The Uncrowned King Part 2

For a little the Pilgrim waited; then rising from his couch, again he went to the open window, and lo! in the evening sky he saw the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. All the wondrous castles and palaces were there, marvelous in their beauty, glorious in their splendor, dazzling in their colors of emerald, rose and purple, of ruby, crimson and gold. From spire and dome, cupola and turret, tower and battlement the lights flashed and gleamed, while the Pilgrim looked in wonder and in awe. And high above the city walls, that shone as burnished silver in the sun, rose the temple flaming like a ruby flame--the temple sacred to the G.o.d Itmightbe.

Slowly, slowly, the last of the twilight pa.s.sed. Slowly, the graceful lines, the proud forms, the majestic piles of the city melted--melted, blurred and were lost even as are lost the form and loveliness of a snow flake on the sleeve. Slowly, slowly, the glorious colors faded as fade the flowers at the touch of frost. The lights went out. The darkness came. The city that is fairer than an angel's dream was gone.

AND THE THIRD VOICE WAS THE VOICE OF THE NIGHT

[Ill.u.s.tration: And the Third Voice was The Voice of the Night (see king008.png)]

It was full night when the Pilgrim turned again to seek his couch.

Without the Temple it was very still--dark and still. Very still was it within The Quiet Room, and the darkness that came stealing through the open window was a thick and heavy darkness. The Pilgrim lay upon his couch staring with blank, unseeing eyes into a blackness wherein there was not even a spot of gray to show where the window was.

And after a little there came out of the heavy darkness the sad, sad Voice of the Night.

Said the Voice: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from the Limitless Realm of the Past that begins this moment and reaches back even beyond the day of all beginnings. I speak from the Deeps Above. I tell of the Great That Was. I also am a Voice of Life, and mine it is to tell you yet more of The Tale of The Uncrowned King."

And this is the part of the Tale that was told by the Voice of the Night.

Now it happened, as things sometime so happen, that Really-Is lingered over long, saying good-bye to his friends in the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome; and that when he had lingered long with his friends he stayed yet longer with the beautiful princess, Imagination.

So it was that, while the prince was promising many promises and receiving in turn promises as many, his brother, Seems...o...b.., mounted and was well started on his journey before the heir to the throne of Allthetime was in the saddle. With the last good-bye spoken to his royal friends, the last promise promised to the fair princess, and the last farewell waved to the charming people, Really-Is urged his horse fast and faster, thinking thus to overtake his brother. But very soon Really-Is found that, fast as he rode his good horse Reality, Seems...o...b.. on Appearance rode faster. Greater and greater grew the distance between the two princes--farther and farther ahead rode Seems...o...b..; until at last, when the distance between them was such that he could, no longer see his brother, Really-Is, the rightful heir to the throne of Allthetime, understood that Seems...o...b.. was riding to win the Crown.

"For you must not forget, O Hadji," said the sad Voice of the Night, "that no one in Daybyday could tell the twins, Really-Is and Seems...o...b.., one from the other, and therefore, you see, the prince who first reached the Royal City would surely be proclaimed king."

Hard and fast, fast and hard, rode the two who raced for the Crown of Allthetime. But always Appearance the horse of Seems...o...b.., proved faster than Reality, the horse of Really-Is, and so the prince who was first born rode far behind.

Now just this side of the river that marks the end of the Land of Allthetime the road divides, the way to the left leading to the Brazen Gate called Chance, and the other, to the right, going straight to the Golden Gate, Opportunity. And just here it is, at the parting of the ways, that Wisdom lives in his little house beside the road.

When Really-Is in turn arrived at this place, he dismounted from his tired horse, and approaching the little house, asked of Wisdom if he had seen one pa.s.s that way riding in great haste.

"Aye, that I have," replied Wisdom with a smile, "that I have, young sir, and many would say that it was yourself who rode so hard."

"It was my brother, good sir," replied the prince. "May I ask which way he went and how far he rides ahead?"

The old man, pointing, answered: "He took the road to the left there and he rides so far ahead that you cannot now overtake him this side the city walls."

"At least I must try to overtake him," answered the prince, and, thanking the old man, he turned quickly to mount his horse again.

But Wisdom cried, "Why so fast? Why so fast? Is not your brother's name Seems...o...b..? And are not you, Really-Is, the rightful heir to the throne of Allthetime?"

"It is indeed so, sir," replied the young man sadly. "I am Really-Is. I was born before my brother, Seems...o...b.., and am, therefore, the rightful heir to the Crown. Our father, King What-Soever-Youthink, is dead, and I must hasten or my brother will be crowned king, for as you see, the people cannot tell us one from the other."

Then said Wisdom: "But you will gain nothing by haste, oh Really-Is,--nothing but time, and there is much of greater value than time to a King of Allthetime. Even now is Seems...o...b.. entering the city.

Even now is he by the people being hailed King. Therefore, tarry a while before you act and listen to my words."

So it was that Really-Is paused on his journey to sit awhile with Wisdom in the little house by the side of the road.

Then did Wisdom take from his shelves many a ponderous, time worn volume and read to the prince History, Prophecy and Law, revealing to him thus the Secret of the Magic of the Crown of Allthetime.

And from the last volume, that which Wisdom read to Really-Is was this: "Be it known, O whosoever readeth, that if any prince of the royal family Everyone enter the city Daybyday through the Brazen Gate called Chance, he shall be forever held unworthy of the throne and crown. In the sacred Law of All the Ages it is written that a King of Allthetime may enter the Royal City only through the Golden Gate Opportunity."

[Ill.u.s.tration: (see king009.png)]

Wisdom closed the book and returned this volume also to its place.

Really-Is arose to go.

"And what now is your mind, young sir?" asked Wisdom kindly.

Then Really-Is answered royally: "This you have taught me, O Wisdom--this is my mind: _The Crown is not the kingdom, nor is one King because he wears a crown_."

Then did Wisdom with bowed head salute the True King. "And your will, Sire; may I know your Majesty's will?"

King Really-Is replied: "My will is this: that I myself obey the sacred Law of The Ages."

"And your brother, Sire, your brother, Seems...o...b..?"

"I will pity Seems...o...b..," replied The King in sorrow, "I will have much pity for that poor, foolish one."

"And peace will dwell in thy heart, O King of Allthetime," said Wisdom, "true peace and understanding."

Then Really-Is, alone and unattended, rode slowly on his way.

And Seems...o...b.., who rode so fast and so far ahead of Really-Is, and who paused not at the house of Wisdom, entered the city Daybyday through the Brazen Gate called Chance, and was received by the people of many races, languages, names and religions as their king.

With great tumult and shouting, with grand processions and ceremonies, the false prince ascended the throne of Allthetime and was crowned with the Magic Crown--the Crown of which no one then knew its magic, but knew only that its magic was.

Then began such times as were never before nor since seen in Daybyday; with holiday after holiday for the people, with festivals and parades, with carnivals and games, with feasting and dancing; until the chief occupation of the people was forgotten--until their many temples were empty, their many G.o.ds neglected; until with a fete extraordinary, Seems...o...b.. decreed that there should be from henceforth and forever, in Daybyday, one temple only--one temple sacred to one G.o.d, the G.o.d Things-Are-Good-Enough.

"And this, O Hadji," said the sad Voice of the Night, "is all The Tale of The Uncrowned King that is given me to tell."

The Voice in the darkness ceased. The Pilgrim, rising, groped his way to the window.

Without, all was dark with a thick darkness--all was still with a heavy stillness. Only the stars were in the Deeps Above. The stars so old, so ever new--only the stars. Lifting his face, the Pilgrim looked at the stars, and lo! as he looked, those whirling worlds of light shaped themselves into mighty letters, and the letters shaped themselves into words, until in the heavens the Pilgrim read the truth that Wisdom had given to Really-Is in the little house beside the road. "_The Crown is not the kingdom, nor is one King because he wears a crown._"

Then even as he stood the Pilgrim saw the sad Night preparing to depart.

Far away beyond the stars the first faint light of the morning touched the sky. Slowly the world began to awake. Slowly the message in the stars was lost in the dawning greater light of A New Day.

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