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Some opposition may have been forseen, but no one was prepared
for the blackness of disapproval which actually radiated,
striking hearts cold. A course without precedent, no answer was
vouchsafed. On the contrary, even normal communication was
suspended. The houses which favoured the innovation--333 in
numbers--took counsel, came to the decision that it was useless
to oppose the High House, and were about to acquiesce, when a
woman who had once been in the presence of 'To Her' rose and
thought vehemently 'The Living Atla is the head of our
conspiracy'. In other words, they were the loyalists, the
Magicians of the High House the rebels. This was why they had cut
themselves off, because their own head was against them. It was
instantly resolved to go to the High House, and demand the
custody of 'To Her'. Nearing the goal, however, a remnant of the
ancient reverence half cowed even the ringleaders--I may mention
that five of every six of the heretics were women--when they saw
a stern phalanx of magicians, its point threatening their centre.
As they wavered, a woman cried "They are only men such as we
are." The ranks stiffened; on all sides the army closed upon the
tiny phalanx, which only numbered 66 all told. It was then that
the truth was known. Ere a blow could be struck, the attacking
party vanished; it was instantaneous and complete annihilation.
From that moment it was certain that the ruling power in Atlas
was Something* infinitely more awful than the Living Atla. In
order to avoid any possible repetition of such a disaster--for
the Magicians of the High House knew that any manifestation of
the Supreme must undo the work of centuries--they gave out that
they had become too terrible to look upon, and for the future
they always appeared with heavy veils, or rather masks, since for
the most part they were carven fantastically by the wearers in
their leisure hours. A further alteration was made in the system
of government. The head of one of the 'houses of houses' was made
supreme: the High House took no part in affairs of state. Thus
the Atla was to all intents and purposes deposed, although the
same reverence and sacrifice were paid to it as formerly. It
became a 'constitutional monarch', in our modern jargon.
The next thousand years were years of serious trial in other
ways. The toil of repopulation was excessive, and there was a
revolt or rather strike of the servile races, which was ended by
the substitution of 'bread from heaven' for those products of the
earth on which they had formerly been fed, a diet which proved so
adapted to their natures that no labour troubles ever recurred.
The Greek legends of the wars between Gods, giants, Titans are
traditional of a real war or series of wars which continued with
intervals over 200 years. The enemy had developed naval armament
to an extreme. Their tactics were these:
1. To wipe out the servile races and so to interfere with the
production of Zro.
2. To rush and destroy the High House.
The first of these met with a great deal of success, the
floating rock being struck with projectiles and sunk. This
occurred chiefly on the outlaying islands, where they were not
too much afraid to make raids in force. They also sent epidemic
disease of many kinds. Atlas was reduced to such extremity in
these ways that at one time the waterways were forced and the
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