And everywhere were pillars and cross
archings of such a massiveness as Graham had never before seen, thick
Titans of greasy, shining brickwork crushed beneath the vast weight of
that complex city world, even as these anemic millions were crushed
by its complexity. And everywhere were pale features, lean limbs,
disfigurement and degradation.

Once and again, and again a third time, Graham heard the song of the
revolt during his long, unpleasant research in these places, and once
he saw a confused struggle down a passage, and learnt that a number of
these serfs had seized their bread before their work was done. Graham
was ascending towards the ways again when he saw a number of blue-clad
children running down a transverse passage, and presently perceived
the reason of their panic in a company of the Labour Police armed with
clubs, trotting towards some unknown disturbance. And then came a remote
disorder. But for the most part this remnant that worked, worked
hopelessly. All the spirit that was left in fallen humanity was above in
the streets that night, calling for the Master, and valiantly and
noisily keeping its arms.

They emerged from these wanderings and stood blinking in the bright
light of the middle passage of the platforms again. They became aware
of the remote hooting and yelping of the machines of one of the General
Intelligence Offices, and suddenly came men running, and along the
platforms and about the ways everywhere was a shouting and crying. Then
a woman with a face of mute white terror, and another who gasped and
shrieked as she ran.

"What has happened now?" said Graham, puzzled, for he could not
understand their thick speech. Then he heard it in English and perceived
that the thing that everyone was shouting, that men yelled to one
another, that women took up screaming, that was passing like the first
breeze of a thunderstorm, chill and sudden through the city, was this:
"Ostrog has ordered the Black Police to London. The Black Police are
coming from South Africa.... The Black Police. The Black Police."

Asano's face was white and astonished; he hesitated, looked at Graham's
face, and told him the thing he already knew. "But how can they know?"
asked Asano.

Graham heard someone shouting. "Stop all work. Stop all work," and a
swarthy hunchback, ridiculously gay in green and gold, came leaping down
the platforms toward him, bawling again and again in good English, "This
is Ostrog's doing, Ostrog