Mercia, the astronomer royal: A romanceMears, A. Garland
Science
Mercia, the astronomer royal: A romance
Mears, A. Garland
Science fiction; Utopian fiction
These were composed of lady members of Parliament together with the
wives of the peers and nobles who in one great body went to the various
potentates who had sliced up the country amongst them, to beseech them
to advocate personal liberty to the female sex, in whatever degree or
position in society they moved, and further exhorted them to use their
influence with the people generally, to bring about this necessary
reformation.
So the French, Russian, and Teutonic Empires graciously complied with
the request of the fair delegates, and what is more, kept their royal
promise to the best of their ability.
This was accomplished in part by the issuing of edicts to the people,
who were first set the good example by the nobles whose interest it was
to co-operate with their conquerors, or rulers: thus by degrees the
women of the Teutonic race accomplished the emancipation of their sex in
the lazy and luxurious East.
Never before was seen such a dazzling pageant as that viewed from the
flying machines which hung suspended in the air immediately above the
scene of action. Seated in these aërial carriages their occupants could
not fail to enjoy themselves, for they possessed the advantage of
freedom to eat, drink and be merry, while they watched the fortunes of
war as they developed in the field below without being hampered by
conventionalities, or inconvenient onlookers.
At one moment they would see the Englishman parry the stroke of the
Indian who was making a furious attack on his adversary. The Indian was
indeed, struggling for dear liberty, and under this inspiration his
naturally calm and placid countenance, whose expression betokened his
gentle disposition, was fired with an enthusiasm that only a mighty
occasion could call forth.
Ages of submission had given him a disposition to yield, for heredity is
all-powerful, nevertheless, he fought against his nature, as it were, in
order to obtain the benefits of that glorious liberty, of which the
Briton himself boasted so constantly.
With this high resolve before his eyes, he set aside his natural
instincts, and becoming another man, excelled himself, and fought the
foeman bravely.
Thrust and parry; thrust and parry, went on for hours, until at last the
sun was sinking in the horizon, and still the contest hung in even
balance. Scores of men fell from the ranks on either side with one arm
hanging helplessly at their side, while physicians with galvanic
batteries stood in their tents outside the enclosure ready to render
them needful service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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