‘We are quarrelling about our differences,’ he said, ‘but we should do the opposite. You know, there is one point on which all the scientists agree. We essentially have the same ideal. The central focus of all our efforts, our research, is the truth.’
A murmur of approval greeted his words, as hopes arose of getting out of the tricky situation which they had got bogged down in.
‘Therefore the world banner should symbolise truth. What’s more, the minds of ordinary people should be able to understand it clearly.’
‘We are agreed on these general points,’ the scholars responded, ‘but how can we devise a symbol of truth which is understandable to ordinary minds?’
‘We don’t have to devise it at all,’ cut in Yranne. ‘It already exists. The symbol of truth, for everyone in the world, is a naked woman coming out of a well.’
Quite a long silence greeted this conclusion. Matured by years of patient studies, and frequently reaching the point where they had to consider apparently crazy things, (the results of their experiments), it was not the scholars’ practice to reject a priori an unusual proposition, however bizarre it might appear at first sight. They always made it a rule to analyse the content. So they reflected before expressing their opinion. And having thought about it, they felt forced to conclude that it was the only suggestion which would get them out of an awkward situation.
‘It’s an idea which is brilliant in its marvellous simplicity, and I can recognise in it the force of mathematical reasoning,’ was O’Kearn’s comment when he was informed of it.
They consulted the Nobels again, who followed the same intellectual train of thought and all finally agreed. A prototype of the banner was immediately created by a renowned painter. An actress famed for her beauty allowed her body to be used as a model, and the first version was accepted with unanimous enthusiasm.
Thus it came about that Fawell went up Fifth Avenue between two lines of banners representing Truth, completely naked, to which a light breeze lent graceful and at times sensual undulations. At the same time in Moscow, Yranne, whose task was to preside over the ceremony there, was studying Red Square, which was decorated with the same emblems, while Mrs Betty Han, who was in Paris for the same purpose, was assessing the effect produced on the Champs-Elysées. Fawell was trying to read in the eyes of the crowd their reactions to the symbol on the new flag. To tell the truth, it seemed to him that he could detect a feeling that resembled more astonishment than emotion. He was upset, but consoled himself with the thought that some time was needed to become accustomed to the innovations of progress.
10.
The departure of the main parades was signalled by the setting off of giant rockets, the bases for which were sufficiently near the cities for their roar to be audible and even deafening and suitable therefore for awakening in the people the collective enthusiasm necessary for the d
isplay of important audio-visual processes.
Some of the peace Nobels had protested about a din which was reminiscent of the deadly machines of former times. It was easy to appease them by pointing out to them their actual symbolic meaning. In fact, while these rockets were certainly missiles bearing death, they were not intended to fall back to earth. Once they had reached the height of their trajectory, beyond the atmosphere, they were made to disintegrate by a remotely fired explosion. All that remained was a harmless dust, which was gradually diluted in the immensity of space, while our planet was kept clean, freed from so many evil germs.
About a hundred of these devices were launched in this way in the area around New York, from where one could see the network of their white trails losing themselves in the sky, while their roars made the earth tremble and some hearts began to beat hard. Then the din quietened down and the first sections of the parade appeared, and were soon passing in front of the official platform, where Fawell was sitting beside his daughter, who had come to join him there, and the majority of the Nobels.
The first groups consisted of the former national academies, who were here presenting themselves separately, in the expectation of being unified into one world organisation. At the head was the French Institute, which had made a great success of itself and for which people were not sparing with their applause. For the French Institute was taking part in the ceremonies in New York along with many other scientific bodies from distant regions. In the same way the most famous American associations went on parade in Moscow and Beijing, the English in Ireland and the Israeli ones in the former Arabic states. Fawell had decreed this to confirm the truly international character of the festival and the definitive abolition of frontiers. The French notables were moreover flattered and honoured to present themselves before the leader of the government.
Their participation was very important, involving not only the scientists but also the entire Académie Française and others. The Académie Française had protested furiously against the authorities’ initial intention to keep them out of the event. The Nobels of literature had supported them and the organisers had finally admitted that men of letters and of the arts could, if it was deemed necessary, play a role in the festival as they had played a modest part in the spiritual development of the world.
Listening to the cheers which greeted the French academicians as they passed by, Fawell did not regret this decision. They were distinguishable by their mode of dress, their beautiful green uniforms decorated with embroidery, their hairstyles, and their swords (which they had fiercely retained despite certain protests) provided a colourful touch, which warmed the hearts of those nostalgic for military parades. They marched in serried ranks, with their secretary always at the head, who tipped his cocked hat with unrivalled grace as they passed in front of the platform. Music accompanied them in their progress, including melodies reminiscent of the warlike marches of former times. They were clearly trying very hard to follow the rhythm, vaguely following a sort of rhythmic pace, and if their efforts were not always crowned with success, the people paid tribute to them for trying, by giving lots of encouragement to them with shouts of ‘Well done!’
Fawell, who was silently observing many things, noticed moreover that throughout the ceremony the crowd paid much more attention to the uniformed notables than to the others.
The procession continued thus for several hours. After the most famous academies there came the provincial ones, and then various associations, the staff of the research laboratories, and finally various groups of technical experts who had a close relationship with scientific matters, and among whom were also cosmonauts from several countries, especially from the Soviet Union. In the very front rows Ruth, with a surge of affection, noticed Nicolas Zarratoff, who had arrived just the night before, and whom she had not yet seen. She smiled at him and sent him a furtive kiss.
Each group observed an important rite, which was obviously intended to have an important symbolic impact. Before passing in front of the platform, it was preceded by two standard-bearers, one brandishing the new banner and the other the former national flag. The second one left his position a little before arriving in front of the officials and went to throw the deposed emblem into a pit, which, almost full, was situated at the end of the procession. And a further ceremony had been planned.
A steward made the crowd draw back. The pit was sprayed with petrol and Fawell moved forward on his own to throw onto it a torch which had just been handed to him. Then he moved back briskly as the flames began to shoot up. He then took his place on the platform again and stayed still. The carriers of the world banners formed a large circle around the bonfire, raising the naked women very high above the crowd. The world anthem sounded out again and in a low voice the President hummed the words of which he was still uncertain.
When the inferno went out there was a moment of indecision until Fawell gave the signal for applause, which the Nobels took up, as did the surrounding crowd, after a brief hesitation.
Before leaving the stage the President gave a short address, which was broadcast throughout the whole world. Full of emotion, he sketched the history of the scientific revolution and reminded people of the government’s great plans. He conjured up the glorious future which one could already foresee for humanity, and in the service of which he considered himself to be, as were all his ministers. He described the ceremony which they had just attended as marking the definitive abolition of the shameful national barriers. His speech was greeted by cheering which was polite and respectful but lacking in passion.
He then became more informal and apologised for speaking to the world about a private matter, but he could not stop himself from announcing to them an event of that very day, as he saw it as a significant symbol. So he announced the engagement of his daughter Ruth to Nicolas Zarratoff, a former subject of the Soviet Union, but now they were both citizens of the same world and, having just invited the cosmonaut to join them on the platform, the President raised up high the hands of the two young people, who greeted the crowd. And it seemed that at this point the crowd applauded with more warmth.
But it was only at nightfall that the enthusiasm predicted by Mrs Betty Han became evident around the world. For the festival had not finished. The procession was only the prelude and the psychologist was very much looking forward to the ceremonies which were to follow. The fireworks display was the high point. A series of fireworks were set off simultaneously in the dark regions of our planet, with an abundance and variety of rockets hitherto unknown, which gradually illuminated the atmosphere in an enchanting way.
The final flourish of the display surpassed in its magnificence and beauty everything that one could have imagined possible. It was on a scale that was truly global and scientific, which the whole of humanity, warned only to expect a surprise, awaited with bated breath.
It started in New York with a roar which surpassed that which had marked the start of the procession. It involved the setting off of rockets again, but these rockets were much more powerful and carried their loads well beyond the atmosphere, out of Earth’s gravity. And the loads which shot off in this way into the night were the most formidable nuclear bombs manufactured so far. The Americans and the Russians had provided the biggest quota, but every nation which had acquired atomic power had wanted to make their own small contribution, thereby getting rid of a part of their deadly stocks. Almost to the second all of them had reached the same altitude, making thus a great dotted outline of a spherical area which covered the dark part of the Earth, visible in its entirety only to the angels. When it was confirmed that none of them could fall back down again in a harmful way, Fawell pressed the button which set off the ‘flourish’ in his area.
A violent burst of light, caused by the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of blazing suns, irradiated the sky, creating a marvellous aurora borealis, while a new deafening noise announced a second wave, and then a third one of similar rockets soaring upwards to prolong this thrill
ing finale.
At that moment, Nicolas and Ruth, who were having dinner in a restaurant at the top of a skyscraper, where the lights were quickly extinguished as they were all over the city so as not to disturb the majestic sight of a cosmos ablaze, embraced each other passionately and in tears which were a mixture of joy and deep emotion. Thus it was that popular feelings which had been restrained until that moment burst forth throughout the city and spread throughout the world as fast as the Earth itself turned. Everywhere similar final flourishes were gradually being set off as it became night-time in a new zone. Frenzied yells made the Earth’s atmosphere vibrate. Some groups of people started running through the streets singing, and rummaged in cellars and lofts to find the old national flags which were still there. Countless pyres arose in the towns and in the countryside, prolonging the triumphant firework display, heralding a new era. Thus men, women and children, aware of being joined together in one family as citizens of the Earth, governed by wisdom and reason, and with an incredible destiny ahead of them, danced till dawn in all the squares, to the sound of improvised bands, while the bonfires, fuelled endlessly by new flags, made the nude figures on the world banners come alive in gleaming waves.