There was no argument. Many of them had been aware long before Huxley was that a day of action must inevitably come to pass, but they had waited with quiet serenity, busy with the work at hand, till time should incubate the seed.
In a windowless study of a mansion on Long Island, soundproofed, cleverly locked and guarded, ornately furnished, a group of five was met—three men, one woman, and a thing in a.wheel chair. It glared at the other four in black fury, glared without eyes, for its forehead dropped unbroken to its cheekbones, a smooth sallow expanse.
A lap robe, tucked loosely across the chair masked, but did not hide, the fact that the creature had no legs.
It gripped the arms of the chair. “Must I do all the thinking for you fools?” it asked in a sweet gentle voice. “You, Arthurson—you let Moulton slip that Shasta Bill past the Senate. Moron.”
The epithet was uttered caressingly.
Arthurson shifted in his chair. “I examined his mind. The bill was harmless. It was a swap on the Missouri Valley deal. I told you.”
“You examined his mind, eh? Hmm—he led you on a personally conducted tour, you fool. A Shasta bill! When will you mindless idiots learn that no good ever came out of Shasta?” It smiled approvingly.
“Well, how was I to know? I thought a camp near the mountain might confuse . . . them. “
“Mindless idiot. The time will come when I will find you dispensable.” The thing did not wait for the threat to sink in, but continued, “Enough of that now. We must move to repair the damage. They are on the offensive now. Agnes—”
“Yes.” The woman answered.
“Your preaching has got to pick up—”
I’ve done my best.” Not good enough. I’ve got to have a wave of religious hysteria that will wash out the Bill of Right before the Shasta camp breaks up for the summer. We will have to act fast before that time and we can’t be hampered by a lot of legalisms.”
“It can’t be done.”
“Shut up. It can be done. Your temple will receive endowments this week which you are to use for countrywide television hookups. At the proper time you will discover a new messiah.”
“Who?”
“Brother Artemis.”
“That cornbelt pipsqueak? Where do I come in on this?”
“You’ll get yours. But you can’t head this movement; the country won’t take a woman in the top spot. The two of you will lead a march on Washington and take over. The Sons of ’76 will fill out your ranks and do the street fighting. Weems, that’s your job.
The man addressed demurred. “It will take three, maybe four months to indoctrinate them.”
“You have three weeks. It would be well not to fail.”
The last of the three men broke his silence. “What’s the hurry. Chief? Seems to me that you are getting yourself in a panic over a few kids.”
“I’ll be the judge. Now you are to time an epidemic of strikes to tie the country up tight at the time of the march on Washington.”
“I’ll need some incidents.”
“You’ll get them. You worry about the unions; I’ll take care of the Merchants’ and Commerce League myself. You give me one small strike tomorrow. Get your pickets out and I will have four or five of them shot. The publicity will be ready. Agnes, you preach a sermon about it.”
“Slanted which way?”
It rolled its non-existent eyes up to the ceiling.
“Must I think of everything? It’s elementary. Use your minds.”
The last man to speak laid down his cigar carefully and said, “What’s the real rush, Chief?”
“I’ve told you.”.”No, you haven’t. You’ve kept your mind closed and haven’t let us read your thoughts once.
You’ve known about the Shasta camp for months. Why this sudden excitement? You aren’t slipping, are you? Come on, spill it. You can’t expect us to follow if you are slipping.”
The eyeless one looked him over carefully. “Hanson,” he said, in still sweeter tones, “you have been feeling your size for months. Would you care to match your strength with mine?”
The other looked at his cigar. “I don’t mind if I do.”