“I hope we shall,” I seconded, as I took his hands. “My name is Harkness. I’ve just finished my tour around Atlantis, and now I’m supposed to begin duty as a citizen.” “That’s quick work,” nodded Xanocles, approvingly. And then, after an instant’s pause, “So you’re the one they’ve appointed Historian of the Upper World?” I pleaded guilty to the accusation. “I knew it must be so,” explained my new acquaintance, “because only one of the immigrants has been admitted to citizenship. Of course, there will be others later on.” “Won’t you come in?” I invited, with a gesture toward my new apartments. Xanocles needed no second invitation. A minute later we were seated opposite one another on seaweed cushions in the little room that was to be my study. “It seems to me, Harkness,” he suggested, using my name as familiarly as though he had known me all my life, “we might as well be frank with one another from the beginning. At least, I might as well be frank with you. And I’d better start by warning you that you’ll not gain much from acquaintance with me. I’m none too popular.” “No?” I demanded, wondering vaguely what offense he had committed. “No,” he confessed. “I’m so very unpopular, in fact, that it may reflect upon you even to be seen in my company.” “But what is it that you’ve done?” I asked, thinking it strange that this attractive and able-looking man should be so disliked. “Surely, you haven’t blown up a building, or stolen some one’s jewels, or killed a man--” A frown of disgust passed across Xanocles’ face. “Such primitive forms of violence,” he reminded me, “are unknown in Atlantis. No, I haven’t stooped to anything so low. But I’ve done something bad enough in the eyes of the people.” “I’ll have to give it up,” said I, growing more puzzled each moment. “It shouldn’t be hard to guess--not if you know the ways of Atlantis,” he continued, gravely. “I’ve joined the Party of Emergence.” “The Party of Emergence?” I exclaimed, remembering what Aelios had told me of this minority group. “I not only joined the party,” he acknowledged, completing the indictment, “but I’ve let them elect me one of their Debating Delegates.” “But I don’t exactly understand--” I admitted, hesitatingly. “You would understand if you knew more about Atlantis. Every people has to have its pet aversion, I suppose, and our pet aversion down here is the Emergence Party. That’s because it opposes the principles of the one hundred per cent Atlanteans.” “But just what is the Emergence Party?” I inquired, still in doubt as to the tenets of this detested faction. “Is it anything so terrible?” “That all depends upon the point of view,” declared Xanocles, enigmatically. He paused long enough to give me an instant’s scrutiny with keen and quizzical eyes. “I am not sure that you would understand,” he decided, speaking as much to himself as to me. “But the main thing is that we oppose the compulsory limitation of population.”