Page 286 - erewhon

the latter part of which prayers had been vainly offered up
in all the temples of the air god. When I first told her Maj-
esty that I wanted a balloon, I said my intention was to go
up into the sky and prevail upon the air god by means of a
personal interview. I own that this proposition bordered on
the idolatrous, but I have long since repented of it, and am
little likely ever to repeat the offence. Moreover the deceit,
serious though it was, will probably lead to the conversion
of the whole country.
When the Queen told his Majesty of my proposal, he at
first not only ridiculed it, but was inclined to veto it. Being,
however, a very uxorious husband, he at length consent-
ed—as he eventually always did to everything on which the
Queen had set her heart. He yielded all the more readily
now, because he did not believe in the possibility of my as-
cent; he was convinced that even though the balloon should
mount a few feet into the air, it would collapse immediately,
whereon I should fall and break my neck, and he should be
rid of me. He demonstrated this to her so convincingly, that
she was alarmed, and tried to talk me into giving up the
idea, but on finding that I persisted in my wish to have the
balloon made, she produced an order from the King to the
effect that all facilities I might require should be afforded
me.
At the same time her Majesty told me that my attempted
ascent would be made an article of impeachment against
me in case I did not succeed in prevailing on the air god
to stop the drought. Neither King nor Queen had any idea
that I meant going right away if I could get the wind to take