March 20, 2022 • 13 mins
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Chapter seven. It is dark herein the forest. The leaves rustle over
our head, black against the lastgold of the sky. The moss is
soft and warm. We shall sleepon this moss for many nights, till
the beasts of the forest come totear our body. We have no bed
(00:20):
now save the moss, and nofuture save the beasts. We are old
now, yet we were young thismorning. When we carried our glass box
through the streets of the city tothe home of the Scholars. No men
stopped us, for there were noneabout the palace of corrective Detention, and
the others knew nothing. No menstopped us at the gate. We walked
(00:43):
through the empty passages and into thegreat Hall, where the World Council of
Scholars sat in solemn meeting. Wesaw nothing as we entered, save the
sky in the great windows, blueand glowing. Then we saw the scholars,
who sat around a long table.They were as shapeless clouds, huddled
(01:03):
at the rise of a great sky. There were the men whose famous names
we knew, and others from distantlands whose names we had not heard.
We saw a great painting on thewall over their heads of the twenty Illustrious
men who had invented the candle.All the heads of the Council turned to
(01:23):
us as we entered. These greatand wise of the earth did not know
what to think of us, andthey looked upon us with wonder and curiosity,
as if we were a miracle.It is true that our tunic was
torn and stained with brown stains whichhad been blood. We raised our right
(01:46):
arm, and we said our greetingto you, our honored brothers of the
World Council of Scholars. Then collectivezero zero zero zero nine, the oldest
and wisest of the council, spokeand asked, who are you, our
brother, for you do not looklike a scholar. Our name is Equality
(02:09):
seven two five two one, weanswered, and we are a street sweeper
of this city. Then it wasas if a great wind had stricken the
hall, for all the scholars spokeat once, and they were angry and
frightened. A street sweeper, astreet sweeper walking in upon the World Council
(02:30):
of Scholars. It is not tobe believed. It is against all the
rules, in all the laws.But we knew how to stop them,
our brothers, we said, wematter not nor our transgression. It is
only our brother men who matter.Give no thought to us, for we
(02:52):
are nothing. But listen to ourwords, for we bring you a gift
such as has never been brought tomen. Listen to us, for we
hold the future of mankind in ourhands. Then they listened. We placed
our glass box on the table beforethem. We spoke of it, and
(03:14):
of our long quest, and ofour tunnel, and of our escape from
the palace of corrective detention. Nota hand moved in that hall as we
spoke, nor an eye. Thenwe put the wires to the box,
and they all bent forward and satstill, watching, And we stood still,
our eyes upon the wire. Andslowly, slowly, as a flush
(03:37):
of blood, a red flame trembledin the wire. Then the wire glowed.
But terror struck the men of thecouncil. They leaped to their feet.
They ran from the table. Theystood pressed against the wall, huddled
together, seeking the warmth of oneanother's bodies to give them courage. We
(03:59):
looked upon them, and we laughedand said, fear nothing, our brothers,
There is a great power in thesewires. But this power is tamed.
It is yours. We give itto you. Still they would not
move. We give you the powerof the sky, We cried, we
give you the key to the earth. Take it, and let us be
(04:24):
one of you, the humblest amongyou. Let us work together and harness
this power and make it ease thetoil of men. Let us throw away
our candles and our torches. Letus flood our cities with light. Let
us bring a new light to men. But they looked upon us, and
suddenly we were afraid, for theireyes were still and small and evil.
(04:50):
Our brothers, we cried, haveyou nothing to say to us? Then
Collective zero zero zero zero nine movedforward. They moved to the table,
and the others followed. Yes,spoke Collective zero zero zero zero nine,
(05:15):
we have much to say to you. The sound of their voice brought silence
to the hall, and to thebeat of our heart. Yes, said
Collective zero zero zero zero nine.We have much to say to a wretch
who have broken all the laws,and who boast of their infamy. How
dared you think that your mind heldgreater wisdom than the minds of your brothers?
(05:36):
And if the council had degreed thatyou be a street sweeper, how
dared you think that you could beof greater use to men than in sweeping
the streets. How dared you gottercleaner? Spoke Fraternity nine three four five
two. To hold yourself as onealone, and with thoughts of one and
not of many, You shall beburned at the stake, said democ See
(06:00):
four six nine eight. No,this should be lash, said Unanimity seven
three three h four, till thereis nothing left under the lashes. No,
said Collective zero zero zero zero nine. We cannot decide upon this,
our brothers. No such crime hasever been committed, and it is not
(06:23):
for us to judge, nor forany small council. We shall deliver this
creature to the World Council itself,and let their will be done. We
looked upon them, and we pleaded, our brothers, you're right. Let
the will of the Council be doneupon our body. We do not care
(06:45):
but the light. What will youdo with the light? Collective zero zero
zero zero nine looked upon us,and they smiled. So you think you
have found a new power, saidCollective zero zero zero zero nine. Do
you think all your brothers think that? No, we answered, what is
(07:11):
not thought by all men cannot betrue, said Collective zero zero zero zero
nine. You have worked on thisalone, asked International one five five three
seven. Yes, we answered,what is not done collectively cannot be good,
(07:33):
said International one five five three seven. Many men in the homes of
the scholars have had strange new ideasin the past, said Solidarity eight one
one sixty four. But when themajority of their brother scholars voted against them,
they abandoned their ideas, as allmen must. This box is useless,
(07:58):
said Alliance six seven three four nine. Should it be what they claim
of it, said Harmony nine twosix four two, Then it would bring
ruin to the department of candles.The candle is a great boon to mankind,
as approved by all men. Thereforeit cannot be destroyed by the whim
of one. This would wreck theplans of the World Council, said Unanimity
(08:24):
two nine three. And without theplans of the World Council, the sun
cannot rise. It took fifty yearsto secure the approval of all the councils
for the candle, and to decideupon the number needed, and to refit
the plans so as to make thecandles instead of the torches. This touched
upon thousands and thousands of men,working in scores of states. We cannot
(08:48):
alter the plans again so soon.And if this should lighten the toil of
men, said similarity five zero threezero six, then it is a great
evil, for men have no causeto exist save in toiling for other men.
Then collective zero zero zero zero ninerose and pointed at our box.
(09:15):
This thing, they said, mustbe destroyed, And all the others cried
as one, it must be destroyed. Then we leapt to the table,
We seized our box. We shovedthem aside, and we ran to the
window. We turned, and welooked at them for the last time,
(09:37):
and a rage such as is notfit for humans to know, choked our
voice in our throat. You fools, we cried, you fools, do
you thrice? Damned fools? Weswung our fists through the windowpane, and
we leapt out in a ringing rainof glass. We fell, but we
(10:01):
never let the box fall from ourhands. Then we ran, We ran
blindly, and men and houses streakedpast us in a torrent without shape,
and the road seemed not to beflat before us, but as if it
were leaping up to meet us.And we waited for the earth to rise
and strike us in the face,but we ran. We knew not where
(10:26):
we were going. We knew onlythat we must run, run to the
end of the world, to theend of our days. Then we knew
suddenly that we were lying on asoft earth, and that we had stopped.
Trees taller than we had ever seenbefore stood over us in a great
silence. Then we knew we werein the uncharted forest. We had not
(10:50):
thought of coming here, But ourlegs had carried our wisdom, and our
legs had brought us to the unchartedforest against our will. Our glass box
lay beside us. We crawled toit. We fell upon it, our
face in our arms, and welay still. We lay thus for a
(11:11):
long time. Then we rose,We took our box and walked on into
the forest. It mattered not wherewe went. We knew that men would
not follow us, for they neverentered the uncharted forest. We had nothing
to fear from them. The forestdisposes of its own victims. This gave
(11:35):
us no fear either. Only wewished to be away from the city and
the air that touches upon the airof the city. So we walked on,
our box in our arms, ourheart empty. We are doomed.
Whatever days are left to us,we shall spend them alone. And we
have heard of the corruption to befound in solitude. We have torn ourus
(12:00):
selves from the truth which is ourbrother men, and there is no road
back for us, and no redemption. We know these things, but we
do not care. We care fornothing on earth. We are tired.
Only the glass box in our armsis like living heart that gives us strength.
(12:22):
We have lied to ourselves. Wehave not built this box for the
good of our brothers. We builtit for its own sake. It is
above all our brothers. To us, it is truth, above their truth.
Why wonder about this? We havenot many days to live. We
(12:45):
are walking to the fangs awaiting ussomewhere among the great silent trees. There
is not a thing behind us toregret. Then a blow of pain struck
us our first, and are onlywe thought of the golden One. We
thought of the golden One, whomwe shall never see again. Then the
(13:09):
pain passed. It is best weare one of the damned. It is
best if the Golden One forget ourname and the body which bore that name.
End Chapter seven.
Chapter seven. It is dark herein the forest. The leaves rustle over
our head, black against the lastgold of the sky. The moss is
soft and warm. We shall sleepon this moss for many nights, till
the beasts of the forest come totear our body. We have no bed
(00:20):
now save the moss, and nofuture save the beasts. We are old
now, yet we were young thismorning. When we carried our glass box
through the streets of the city tothe home of the Scholars. No men
stopped us, for there were noneabout the palace of corrective Detention, and
the others knew nothing. No menstopped us at the gate. We walked
(00:43):
through the empty passages and into thegreat Hall, where the World Council of
Scholars sat in solemn meeting. Wesaw nothing as we entered, save the
sky in the great windows, blueand glowing. Then we saw the scholars,
who sat around a long table.They were as shapeless clouds, huddled
(01:03):
at the rise of a great sky. There were the men whose famous names
we knew, and others from distantlands whose names we had not heard.
We saw a great painting on thewall over their heads of the twenty Illustrious
men who had invented the candle.All the heads of the Council turned to
(01:23):
us as we entered. These greatand wise of the earth did not know
what to think of us, andthey looked upon us with wonder and curiosity,
as if we were a miracle.It is true that our tunic was
torn and stained with brown stains whichhad been blood. We raised our right
(01:46):
arm, and we said our greetingto you, our honored brothers of the
World Council of Scholars. Then collectivezero zero zero zero nine, the oldest
and wisest of the council, spokeand asked, who are you, our
brother, for you do not looklike a scholar. Our name is Equality
(02:09):
seven two five two one, weanswered, and we are a street sweeper
of this city. Then it wasas if a great wind had stricken the
hall, for all the scholars spokeat once, and they were angry and
frightened. A street sweeper, astreet sweeper walking in upon the World Council
(02:30):
of Scholars. It is not tobe believed. It is against all the
rules, in all the laws.But we knew how to stop them,
our brothers, we said, wematter not nor our transgression. It is
only our brother men who matter.Give no thought to us, for we
(02:52):
are nothing. But listen to ourwords, for we bring you a gift
such as has never been brought tomen. Listen to us, for we
hold the future of mankind in ourhands. Then they listened. We placed
our glass box on the table beforethem. We spoke of it, and
(03:14):
of our long quest, and ofour tunnel, and of our escape from
the palace of corrective detention. Nota hand moved in that hall as we
spoke, nor an eye. Thenwe put the wires to the box,
and they all bent forward and satstill, watching, And we stood still,
our eyes upon the wire. Andslowly, slowly, as a flush
(03:37):
of blood, a red flame trembledin the wire. Then the wire glowed.
But terror struck the men of thecouncil. They leaped to their feet.
They ran from the table. Theystood pressed against the wall, huddled
together, seeking the warmth of oneanother's bodies to give them courage. We
(03:59):
looked upon them, and we laughedand said, fear nothing, our brothers,
There is a great power in thesewires. But this power is tamed.
It is yours. We give itto you. Still they would not
move. We give you the powerof the sky, We cried, we
give you the key to the earth. Take it, and let us be
(04:24):
one of you, the humblest amongyou. Let us work together and harness
this power and make it ease thetoil of men. Let us throw away
our candles and our torches. Letus flood our cities with light. Let
us bring a new light to men. But they looked upon us, and
suddenly we were afraid, for theireyes were still and small and evil.
(04:50):
Our brothers, we cried, haveyou nothing to say to us? Then
Collective zero zero zero zero nine movedforward. They moved to the table,
and the others followed. Yes,spoke Collective zero zero zero zero nine,
(05:15):
we have much to say to you. The sound of their voice brought silence
to the hall, and to thebeat of our heart. Yes, said
Collective zero zero zero zero nine.We have much to say to a wretch
who have broken all the laws,and who boast of their infamy. How
dared you think that your mind heldgreater wisdom than the minds of your brothers?
(05:36):
And if the council had degreed thatyou be a street sweeper, how
dared you think that you could beof greater use to men than in sweeping
the streets. How dared you gottercleaner? Spoke Fraternity nine three four five
two. To hold yourself as onealone, and with thoughts of one and
not of many, You shall beburned at the stake, said democ See
(06:00):
four six nine eight. No,this should be lash, said Unanimity seven
three three h four, till thereis nothing left under the lashes. No,
said Collective zero zero zero zero nine. We cannot decide upon this,
our brothers. No such crime hasever been committed, and it is not
(06:23):
for us to judge, nor forany small council. We shall deliver this
creature to the World Council itself,and let their will be done. We
looked upon them, and we pleaded, our brothers, you're right. Let
the will of the Council be doneupon our body. We do not care
(06:45):
but the light. What will youdo with the light? Collective zero zero
zero zero nine looked upon us,and they smiled. So you think you
have found a new power, saidCollective zero zero zero zero nine. Do
you think all your brothers think that? No, we answered, what is
(07:11):
not thought by all men cannot betrue, said Collective zero zero zero zero
nine. You have worked on thisalone, asked International one five five three
seven. Yes, we answered,what is not done collectively cannot be good,
(07:33):
said International one five five three seven. Many men in the homes of
the scholars have had strange new ideasin the past, said Solidarity eight one
one sixty four. But when themajority of their brother scholars voted against them,
they abandoned their ideas, as allmen must. This box is useless,
(07:58):
said Alliance six seven three four nine. Should it be what they claim
of it, said Harmony nine twosix four two, Then it would bring
ruin to the department of candles.The candle is a great boon to mankind,
as approved by all men. Thereforeit cannot be destroyed by the whim
of one. This would wreck theplans of the World Council, said Unanimity
(08:24):
two nine three. And without theplans of the World Council, the sun
cannot rise. It took fifty yearsto secure the approval of all the councils
for the candle, and to decideupon the number needed, and to refit
the plans so as to make thecandles instead of the torches. This touched
upon thousands and thousands of men,working in scores of states. We cannot
(08:48):
alter the plans again so soon.And if this should lighten the toil of
men, said similarity five zero threezero six, then it is a great
evil, for men have no causeto exist save in toiling for other men.
Then collective zero zero zero zero ninerose and pointed at our box.
(09:15):
This thing, they said, mustbe destroyed, And all the others cried
as one, it must be destroyed. Then we leapt to the table,
We seized our box. We shovedthem aside, and we ran to the
window. We turned, and welooked at them for the last time,
(09:37):
and a rage such as is notfit for humans to know, choked our
voice in our throat. You fools, we cried, you fools, do
you thrice? Damned fools? Weswung our fists through the windowpane, and
we leapt out in a ringing rainof glass. We fell, but we
(10:01):
never let the box fall from ourhands. Then we ran, We ran
blindly, and men and houses streakedpast us in a torrent without shape,
and the road seemed not to beflat before us, but as if it
were leaping up to meet us.And we waited for the earth to rise
and strike us in the face,but we ran. We knew not where
(10:26):
we were going. We knew onlythat we must run, run to the
end of the world, to theend of our days. Then we knew
suddenly that we were lying on asoft earth, and that we had stopped.
Trees taller than we had ever seenbefore stood over us in a great
silence. Then we knew we werein the uncharted forest. We had not
(10:50):
thought of coming here, But ourlegs had carried our wisdom, and our
legs had brought us to the unchartedforest against our will. Our glass box
lay beside us. We crawled toit. We fell upon it, our
face in our arms, and welay still. We lay thus for a
(11:11):
long time. Then we rose,We took our box and walked on into
the forest. It mattered not wherewe went. We knew that men would
not follow us, for they neverentered the uncharted forest. We had nothing
to fear from them. The forestdisposes of its own victims. This gave
(11:35):
us no fear either. Only wewished to be away from the city and
the air that touches upon the airof the city. So we walked on,
our box in our arms, ourheart empty. We are doomed.
Whatever days are left to us,we shall spend them alone. And we
have heard of the corruption to befound in solitude. We have torn ourus
(12:00):
selves from the truth which is ourbrother men, and there is no road
back for us, and no redemption. We know these things, but we
do not care. We care fornothing on earth. We are tired.
Only the glass box in our armsis like living heart that gives us strength.
(12:22):
We have lied to ourselves. Wehave not built this box for the
good of our brothers. We builtit for its own sake. It is
above all our brothers. To us, it is truth, above their truth.
Why wonder about this? We havenot many days to live. We
(12:45):
are walking to the fangs awaiting ussomewhere among the great silent trees. There
is not a thing behind us toregret. Then a blow of pain struck
us our first, and are onlywe thought of the golden One. We
thought of the golden One, whomwe shall never see again. Then the
(13:09):
pain passed. It is best weare one of the damned. It is
best if the Golden One forget ourname and the body which bore that name.
End Chapter seven.
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