Civilization Begins

The Round Table soon heard of the challenge, and of course it was a good deal discussed, for such things interested the boys. The king thought I ought now to set forth in quest of adventures, so that I might gain renown and be the more worthy to meet Sir Sagramor when the several years should have rolled away. I excused myself for the present; I said it would take me three or four years yet to get things well fixed up and going smoothly; then I should be ready; all the chances were that at the end of that time Sir Sagramor would still be out grailing, so no valuable time would be lost by the postponement; I should then have been in office six or seven years, and I believed my system and machinery would be so well developed that I could take a holiday without its working any harm.

The Round Table soon heard about the challenge, and of course the boys talked about it a good deal. Such things interested them. The king thought I should now go off in search of adventures. That way, I could win fame and be more worthy to face Sir Sagramor when the several years had passed. I excused myself for the time being. I said I needed another three or four years to get things properly set up and running smoothly. Then I would be ready. In all likelihood, Sir Sagramor would still be out grailing at the end of that time. So no valuable time would be lost by putting it off. By then, I would have been in office for six or seven years. I believed my system and machinery would be so well developed that I could take a holiday without causing any harm.

I was pretty well satisfied with what I had already accomplished. In various quiet nooks and corners I had the beginnings of all sorts of industries under way—nuclei of future vast factories, the iron and steel missionaries of my future civilization. In these were gathered together the brightest young minds I could find, and I kept agents out raking the country for more, all the time. I was training a crowd of ignorant folk into experts—experts in every sort of handiwork and scientific calling. These nurseries of mine went smoothly and privately along undisturbed in their obscure country retreats, for nobody was allowed to come into their precincts without a special permit—for I was afraid of the Church.

I was quite satisfied with what I had already accomplished. In quiet corners here and there, I had started all sorts of industries. These were the seeds of vast future factories, the iron and steel missionaries of my future civilization. In them, I gathered the brightest young minds I could find. I also kept agents searching the country for more. I was training a crowd of ignorant people to become experts in all kinds of trades and scientific professions. My training centers ran smoothly and privately in their out-of-the-way country locations. No one could enter without a special permit, because I was afraid of the Church.

I had started a teacher-factory and a lot of Sunday-schools the first thing; as a result, I now had an admirable system of graded schools in full blast in those places, and also a complete variety of Protestant congregations all in a prosperous and growing condition. Everybody could be any kind of a Christian he wanted to; there was perfect freedom in that matter. But I confined public religious teaching to the churches and the Sunday-schools, permitting nothing of it in my other educational buildings. I could have given my own sect the preference and made everybody a Presbyterian without any trouble, but that would have been to affront a law of human nature: spiritual wants and instincts are as various in the human family as are physical appetites, complexions, and features, and a man is only at his best, morally, when he is equipped with the religious garment whose color and shape and size most nicely accommodate themselves to the spiritual complexion, angularities, and stature of the individual who wears it; and, besides, I was afraid of a united Church; it makes a mighty power, the mightiest conceivable, and then when it by and by gets into selfish hands, as it is always bound to do, it means death to human liberty and paralysis to human thought.

The first thing I did was start a teacher-training school and a lot of Sunday schools. As a result, I now had an excellent system of graded schools running at full speed in those places. I also had every kind of Protestant congregation, all of them thriving and growing. Everyone was free to be whatever kind of Christian they wanted. But I limited public religious teaching to churches and Sunday schools. I allowed none of it in my other school buildings. I could easily have favored my own denomination and made everyone a Presbyterian. But that would have violated a law of human nature. Spiritual needs and instincts vary among people, just as physical appetites, complexions, and features do. A person is at their moral best only when dressed in a religious garment that fits them. Its color, shape, and size must suit that person's spiritual complexion, angles, and stature. Besides, I was afraid of a united Church. It is a mighty power, the mightiest imaginable. And sooner or later, it is bound to fall into selfish hands. When it does, that means death to human liberty and paralysis for human thought.

All mines were royal property, and there were a good many of them. They had formerly been worked as savages always work mines—holes grubbed in the earth and the mineral brought up in sacks of hide by hand, at the rate of a ton a day; but I had begun to put the mining on a scientific basis as early as I could.

All mines were royal property, and there were quite a few of them. They had been worked as savages always work mines. People dug holes in the earth and brought the mineral up by hand in hide sacks. They produced a ton a day. But I had begun to put mining on a scientific basis as soon as I could.

Yes, I had made pretty handsome progress when Sir Sagramor’s challenge struck me.

Yes, I had made pretty good progress when Sir Sagramor’s challenge came.

Four years rolled by—and then! Well, you would never imagine it in the world. Unlimited power is the ideal thing when it is in safe hands. The despotism of heaven is the one absolutely perfect government. An earthly despotism would be the absolutely perfect earthly government, if the conditions were the same, namely, the despot the perfectest individual of the human race, and his lease of life perpetual. But as a perishable perfect man must die, and leave his despotism in the hands of an imperfect successor, an earthly despotism is not merely a bad form of government, it is the worst form that is possible.

Four years passed, and then! Well, you would never guess what happened. Unlimited power is ideal when it is in safe hands. Heaven's absolute rule is the only absolutely perfect government. Absolute rule on earth would be the absolutely perfect earthly government if the conditions were the same. The ruler would have to be the most perfect person in the human race and live forever. But even a perfect human being must die and leave absolute power to an imperfect successor. So absolute rule on earth is not just a bad form of government. It is the worst form possible.

My works showed what a despot could do with the resources of a kingdom at his command. Unsuspected by this dark land, I had the civilization of the nineteenth century booming under its very nose! It was fenced away from the public view, but there it was, a gigantic and unassailable fact—and to be heard from, yet, if I lived and had luck. There it was, as sure a fact and as substantial a fact as any serene volcano, standing innocent with its smokeless summit in the blue sky and giving no sign of the rising hell in its bowels. My schools and churches were children four years before; they were grown-up now; my shops of that day were vast factories now; where I had a dozen trained men then, I had a thousand now; where I had one brilliant expert then, I had fifty now. I stood with my hand on the cock, so to speak, ready to turn it on and flood the midnight world with light at any moment. But I was not going to do the thing in that sudden way. It was not my policy. The people could not have stood it; and, moreover, I should have had the Established Roman Catholic Church on my back in a minute.

My work showed what a despot could do with all the resources of a kingdom at his command. Without this dark land suspecting a thing, I had nineteenth-century civilization booming right under its nose! It was hidden from public view, but there it was, a gigantic and undeniable fact. And the world would hear from it yet, if I lived and had luck. It was as real and solid as a quiet volcano. Its smokeless peak rises innocently into the blue sky, giving no sign of the rising hell inside. Four years earlier, my schools and churches were like children. Now they were grown up. My workshops had become vast factories. Where I had a dozen trained men then, I had a thousand now. Where I had one brilliant expert then, I had fifty now. I stood with my hand on the tap, so to speak. I was ready to turn it on and flood the midnight world with light at any moment. But I was not going to do it so suddenly. That was not my policy. The people could not have stood it. Besides, I would have had the Established Roman Catholic Church on my back in a minute.

No, I had been going cautiously all the while. I had had confidential agents trickling through the country some time, whose office was to undermine knighthood by imperceptible degrees, and to gnaw a little at this and that and the other superstition, and so prepare the way gradually for a better order of things. I was turning on my light one-candle-power at a time, and meant to continue to do so.

No, I had been careful all along. For some time, I had sent confidential agents quietly into the country. Their job was to undermine knighthood bit by bit and chip away at one superstition after another. That way, they would gradually prepare the way for a better order. I was turning on my light one candlepower at a time, and I meant to keep doing so.

I had scattered some branch schools secretly about the kingdom, and they were doing very well. I meant to work this racket more and more, as time wore on, if nothing occurred to frighten me. One of my deepest secrets was my West Point—my military academy. I kept that most jealously out of sight; and I did the same with my naval academy which I had established at a remote seaport. Both were prospering to my satisfaction.

I had secretly set up some branch schools around the kingdom, and they were doing very well. I planned to keep expanding this operation over time, if nothing happened to scare me. One of my deepest secrets was my West Point, my military academy. I guarded its secrecy very carefully. I did the same with my naval academy, which I had established at a distant seaport. Both academies were doing as well as I could wish.

Clarence was twenty-two now, and was my head executive, my right hand. He was a darling; he was equal to anything; there wasn’t anything he couldn’t turn his hand to. Of late I had been training him for journalism, for the time seemed about right for a start in the newspaper line; nothing big, but just a small weekly for experimental circulation in my civilization-nurseries. He took to it like a duck; there was an editor concealed in him, sure. Already he had doubled himself in one way; he talked sixth century and wrote nineteenth. His journalistic style was climbing, steadily; it was already up to the back settlement Alabama mark, and couldn’t be told from the editorial output of that region either by matter or flavor.

Clarence was twenty-two now, and he was my chief executive, my right hand. He was a darling and could handle anything. There was nothing he couldn’t do. Lately I had been training him in journalism. The time seemed about right to start a newspaper. It wouldn’t be anything big, just a small weekly to circulate experimentally in my civilization-nurseries. He took to it like a duck to water. There was an editor hidden inside him, sure enough. He had already learned to live in two centuries. He spoke like someone from the sixth century and wrote like someone from the nineteenth. His journalistic style was steadily improving. It had already reached the standard of the back settlements of Alabama. You couldn’t tell his writing from an editorial from that region, either in substance or flavor.

We had another large departure on hand, too. This was a telegraph and a telephone; our first venture in this line. These wires were for private service only, as yet, and must be kept private until a riper day should come. We had a gang of men on the road, working mainly by night. They were stringing ground wires; we were afraid to put up poles, for they would attract too much inquiry. Ground wires were good enough, in both instances, for my wires were protected by an insulation of my own invention which was perfect. My men had orders to strike across country, avoiding roads, and establishing connection with any considerable towns whose lights betrayed their presence, and leaving experts in charge. Nobody could tell you how to find any place in the kingdom, for nobody ever went intentionally to any place, but only struck it by accident in his wanderings, and then generally left it without thinking to inquire what its name was. At one time and another we had sent out topographical expeditions to survey and map the kingdom, but the priests had always interfered and raised trouble. So we had given the thing up, for the present; it would be poor wisdom to antagonize the Church.

We had another major project underway too. It was a telegraph and a telephone, our first attempt at either. For now, the wires were for private use only. They had to stay private until the time was right. We had a crew working along the route, mostly at night. They were laying wires on the ground. We were afraid to put up poles because they would attract too many questions. Ground wires were good enough for both the telegraph and the telephone. I had invented a perfect insulation to protect them. My men had orders to travel across the countryside, avoiding roads. Whenever they saw lights that revealed a sizable town, they were to connect it and leave experts in charge. Nobody could tell you how to find any place in the kingdom. Nobody ever set out for a particular place. They just stumbled upon it while wandering, then generally left without thinking to ask its name. From time to time, we had sent out expeditions to survey and map the kingdom. But the priests had always interfered and caused trouble. So we had given up the mapping for the time being. It would be foolish to antagonize the Church.

As for the general condition of the country, it was as it had been when I arrived in it, to all intents and purposes. I had made changes, but they were necessarily slight, and they were not noticeable. Thus far, I had not even meddled with taxation, outside of the taxes which provided the royal revenues. I had systematized those, and put the service on an effective and righteous basis. As a result, these revenues were already quadrupled, and yet the burden was so much more equably distributed than before, that all the kingdom felt a sense of relief, and the praises of my administration were hearty and general.

The country was, for all practical purposes, in the same condition as when I arrived. I had made changes, but they had to be small, and they weren't noticeable. So far, I hadn't even touched taxation, except for the taxes that provided the royal revenues. I had organized those taxes and made the system effective and fair. As a result, royal revenues had already quadrupled. Yet the tax burden was spread so much more evenly than before that the whole kingdom felt relieved. Everyone praised my administration warmly.

Personally, I struck an interruption, now, but I did not mind it, it could not have happened at a better time. Earlier it could have annoyed me, but now everything was in good hands and swimming right along. The king had reminded me several times, of late, that the postponement I had asked for, four years before, had about run out now. It was a hint that I ought to be starting out to seek adventures and get up a reputation of a size to make me worthy of the honor of breaking a lance with Sir Sagramor, who was still out grailing, but was being hunted for by various relief expeditions, and might be found any year, now. So you see I was expecting this interruption; it did not take me by surprise.

I ran into an interruption myself then, but I didn't mind. It couldn't have come at a better time. Earlier, it might have annoyed me, but now everything was in good hands and running smoothly. Lately, the king had reminded me several times that the delay I'd asked for four years earlier was nearly over. He was hinting that I ought to go looking for adventures and build a big enough reputation. Then I would be worthy of the honor of jousting with Sir Sagramor. He was still out searching for the Holy Grail. Various expeditions had been sent to find him, and they might find him any year now. So you see, I was expecting the interruption. It didn't take me by surprise.