mp, tramp.

Slowly the realisation came of the full meaning of these things to him,
the perception of the swift change in his position. Ostrog, who had
stood beside him whenever he had faced that shouting multitude before,
was beyond there--the antagonist. There was no one to rule for him any
longer. Even the people about him, the leaders and organisers of the
multitude, looked to see what he would do, looked to him to act, awaited
his orders. He was King indeed. His puppet reign was at an end.

He was very intent to do the thing that was expected of him. His nerves
and muscles were quivering, his mind was perhaps a little confused,
but he felt neither fear nor anger. His hand that had been trodden upon
throbbed and was hot. He was a little nervous about his bearing. He knew
he was not afraid, but he was anxious not to seem afraid. In his former
life he had often been more excited in playing games of skill. He was
desirous of immediate action, he knew he must not think too much in
detail of the huge complexity of the struggle about him lest he should
be paralysed by the sense of its intricacy. Over there those square blue
shapes, the flying stages, meant Ostrog; against Ostrog he was fighting
for the world.

CHAPTER XXIII. WHILE THE AEROPLANES WERE COMING

For a time the Master of the Earth was not even master of his own mind.
Even his will seemed a will not his own, his own acts surprised him
and were but a part of the confusion of strange experiences that poured
across his being. These things were definite, the aeroplanes were
coming, Helen Wotton had warned the people of their coming, and he was
Master of the Earth. Each of these facts seemed struggling for complete
possession of his thoughts. They protruded from a background of swarming
halls, elevated passages, rooms jammed with ward leaders in council
kinematograph and telephone rooms, and windows looking out on a seething
sea of marching men. The man in yellow, and men whom he fancied were
called Ward Leaders, were either propelling him forward or following
him obediently; it was hard to tell. Perhaps they were doing a little of
both. Perhaps some power unseen and unsuspected, propelled them all. He
was aware that he was going to make a proclamation to the People of the
Earth, aware of certain grandiose phrases floating in his mind as the
thing he meant to say. Many little things happened, and then he found
himself with the man in yellow entering a little