the operation. Many other secrets
of knowledge came into the hands of the Crypt. I will not weary you with
a catalogue of them, but I will mention one of which our friend MZ04
gave you just now a practical demonstration. I refer to the power to
dissipate and subsequently to reconstruct identically at some different
point the atoms of any organism or group of organisms. You saw just now
how MZ04 dissipated himself as it were into smoke in order to
reconstruct himself instantaneously at the Heat and Light Control, over
which he presides. It is a secret of this kind which makes one being the
master of many armies. This was realised by the Crypt and a course of
offensive action was at last decided upon.

"At this juncture the voice of the Crypt was practically the voice of
that extraordinary and commanding personality Q666--a formula that will
be for ever remembered in our history. He was not a being of high
scientific attainments. His life was irregular. He had neither scruples
nor mercy; but he saw clearly the thing to be attained and the means
towards it. At his instigation the General National Assembly was
declared to be dissolved, and the whole of the second-class beings were
enjoined under penalty of death to yield the strictest obedience to the
orders of the Crypt as issued.

"The proclamation was received with ridicule by the second class.
Democracy had always triumphed and would triumph again. It relied much
upon the fact that the army was entirely democratic. That is to say, no
officer or man was a member of the Crypt. The army was not deficient in
courage. Its officers included even some few men who took their
profession seriously. It was confidently anticipated that after a few
days of civil war the Crypt would be compelled to submit.

"I have said that Q666 was a being without scruple. His declaration was
made in mid-winter and the whole land was ice-bound. And on the night
that followed the declaration heat and light were cut off from the
dwellings and camps of his opponents. Some thousands died that night and
many more in the course of the next few days. The water which they drank
was mysteriously tainted and produced death. Their army found no
objective for attack, so rapidly, by virtue of that power which I have
described, did the members of the Crypt come and go. On the day when the
democracy submitted and received the new constitution by which they
ranked as second-class beings, they had actually become