Evening star., 1925-02-11
CHAPTER I.

The dining room of Molloy's fat
had not been built to receive 20
guests, but the delegates of IS afhlt-
ated organizations had been crowded
into it. The unshaded electric light
elared down upon men of many types
and nationalitieS. 1t did not natter
them.
/. The air was heavy with the smoke
of bad tobacco and the fumes or d
very Indifferent gas fire. There was
a table in the middle of the room
and some dozen of the men were
seated at it. The rest stood in groups,
or leaned against the walls.
OF the four who formed the Inner
Council three were present. Most OF
the delegates had expected that the
head of the council, the head of the
federated organizations. that mys-
terious Number One whom they all
knew by reputation and yet had
never seen in the flesh, would be
present in person to take the chair.
But the delegates who had enter
tanned this expectation were doomed
to disappointment. Once again Num-
ber Ones authority had been dele
gated to the other three members or
the council. OF these, Number Three
was Molloy, the big. handsome Irish
man who rented the fat. He sat fac
ing the door, fine figure of man
in the late 40s.. = Number Two
leaned forward over the fire, warm
ing his hands, his pale, intellectual
face expressionless. his eyes veiled.
Belcovitch, who was Number Four,
was on his feet speaking. They were
large, bony feet, in boots which had
most noticeably not been made for
him. He spoke f1uently, but with a
heavy foreign accent.
'Propaganda he said, and laughed; !;
really he had a very unpleasant
iaugh-'propaganda is what you call
rot, rubbish, damn nonsense. What
else have we been about for years
no, generations-and where are we
today?"
Number Two drew his chair closer
to the fire with an impatient jerk.
Number Four's oratory bored him
stiff. The room was cold. This gas
IRE was like all gas fires. He pulled
his fur coat together and spoke
sharply:
'Molloy. this rooms most infer
nally cold, and where in the world
does the draught come FROM"
propaganda is dead" said Num-
Der Four. He looked over his shoul-
der with dislike at Number Two, and
mopped his brow with dirty hand
kerchief. Molloy, just opposite him.
turned a little and laughed.
You bring the cold with you, Num-
Der Two" he said. Here's Mum Der
Four as hot as his own speeches.
You've got all the fire, and the doors
shut, and a screen in front OF it. so
what moro do you want?"
Propaganda is dead" repeated
Number Four. He stood with his
back to the door. Only the top panel
4HN
which had been drawn across 1t. The
screen had four leaves. On each leaf
. golden stork on one leg contem-
plated q golden water lily. The light
shone on the golden birds and the
golden flowers.
. Number Four thrust his handker-
chief back into his pocket and raped
sharply on the table. 1t was covered
with red cloth which had seen bet
ter days. Number Fourteen had up
set the ink only q few moments be-
fore and greenish-purple patch was
still spreading amidst the crimson.
BelcoVtch leaned forward, both his
hands on the table, his raucous voice
brought to a dead level. Instead Of
propaganda, what?" he said. In
stead of building here, teaching
there. what?. That is what I'm here
tonight to tell you. Tomorrow you
all go to your own places, each to
his post; but before you go, l am
authorized to prepare you for what
Is to come. 1t will not be today, but
it may be tomorrow, or it may not
be. for many tomorrows yet. One
= final stage is lacking, but in essen
tials the process is complete. Propa-
ganda is dead, because we no longer
need propaganda Comrades'-his
voice sank a little-"there are enough
of US. Every city in the world has
its quota. What the process will ef-
fect"-he paused, looked around,
caught Number Two's slightly sar-
donic expression, and struck the table
with his open hand-"what the proc
ess will effect is this" he cried-''in
one word, annihilation of the whole
human race! Only our organization
will be left.
Now. what I am instructed to tell
you is this"-he spoke evenly, swift
ly, statement following statement
never had the attention of an audi
ence been so fully his; and then sud
denly the thread was broken. With a
loud grating sound. Number Fifteen,
sitting next to Molloy, pushed his
chair back and sprang to his feet.
THE door, he shouted. The
door," Every man in the room
looked where Fifteen was looking.
Above the water lilies and the storks,
where the top panel of the door had
shown, there was a dark, empty
space. The door was open.
Number Four whipped out a re-
volver and dragged the screen away.
The door was open, and in the door
way stood a girl IN her nightdress.
Her hands We're stretched out, as II
she were feeling her way. Her eyes,
of greenish hazel in color, were
widely opened and had a dazed ex-
preston. Her brown hair hung in