When Words Fail, the Sphere Takes Action

It was in vain. I brought my hardest right angle into violent collision with the Stranger, pressing on him with a force sufficient to have destroyed any ordinary Circle: but I could feel him slowly and unarrestably slipping from my contact; no edging to the right nor to the left, but moving somehow out of the world, and vanishing to nothing. Soon there was a blank. But still I heard the Intruder's voice.

It was no use. I slammed my hardest right angle into the Stranger, pressing against him hard enough to destroy any ordinary Circle. But I could feel him slowly slipping away from my touch, and nothing could stop him. He was not moving to the right or left, but somehow out of the world, vanishing into nothing. Soon there was only empty space. But I could still hear the Intruder's voice.

SPHERE. Why will you refuse to listen to reason? I had hoped to find in you—as being a man of sense and an accomplished mathematician—a fit apostle for the Gospel of the Three Dimensions, which I am allowed to preach once only in a thousand years: but now I know not how to convince you. Stay, I have it. Deeds, and not words, shall proclaim the truth. Listen, my friend.

SPHERE. Why do you refuse to listen to reason? You are a sensible man and an accomplished mathematician. So I had hoped you would be a worthy apostle for the Gospel of the Three Dimensions. I am allowed to preach that Gospel only once every thousand years. But now I don't know how to convince you. Wait, I have an idea. Actions, not words, will proclaim the truth. Listen, my friend.

I have told you I can see from my position in Space the inside of all things that you consider closed. For example, I see in yonder cupboard near which you are standing, several of what you call boxes (but like everything else in Flatland, they have no tops nor bottoms) full of money; I see also two tablets of accounts. I am about to descend into that cupboard and to bring you one of those tablets. I saw you lock the cupboard half an hour ago, and I know you have the key in your possession. But I descend from Space; the doors, you see, remain unmoved. Now I am in the cupboard and am taking the tablet. Now I have it. Now I ascend with it.

I have told you that from my position in Space, I can see inside everything you consider closed. For example, I can see several things you call boxes in the cupboard near where you are standing. Like everything else in Flatland, these boxes have no tops or bottoms. The boxes are full of money. I also see two tablets of accounts. I am about to go down into that cupboard and bring you one of those tablets. I saw you lock the cupboard half an hour ago, and I know you have the key. But I am coming down from Space. As you can see, the doors have not moved. Now I am inside the cupboard, taking the tablet. Now I have the tablet. Now I rise with it.

I rushed to the closet and dashed the door open. One of the tablets was gone. With a mocking laugh, the Stranger appeared in the other corner of the room, and at the same time the tablet appeared upon the floor. I took it up. There could be no doubt—it was the missing tablet.

I rushed to the closet and flung the door open. One of the tablets was gone. With a mocking laugh, the Stranger appeared in the other corner of the room. At the same time, the tablet appeared on the floor. I picked it up. There was no doubt. It was the missing tablet.

I groaned with horror, doubting whether I was not out of my senses; but the Stranger continued: "Surely you must now see that my explanation, and no other, suits the phenomena. What you call Solid things are really superficial; what you call Space is really nothing but a great Plane. I am in Space, and look down upon the insides of the things of which you only see the outsides. You could leave this Plane yourself, if you could but summon up the necessary volition. A slight upward or downward motion would enable you to see all that I can see.

I groaned in horror, wondering whether I had lost my mind. But the Stranger continued: "Surely you must now see that my explanation, and no other, fits what you have observed. What you call Solid things are really just surfaces. What you call Space is really nothing but a great Plane. I am in Space and look down into things whose outsides are all you can see. You could leave this Plane yourself, if you could only find the will to do so. A slight movement upward or downward would let you see all that I can see.

"The higher I mount, and the further I go from your Plane, the more I can see, though of course I see it on a smaller scale. For example, I am ascending; now I can see your neighbour the Hexagon and his family in their several apartments; now I see the inside of the Theatre, ten doors off, from which the audience is only just departing; and on the other side a Circle in his study, sitting at his books. Now I shall come back to you. And, as a crowning proof, what do you say to my giving you a touch, just the least touch, in your stomach? It will not seriously injure you, and the slight pain you may suffer cannot be compared with the mental benefit you will receive."

"The higher I climb and the farther I go from your Plane, the more I can see. Though of course, everything looks smaller. For example, I am rising now. Now I can see your neighbour the Hexagon and his family in their separate rooms. Now I see inside the Theatre, ten doors away, where the audience is only just leaving. On the other side, I see a Circle in his study, sitting with his books. Now I will come back to you. And for a final proof, how about I touch you, just very lightly, in your stomach? The touch will not seriously injure you. And the slight pain you may feel is nothing compared with the understanding you will gain."

Before I could utter a word of remonstrance, I felt a shooting pain in my inside, and a demoniacal laugh seemed to issue from within me. A moment afterwards the sharp agony had ceased, leaving nothing but a dull ache behind, and the Stranger began to reappear, saying, as he gradually increased in size, "There, I have not hurt you much, have I? If you are not convinced now, I don't know what will convince you. What say you?"

Before I could say a word in protest, I felt a shooting pain inside me. A demonic laugh seemed to come from within me. A moment later, the sharp pain stopped, leaving only a dull ache. The Stranger began to reappear and spoke as he gradually grew larger. "There, I haven't hurt you much, have I? If you're not convinced now, I don't know what will convince you. What do you say?"

My resolution was taken. It seemed intolerable that I should endure existence subject to the arbitrary visitations of a Magician who could thus play tricks with one's very stomach. If only I could in any way manage to pin him against the wall till help came!

I had made up my mind. I couldn't bear living at the mercy of a Magician who visited whenever he pleased. He could even play tricks with my stomach. If only I could somehow pin him against the wall until help came!

Once more I dashed my hardest angle against him, at the same time alarming the whole household by my cries for aid. I believe, at the moment of my onset, the Stranger had sunk below our Plane, and really found difficulty in rising. In any case he remained motionless, while I, hearing, as I thought, the sound of some help approaching, pressed against him with redoubled vigour, and continued to shout for assistance.

Once again I drove my hardest angle against him, alarming the whole household with my cries for help. I believe the Stranger had sunk below our Plane just as I attacked and was truly struggling to rise. In any case, he stayed motionless. Meanwhile, I thought I heard help approaching, so I pressed against him with twice the force and kept shouting for assistance.

A convulsive shudder ran through the Sphere. "This must not be," I thought I heard him say: "either he must listen to reason, or I must have recourse to the last resource of civilization." Then, addressing me in a louder tone, he hurriedly exclaimed, "Listen: no stranger must witness what you have witnessed. Send your Wife back at once, before she enters the apartment. The Gospel of Three Dimensions must not be thus frustrated. Not thus must the fruits of one thousand years of waiting be thrown away. I hear her coming. Back! back! Away from me, or you must go with me—whither you know not—into the Land of Three Dimensions!"

A violent shudder ran through the Sphere. "This must not happen," I thought I heard him say. "Either he must listen to reason, or I must turn to civilization's last resort." Then he spoke to me more loudly, exclaiming hurriedly, "Listen: no stranger must see what you have seen. Send your Wife back at once, before she enters the room. The Gospel of Three Dimensions must not be thwarted like this. The results of a thousand years of waiting must not be thrown away like this. I hear her coming. Back! Back! Get away from me, or you must come with me to a place you know nothing about: the Land of Three Dimensions!"

"Fool! Madman! Irregular!" I exclaimed; "never will I release thee; thou shalt pay the penalty of thine impostures."

"Fool! Madman! Irregular!" I exclaimed. "I will never let you go. You will pay for your deceptions."

"Ha! Is it come to this?" thundered the Stranger: "then meet your fate: out of your Plane you go. Once, twice, thrice! 'Tis done!"

"Ha! Has it come to this?" thundered the Stranger: "Then meet your fate: out of your Plane you go. One, two, three! It's done!"