The year of grace, 2002, had arrived and the world had seen many changes. The kingdoms of the earth had gone through great experiences. Nations had risen and fallen; the boundaries of Empires had been modified; for a serious redistribution of territory had taken place. Petty sovereignties had now become merged into greater ones, having fallen a prey to the strong; for the dominant Powers had divided the spoil by agreement. Nevertheless, on the whole, peace and contentment reigned; for advanced k

For over a hundred years woman had been gradually developing in strength and stature, and had by this time attained as great a height as man formerly possessed. ‘Woman’s weakness’ was an unknown term, except from ancient literature, for owing to the various athletic exercises which for generations had been the universal custom for girls and women to engage in, and also to the increased physical strength attained by abstemiousness from much child-bearing, they had almost overtaken the males in vi

The nineteenth century saw the development of natural science to such a gigantic extent that the people could only exclaim—‘It is like reading a fairy tale of double-distilled enchantment; Aladdin’s lamp is as nothing compared with it!’ Great as was the civilisation of the ancients their genius had never attained to such heights as were reached by the scientists of that epoch. Electricity was impounded into the service of man, and put to every possible purpose. Experiment and research continued

Long before this period the women of England had become celebrated for their mental attainments, splendid physique, and exceeding beauty; but chiefest of all was the lovely and accomplished Mercia. Owing to her superior attainments in natural science, but especially that branch dealing with astronomy she was appointed the position of Astronomer Royal to the Emperor, Albert Felicitas, Supreme Ruler of the Teutonic Empire. Mercia was acknowledged by all to be as beautiful as she was talented; and

Now, as stated previously, the method of combat was entirely different from any practised in previous times, for the antagonist’s life was not sought in any case, but disablement only. Victory was secured by rendering useless the right arm of the foe by giving it a blow with a short lance, or instrument electrically charged. The peculiarity of this weapon was that it did not give an electric shock sufficient to kill a man, its effect being merely to paralyse the part it touched, and as the rule

The Royal Observatory was a stately building of great height erected close to the old building in Greenwich Park, which latter was kept as a show place, and used also as a lecture hall for students of Astronomy. The lower apartments of the new building were occupied by Mercia and her household, while the upper rooms were devoted to the purposes of her profession. A suite of rooms on the left wing were set apart as workshops for Geometrus, whose spare time was always taken up with planning or per

We left Mercia somewhat settled in her mind regarding the course she ought to take with the Emperor. If Felicitas should chance not to make mention of the subject of love, which was a forbidden one to her, owing to her position, she made up her mind to forbear making inquiries concerning his motive for introducing it. She waited and watched each day for his coming with a vague hope in her heart that he would look favourably upon Geometrus’ love, in the event of his having knowledge of it. In any

The discussion then terminated, but not the dispute. Each went his own way with the determination to work out the discomfiture of his adversary, to the best of his ability. Sadbag made his way at once to his club, the headquarters of the Radical Association, and related the disgraceful occurrence to its leading members; who realising the gravity of the situation convened a special meeting; so that measures might be promptly taken to get first in the field in the exposure of the Emperor, and ther

We must leave these gentlemen in the far East, and come back to Greenwich. While the Emperor was returning to London he cast about in his mind for some way out of his difficulty. He felt it was little use seeking the assistance of his royal consort, Catherine, daughter of Nicholas of Russia. She would have little sympathy with him in his trouble, unless he could persuade her of his innocence of the charges that were being made against him. Taking into consideration, too, that on that very mornin

When Mercia retired to her private apartment she hardly knew whither she was going. At first she entered her usual sitting-room, then suddenly she made a turn and rushed into her bedchamber where making sure there could be no interruption she gave vent to the sorrow and indignation that filled her breast, in a passionate flood of tears. For even the twentieth-century woman was not illachrymable, being in this respect pretty much the same as the most remote of her feminine ancestors. In a few mom

Perhaps the most wonderful of all the discoveries of this period was that of psycho-magnetic sympathy, or psychic-energy, which was found to pervade the nerve-centres of all human beings, in a greater or lesser degree. In all ages the unseen bond that linked mankind together, with more or less hidden force, had baffled the researches of psychologists, and physiologists to such a degree, that at length the pursuit was abandoned, and left for Charlatans to play with. Each epoch of the world’s hist

Swami being in the possession of all the accumulated knowledge of successive generations of Yogins, and having grown up as it were at the feet of Gamaliel, in the person of his father—to whom had been imparted the secrets of the ascetics of previous generations—was filled with wonderful wisdom. Moreover, his powers were considerably perfected and strengthened by reason of his advanced culture, aided by his natural gift of psychic-energy; which latter was considerably augmented by the soul-sustai

As soon as Swami got rid of his visitor, he quickly made his way to the dark chamber, where he had been thirsting to rush for some time past, and turning on the force brought to view the psycho-development of the coronation scene, wherein the portrait of the beautiful astronomer was the centre-piece. He had in reality prepared this mental feast for himself, but was induced at the request of Felicitas to reveal its charms to that monarch. As she sat upon her golden throne surrounded by the Mahara

The next morning when Mercia awoke and found herself in this luxurious bedchamber, surrounded by every comfort that modern invention could bestow; for every article of utility represented some rare work of art; and every imaginable want was supplied by the most ingenious arrangements; it seemed to her that she had gone through a series of delightful scenes in a dream of wonderful vividness. The recollection of the previous evening, in which so much was seen, and so much experienced, made it diff

The Great Justice Hall, as it was named, was of such dimensions that it afforded accommodation for several thousands of persons, who on this occasion of unprecedented interest availed themselves of it without delay. A long line of carriages containing the élite of society awaited the opening of the great door with that admirable spirit of patience which the aristocracy display on great occasions. A few of these vehicles were drawn by horses, but most were impelled by electric motive force. A que

As soon as the trial was concluded,—if the series of extraordinary scenes that took place in the court, could be so designated—the reporters rushed out en masse to send their respective phonographs to the editors of the various journals they represented. Never before had they such a titbit to offer their employers as was now their good luck to possess. A love scene between their Emperor and his astronomer, delivered in a dialogue wherein the actual voices were reproduced was a treat not to be me