glanced　at　Lincoln；　who　at　once　came

towards　them　with　his　two　attendants　close　behind

him。　〃Why　not？〃　asked　Ostrog。



〃White　men　must　be　mastered　by　white　men。

Besides〃



〃The　negroes　are　only　an　instrument。〃



〃But　that　is　not　the　question。　I　am　the　Master。　I

mean　to　be　the　Master。　And　I　tell　you　these　negroes

shall　not　come。〃



〃The　people〃



〃I　believe　in　the　people。〃



〃Because　you　are　an　anachronism。　You　are　a　man

out　of　the　Pastan　accident。　You　are