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"Not long, for I must go on."
And in the morning, when they woke, he was gone, and in his place they found a
little cube of silvery metal, very heavy and very beautifully iridescent in
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the morning sun. And amazingly heavy, more than twice as heavy as lead.
John Graham took it that morning to the little office of the Real Estate
agent, John Mackenburg, who spent half his time interviewing those who would
make the trip to All's Temple, and to him he gave the cube of metal,
explaining how he came by it.
The Teacher stayed that night, and another and another at the homes of people
who had heard of All or had reason to bless All's Temple; and the fourth
evening he came to San Francisco. It was not so badly ruined La appearance,
rising now as an Oriental city from the ashes of the blasted city they had
captured in the early years of the war. The busy city paid no attention to the
Teacher as he wandered about, but evening found him staying in the home of a
man who marveled still that he walked on two legs of flesh and bone where but
one had been left him when he left the hospital of the American Army Medical
Corps.
The next day he went down to the Empire building in the heart of new San
Francisco and attended an auction that was going on, the selling of certain
lands in the neighborhood of Golden Gate Park. And some of his friends went
too, and purchased plots of land.
In two weeks the land was as level as it had been before the great shells of
the Empire Fleet had reduced it to churned rubble. Five men seeded it and
planted it, and a sixth walked about in curious robes bearing a curious staff
of crystal. In two weeks, foliage more green, more luxurious than San
Francisco had ever seen grew there, and curious people stopped to look at it.
And more curious Orientals examined the grass and the soil, and did not
understand.
A building appeared, of white marble and red granite and curious blue,
intensely blue stone that came from hitherto unknown quarries along with an
intensely green stone. A great crated mass, five feet on an edge. Men came
too, and set the stone and the crystal mass on a golden column that had come,
and other thin crystal plates and curious lighting devices.
In six months, the House of All was built, and shone white and sapphire and
emerald on the broad sweep of landscaped lawn. At first a few curious ones
came. Then the sick, and then more ailing in streams, till every Westerner in
San Francisco had visited it, and come out well and strong, and the Orientals
complained slightly. But the Orientals who were in power took no notice of it,
being too intelligent to be deluded by faith healers, and since their people
were not a race used to complaining, but oppressed for countless generations
by a dull drudgery, they merely looked on with envious dull eyes as the
Occidental crippled limped in, and returned whole, and the pallid, feverish
were carried in to walk out, eyes shining.
But the rulers were intelligent and paid little attention to faith healers,
being far too busy attempting to establish a very new political control over a
vast area.
And their work was not to complain and object to a religion that obeyed the
Edicts of the Emperor in every way, and turned in nearly two hundred and forty
thousand dollars of precious metal in the course of six months from the House
of All in San Francisco. And those originally interested lost interest as time
passed, and nothing new or startling developed, save amazingly good revenues.
Another House of All rose under the direction of the First Teacher in Denver,
and another in Seattle. And hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid, while
tens of thousands of sick were healed. The stores of precious metals in
Nijihua's treasury were augmented by the receipts from nearly seven hundred
members of the House of All, in that year.
X
The Server stood before the Lords, and the First Teacher stood beside him.
"Lords, you have heard the tale. Eleven Houses have been established in these
two years, and the First Teacher has worked fairly and well, these two years.
Now he grows weary of this work, and would, if it meets the approval of the
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Five Lords, rest in the House of All in Chicago as the Server of All."
Mens, Lord of Wisdom spoke from his great, crystal throne. "The First Teacher
has done well, and no one of his sending has been excluded from the Works of
All, whereby is shown his wisdom of human understanding. The Lord of Wisdom is
pleased."
Tammar, Lady of Mercy spoke. "Many he has helped, and through his spreading of
All's houses, many have learned of All's works. Tammar, Lady of Mercy is
pleased."
Shan, Lord of Fulfillment spoke: "In no way has he failed in his words given
us, the Lords of All. The Lord of Fulfillment is content."
So they spoke, and agreeing, Amos Tucker, the First Teacher, was made Server
of All in Chicago, the American Capital of the World Empire.
Lord Mens spoke again. "Your work, Server, must not cease, for you must
instruct many and introduce them to the Mysteries of All. You have shown
complete competence in the handling of these things which a Server of All must
understand. But every man of our race whom you believe competent must be sent
here for final education in All's Mysteries. We have but two Houses east of
the Mississippi, and you, who have done so much of this work must aid others
in the work, not by your presence but by your constant advice. The Crystal of
the Server reaches to every Crystal of All, and speaks with it at will. This
remember, and aid in every way, as we know you will. Your work has been
exceedingly good."
The Second Server bowed to the Lords. "I cannot understand fully these
mysteries, as I know better even than you. But to the utmost of my abilities I
will apply the knowledge and understanding of the human mysteries, to the
betterment of All.
"I go now to Chicago, but I will pause at Denver, where the Seventh Teacher is
setting out soon for Boston that a new House of All may be built. He has
purchased, through his agents, Corey Hill, which overlooks all Boston. I find
his plans good."
The Lords nodded agreement. "I know the city," spoke Tammar, Lady of Mercy.
"It is an excellent position."
The First Server stepped forward again. "Now there comes to me that a more
pressing business yet demands attention. For a year and a year we have escaped
great notice from the Empire, the work of consolidation being very great for
them, and their need of revenue being very pressing."
"They sought to destroy us with their tax," said Lord Mens softly, "which was
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