Shikasta

A long silence. Nothing was said. Then began the restless stirring and muttering which always means a crowd is going to express itself in some way.

John Brent-Oxford now raised his voice, but not very much, so that everyone was forced to silence themselves so as to listen.

"We all know that at this time, now, there are nations, nonwhite nations, which dominate and subjugate by force other nations, some equally nonwhite, but other nations that are white."

Silence again.

Then: "Do you want me to remind you of the many instances in history when black, and brown, and light brown, and gold-coloured and cream-coloured nations treated themselves, or other nations badly?"

Silence.

"For instance, it is not news to any of us that the slave trade in Africa was conducted largely by Arabs and was made possible by the willing co-operation of black people."

At this point, a latecomer, ru

Then a girl stood up and shouted, "I've had enough of man's inhumanity to man. What is the point of all this anyway?"

She was German. A Polish girl stood up from the opposite side of the amphitheatre and shouted across, "I'm not surprised you have had enough. You can leave if first you stand up like others have done and do some self-criticism. I want you to tell us of the crimes committed by the Germans in the Second World War."

"Oh no!" "Oh for God's sake!" "Let's get out of here," was now heard from everywhere.

The old white was trying to make himself heard. Other people were calling out that anyone-who wanted to make similar points should come down to the floor of the arena and make them properly, clearly, and correctly.

The German girl, pigtails flying, was ru

A lot of people were standing up to shout that they hadn't come to listen to "private quarrels."

This caused more interventions, verbal and otherwise: there were some scuffles. In a moment everything was quarrelling and disorder.

George Sherban brought the proceedings to an end. As he did this, a helicopter appeared, directly overhead, very low. It was large, noisy, with violently flashing lights of different colours.

Suddenly everyone was standing, shaking their fists and screaming. It was by then almost completely dark, the torches were flaring: a scene of confusion and impotent rage.

They all streamed back to the camp. By then everyone recognised the "Trial" was over. People were talking about returning to their respective countries. They were hot, dirty, tired, irritable, and very hungry. All night, there were aircraft coming and going. This made it impossible to sleep or to rest. When the light came, everyone streamed away down to the sea, walking, jogging, ru

Not everyone left the camp.

About seven in the morning, a single aircraft came over, flying rather high, and dropped a single well-aimed bomb into the amphitheatre. This was totally destroyed. Some debris fell among the tents. The old white, who was sitting by himself not far from the amphitheatre, was hit by a piece of stone and killed. No one else was hurt.

When the thousands of young people came streaming back, they found a scene of devastation. Some left at once, making their way on foot to towns and villages along the coast where they could begin their long and dangerous journeys home.

By that night very few were left. The camp had been dismantled, the disgusting latrines filled in, the local people had gone.

Our Chinese delegates were taken away by special coaches.

Resentment and anger were expressed, as it was seen that food had been brought, and our delegates were already eating and drinking as they were driven away.

By next morning there was nothing left but the usual half-starved dogs nosing about.

So much for the "Trial."

While it was still in progress, I was getting reports of rumours - very strong and persistent - particularly in India and Africa, that there were plans for "mass transfer of populations" to all parts of Europe. By implication, these included plans for pogroms and massacres and the compulsory attachment of land. The rationale for these invasions was always variations on the theme of the white man's culpability, that he had "proved himself unfit to play his part in the brotherhood of nations."

Our attitude was expected, was assumed, to be one of sympathetic noninterference.

Shortly after the delegates left Greece, scattering over the world, these rumours ceased.

Are we then to believe that the highly rhetorical and oversimplified (though of course in essence entirely correct) "indictments" had exhausted a certain allowance of anger and desire for revenge? Or that these young people returning home with an account of what had taken place, a description of the arguments and counterarguments used - this had the effect of damping certain fires?

I am without any rational explanation. But the fact is, coincidence or not, massacres, a determined and pla

This rather minor, and bizarre, and suspect event, the "Trial," to begin with almost a joke (not I hasten to add because of its subject), is in fact being commented on everywhere.

This although we allowed no news coverage. Of course accounts - inadequate and inevitably garbled - found their way into the newspapers of the world, including the official organs of the People's Will. But always in a minor and unemphasised way. There was no television, and it was mentioned hardly at all on the official radio wavelengths.

The question of George Sherban. This "Trial" succeeded in elevating him to a position of undisputed leader and spokesman, even though he spoke, during the "Trial" itself, perhaps not more than a score of sentences. What did he expect to gain by this exposure of himself in this particular way? Which was accomplished, I remind you, without even the aid of certain positions he could have had for the asking?

I can only report that whatever one may have reasonably expected to happen, the fact is that he disappeared when the "Trial" was over. No one seems to know where he is, and yet the Youth organisations and Armies of fifty countries are clamouring for him to visit and "instruct."

Many of the delegates to the "Trial" have also disappeared, and people with whom they are known to have been in contact.

What were the subjects of conversation during those daysand nights when he was always on view in the camps, talking, discussing, "holding seminars"?

Studying my informants' reports, I can come to no conclusion.

He is a fluent and witty conversationalist - yet on no particular subject. He makes a strong impression, yet does not seem to leave people with the memory of strong opinions. He does not take any particular political stand, he has never stood for a class or other position that could be defined. Yet he is trusted by young cadres for whom politics are everything.

Our Agent Tsi Kwang when reporting conversations she was - obviously - fascinated by, since she mentions over and over again that she has been in his company, says, "The delegate George Sherban fails to satisfy the soaring aspiration of the People's glorious militancy. He lacks revolutionary sweep. He lacks an ability to base his actions on the highest interests of the broad masses. He suffers from wishy-washy idealism and enthusiasm for humanistic ideas unrelated to concrete requirements. Weak-minded elements with insufficient bases in correct doctrine find his utterances attractive. He should be exposed and re-educated."