They Call Me Carpenter: A Tale of the Second ComingSinclair, Upton
General
They Call Me Carpenter: A Tale of the Second Coming
Sinclair, Upton
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Fiction; Jesus Christ -- Fiction
I was on the steps of the building, so I could see over the heads of
the crowd. There were four of the big busses from Eternal City, two
having approached from each direction. Some fifty figures had
descended from them, and others were still descending, each one clad
in a voluminous white robe, with a white hood over the head, and two
black holes for eyes, and another for the nose. These figures had
spread out in a half moon, entirely surrounding the little mob of
ex-service men, and penning them against the wall of the building.
In the center of the half moon, standing a few feet in advance, was
the figure of the “Grand Imperial Kleagle,” with a red star upon the
forehead of the white hood, and shrouded white arms stretched out,
and in one hand a magic wand with a red light on the end. This wand
was waving over the Brigade members, and had apparently its full
supernatural effect, for one and all they stood rooted to the spot,
staring with wide-open eyes.
LVII
The grand-opera voice raised again its silver chant: “Give way, all
mobs! Yield! Retire! Abdicate!--Bow down-n-n-n-n! Make way for the
Mob of Mobs, the irresistible, imperial, superior super-mob! Hearken
to the Lord High Chief Commanding Dragon of the Esoteric Cohorts,
the Exalted Immortal Grand Imperial Kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan!”
Then the Grand Imperial Kleagle turned and addressed the white-robed
throng in a voice of sharp command: “Klansmen! Remember your oath!
The hour of Judgment is here! The guilty wretch cowers! The grand
insuperable sentence has been spoken! Coelum animum imperiabilis
senescat! Similia similibus per quantum imperator. Inexorabilis
ingenium parasimilibua esperantur! Saeva itnparatus ignotum
indignatio! Salvo! Suppositio! Indurato! Klansmen, kneel!”
As one man, the host fell upon its knees.
“Klansmen, swear! Si fractus illibatur orbis, impavidum ferient
ruinae! You have heard the sentence. What is the penalty? Is it
death?”
And a voice in the crowd cried “Death!” And the others took it up;
there was a roar: “Death! Death!”
Said the Grand Imperial Kleagle: “Arma virumque cano, tou
poluphlesboiou thalasses!” Then, facing the staring ex-servicemen:
“Tetlathi mater erne kai anaskeo ko-omeneper!”
Finally the Grand Imperial Kleagle pointed her shrouded white arm at
Carpenter, who stood, as pale as death, but unflinchingly. “Death to
all traitors!” she cried. “Death to all agitators! Death to all
enemies of the Ku Klux Klan! Condemnatus! Incomparabilis!
Ingenientis exequatur! Let the Loyal High Inexorable Guardians and
the Grand Holy Seneschals of the Klan advance!”
Six shrouded figures stepped out from the crowd. Said the Grand
Imperial Kleagle: “Possess yourselves of the body of this guilty
wretch!” And to the ex-servicemen: “Yield up this varlet to the High
Secret Court-martial of the Klan, which alone has power to punish
such as he.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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