But terror struck the men of the Council.
They leapt to their feet, they ran from the
table, and they stood pressed against the
wall, huddled together, seeking the warmth
of one another's bodies to give them courage.

We looked upon them and we laughed and said:

"Fear nothing, our brothers. There is a
great power in these wires, but this power
is tamed. It is yours. We give it to you."

Still they would not move.

"We give you the power of the sky!" we cried.
"We give you the key to the earth! Take it,
and let us be one of you, the humblest among you.
Let us all work together, and harness this power,
and make it ease the toil of men. Let us
throw away our candles and our torches.
Let us flood our cities with light.
Let us bring a new light to men!"

But they looked upon us, and suddenly
we were afraid. For their eyes were still,
and small, and evil.

"Our brothers!" we cried. "Have you
nothing to say to us?"