The Uncrowned King Page 3

  AND THE FOURTH VOICE WAS THE VOICE OF THE NEW DAY.

  And the Fourth Voice Was the Voiceof the New Day (see king010.png)]

  It was gray dawn when the Pilgrim turned once more to his couch in TheQuiet Room.

  Without the Temple, tree and bush and plant and grass were beginning tostir with fresh and joyous strength, while the clean air was rich withthe smell of the earth life and filled with murmuring, twittering,whispering, morning calls. Through the open window, into The Quiet Roomwhere the Pilgrim lay, the Bright Morning entered, and out of theMorning came the glad, glad Voice of the New Day.

  Said this Voice to the Pilgrim: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from theInfinite Future. The interminable, eternal times that are to come, thatbegin but never end. I cry from the Deeps Within. I call from the GreatThat Will Be. I, too, am a Voice of Life, and mine it is to complete foryou The Tale of The Uncrowned King."

  And this is the part of the Tale that the Voice of the New Daycompleted.

  Really-Is, the true King of Allthetime, after leaving Wisdom in hislittle house beside the road, journeyed slowly and thoughtfully towardthe Royal City Daybyday, along the way that leads to the Golden GateOpportunity. And while the pretender, Seemsto-Be, was delighting thepeople with great feasts, and amusing them with all manner of festivals,parades and games, Really-Is, very quietly--so quietly that his brotherdid not know--entered the city and took up his abode in a tiny houseunder the walls of a deserted temple once sacred to the godThings-That-Ought-To-Be.

  And so it was that when Seemsto-Be went forth from the royal palace toride in grand procession, clothed in regal splendors, with the Crownupon his head, and surrounded by gorgeous soldiers of rank and pompousofficials of state, with the royal trumpeters proclaiming his greatnessand power and the multitude shouting loud expressions of their loyalty,Really-Is, the King, stood still beside the way, smiling, smiling sadlyat the pretty show.

  (see king011.png)]

  And never did Really-Is neglect to make his offering every morning inthe temple sacred to the god Things-That-Ought-To-Be; though in secrethe worshiped there because of the decree of Seemsto-Be. And no one toldthe false ruler that his commandment was broken, nor spoke to him thename of his brother Really-Is.

  But after a while, as time passed by, things went not so gaily with theimpostor on the throne of Allthetime. And it was the Crown that didit--that wonderful Magic Crown.

  The Court Fool noticed it first and made a jest about it, and Seemsto-Belaughed royally long and loud, and all the Court laughed with him, forthe fool, Thinks-He-Is, is a most famous fool, the greatest that hasever been since the Father of Fools was born.

  Next, the Lord Chief High Chamberlain noticed, and the Lord Chief HighChamberlain whispered to Seemsto-Be a most portentous whisper. And theportentous whisper of the Lord Chief High Chamberlain reached the earsof the Chief First Officer of State; then passed from Officer of Stateto Officer of State until it reached the Chief Captain of the Guard, andsoon the soldiers of the royal army and even the royal servants of thepalace were whispering, whispering, whispering about the strange affair.

  Then it was that Seemsto-Be sent throughout the kingdom, commanding inhaste to the palace the most expert workers in gems and the most cunningworkers in gold to be found in the Land of Allthetime.

  It was true. The priceless jewels of the Magic Crown were losing theirbrilliancy. The precious gold of the Crown was becoming dull. Nor couldall the skill of the workers in gems, all the craft of the workers ingold restore the beauty of the Crown or keep its fading splendor.

  And so the whispers grew louder and louder until the people began totalk in low tones among themselves, questioning, questioning one anotherof the meaning of this thing. And at last the Royal Officers of Statebegan to look with distrust and fear upon their ruler, who tried so hardto wear bravely his crown of tarnished gold and lusterless gems; and thesoldiers came to look with doubt and fear upon the officers, whowhispered so among themselves; and the people looked with suspicion andfear upon them all.

  Without understanding, filled with dread and apprehension, worn withwracking worry, poor Seemsto-Be sought with honors, decorations, anddistinguishing titles to hold the fast-failing confidence of his courtand army, and with holidays more frequent, festivals more gay, gamesmore interesting, and parades more gorgeous, tried to keep the waningloyalty of his people.

  Now all this time, while the poor foolish pretender, Seemsto-Be, waslosing his power even as the beauty of the Magic Crown was fading, KingReally-Is lived very quietly in his little house under the walls of theabandoned temple, and never did he fail to make his daily offering tohis god, the god Things-That-Ought-To-Be. And always when his brotherSeemsto-Be with the fading Crown upon his head, passed in gorgeousprocession of state, surrounded by his distrustful officers, doubtingsoldiers and suspicious people, Really-Is smiled sadly and whispered tohimself: "Poor Seemsto-Be, poor foolish one!"

  So it was, that in all the Royal City Daybyday, in the Land ofAllthetime, peace and understanding dwelt only in the heart of thisKing.

  And the people more and more came to love Really-Is, even as they moreand more turned from Seemsto-Be, notwithstanding the holidays, feastsand parades. Little by little, they learned to watch daily for theirKing, and with the children would run to greet him. More and more themultitude pressed about Really-Is when he stood quietly in the street,watching Seemsto-Be pass by in the splendid chariot of state. More andmore the people went daily with Really-Is to worship in the templesacred to the god Things-That-Ought-To-Be.

  So the time came at last when the Magic Crown, tarnished and dull,seemed but a mockery, fit only for the rubbish heap; when the Officersof State spoke aloud their doubts and fears and the soldiers were openlydisobedient; when the people, as the pretender passed through the citystreets, no longer shouted aloud expressions of their loyalty, but, withdark looks of doubt and anger, stood silent, or laughed in mocking glee.

  And Seemsto-Be grew afraid.

  Then in secret the false prince went alone to the house of his brotherthe King and prostrated himself humbly.

  "What is your wish, my brother?" asked Really-Is, kindly, "make known tome your request."

  And Seemsto-Be taking heart at the gentleness of Really-Is answered:"This is my wish, O King--my brother, this is my request; that you cometo dwell with me in the royal palace, that you share with me the throne.Twins we are, sons of our royal father, of the royal family Everyone.Therefore let us rule together the Land of Allthetime."

  Answered Really-Is. "By your coming to me, Seemsto-Be, I know that you,too, at last have learned the Secret of the Magic of the Crown. What ofthe Crown, brother?"

  And the pretender replied: "No one can tell us one from the other. Youonly shall wear the Crown; then for us both will its glory come againand remain, then will all be well."

  But King Really-Is answered sadly: "O my brother, that which you askcannot be. In the Law of the Ages it is written that a King ofAllthetime cannot, if he would, share his throne and power with one whois false, else would he himself be held unworthy I have seen yourwretchedness, my brother; I have seen and I have pitied."

  Then Seemsto-Be went sadly out from the presence of his brother, theKing, and the next morning they found him dead on the steps of thetemple sacred to the god Things-Are-Good-Enough.

  And now with great tumult and shouting the people gathered to do homageto Really-Is. And never was there seen in Daybyday such a multitude.From the uttermost parts of Allthetime they came, for the word of hislife had gone far, far abroad and all the world that is, gathered to dohim honor.

  And it happened, when all was ready for Really-Is to ascend the throne,and the royal trumpeters had lifted their trumpets ready to proclaim himKing of Allthetime, with the vast multitude breathless, ready at thesignal of the trumpets to break forth in a great, glad shout, "Long livethe king," and the Lord Chief High Chamberlain turned to take the MagicCrown from the hands of the High Priest of Things-That-Ought-To-Be, thateven as h
e turned the Crown vanished, and lo! there was in the hands ofthe priest, nothing.

  In consternation the Lord Chief High Chamberlain whispered to the royalhigh officials about him, asking what should be done. In consternation,the royal high officials whispered among themselves. In consternationthey whispered back to the Chamberlain.

  And this was their whisper: "Ask the King."

  Really-Is, when he was asked what should be done, answered with a smile:"_The Crown is not the kingdom, nor is one King because he wears aCrown_."

  And the people, when the trumpets made it known that there was no crownand declared the word of Really-Is, with one voice cried loudly:"Really-Is is King! Really-Is needs no Crown! Long live Really-Is, ourKing!"

  Thus the True King ascended the throne of Allthetime, and the trumpeterstrumpeted loudly many times: "Long live the king who needs no crown!"and with a great shout the people answered again many times: "Long liveour Uncrowned King! Long live our Uncrowned King!"

  "And this, O Hadji," said the glad Voice of the New Day, "is how it cameto be that in the days that now are, there is, in this Royal CityDaybyday, in the wonderful Land of Allthetime, no crown."

  And this also you must know, that in the reign of Really-Is the peopleof Daybyday have more and more turned from their many gods to worshiponly the god of their King, until there is left now of the many desertedtemples only ruins, and of the many gods of the many people of manyraces, languages and names only one, the god of Really-Is,Things-That-Ought-To-Be. The mighty Wall that was built, they thought,on the foundations of the world, when there was no longer a crown tokeep, of its own great weight fell. And the Royal City Daybyday, in thereign of Really-Is, is extending its borders more and more, until thereare those who think that with the City Sometime it will soon be one, andthen they say that the promises made by Really-Is and the Princess ofYettocome will be fulfilled and that the glory and splendor of theirreign will fill the world.

  "But of that, O Hadji," said the glad Voice of the New Day, "I cannottell you now. I have finished The Tale of The Uncrowned King."

  The Voice that was in the Morning ceased. The Quiet Room was filled withlight. Quickly the Pilgrim arose and going to the window saw in all itsglory the New Day.

  Every leaf of the tall trees, every blade and every inwoven flower inthe velvet carpet of green, wore beads of shining crystal that sparkledand glittered in radiant splendor. Every tiny ripple that ran on theBeautiful Sea was a line of silver flame. And in the overhead ocean ofpearly light, floated glowing banks of orange, and scarlet and gold,while, to the Pilgrim, bird and tree and plant and flower and wave andcloud seemed to join in one glad triumphant shout: "Long live Really-Is!Long live The Uncrowned King!"

  Then the Pilgrim who had paid The Price, who had fulfilled The Law ofthe Pilgrimage, who had asked of Thyself, the Keeper of the Temple ofTruth, "Why," went to lay his offering on the altar to the godThat-Never-Can Change.

  And his offering was Himself.