The project of creating institutions of continuing adult education initially met with enthusiasm. Schools were set up and the animals were eager to learn. As time went on however we ran into a few snags. Certain animals were of the opinion that such institutions were somehow obstructing their freedom. It alarmed me that some citizens felt oppressed by the institutions even if it was only a minority. “After all,” I said to myself. “Utopia should stand for freedom just as much as it stands for equality.” I decided to give the minority a listening ear. Their basis for argument was valid but their reasoning was off. They argued that they had the right to remain in ignorance if that is what made them feel free. I argued that the schools were a forum for freedom of thought and that it would be to there benefit if they took advantage of the forum. In effect I argued that the schools would make them freer. Eventually I persuaded them to remain in school but the debate opened the door to all kinds of controversies regarding freedom. One such controversy involved a rabbit who thought he was a dog and a cat who believed he was a rabbit. The rabbit attempted to chase the cat but the cat refused to run on the grounds that all animals are now equal. “Besides,” he argued. “I’m no more a cat than you are a rabbit. I may appear to be a cat on the outside but that’s not my fault. On the inside I’m a rabbit and I refuse to be treated any differently than any other rabbit in Utopia.” These animals raised a valid point. Admittedly I didn’t understand what they were feeling because I couldn’t imagine ever believing I was anything other than a cat. “Nevertheless,” I thought. “Just because I don’t understand their feelings does that make them any less valid? If the rabbit says that he is a dog in a rabbit’s body and the cat says he is a rabbit in a cat’s body, I have to take their word for it. Don’t I? After all, I cant put myself in their bodies to know if its true or not.” But then I began to think, “Wait a minute. These animals can’t put themselves in the bodies of other animals either. How does the rabbit truly know what it feels like to be a dog? Similarly, how does the cat know what it feels like to be a rabbit? They seem to be so absolutely sure of what they truly are and yet their evidence is the same as mine.” After struggling with the question for many weeks I finally made a decision. I announced, “Utopia is a land of equality and freedom. Therefore Utopian citizens have the freedom to be whatever it is they feel that they are.” Everyone who heard about it met this news with great rejoicing. It seemed as if Utopia was finally turning a corner. Things were going to be all right from here on out. That’s when everything started to unravel. Unnatural carnivores began to emerge from the population. Hearing about the concessions I had granted to certain animals these carnivores now demanded the freedom to eat what they wanted to eat. I call them unnatural carnivores because among them were animals that used to be strict vegetarians like rabbits and deer. “This is too much,” I thought. “Its unnatural. True, Utopia represents freedom but this goes beyond the realms of acceptability.” I flatly refused to make this concession and just as a precaution I sent out Chauncey with his troops to make sure everything remained calm. When he returned with his report I nearly collapsed. Not only had he witnessed animals devouring one another but also this was apparently not a new phenomenon. It appears that many of the animals had acquired a taste for flesh in the aftermath of the earthquake. The casualties were considered fresh meat. Once this delicacy was exhausted I was told that they moved on to the injured. Instead of rescuing them they would hasten and in many cases even cause their death. This means that the rumors I had heard from abroad were true. I knew I needed to act fast so I sent both Chauncey and Rizzo with all of their troops to bring an end to the barbarism by force. The rebels put up a tremendous struggle and it took a number of days but eventually my generals were able to crush the rebellion. I worried about where I would contain all the prisoners since we were running out of room in the reformatory. This problem soon resolved itself however. As we locked up the animals in the confined space they all at once began devouring one another, which freed up space. The weakest were devoured first then the strongest battled for supremacy. I was greatly disturbed by all of this aggressive behavior by Utopian citizens but at the same time I was glad the beasts were caged up so as not to bring harm to the free population. Although these measures seemed to temporarily stabilize things, discontent was on the rise. To make matters worse I began to hear unsettling rumors from abroad that my children were being raised as speciests. According to the rumors, Zarathustra was taking a personal interest in their training. This was no doubt his way of getting back at me for not joining him. The rumors left me visibly shaken. I was at my wit’s end. Just when I was about to throw in the towel someone showed up and saved me from despair. “Molly! Am I glad to see you!” I exclaimed. She cheerfully pranced up to me with three kittens trailing behind her. “Christopher,” she said. “We need to talk.” Immediately the stress over my low approval ratings began to melt away. “Sure,” I said, putting on a concerned expression. “Is everything ok?” Molly nervously smiled. “Do you remember that time that I said we were always only friends?” “How could I forget?” I thought. “I’m still carrying around the emotional scars from that day.” Those were my thoughts. What I said was, “Vaguely. I do remember something to that effect.” She continued, “I wasn’t being honest with you. The truth is, I have always loved you. I just thought I wasn’t good enough for you. I knew you had certain goals you were working towards and I didn’t want to get in your way.” You could have knocked me over with a feather! “Really?” I exclaimed, “Why didn’t you say something? I feel the same about you! I have always loved you!” My heart was on fire. Suddenly one of the kittens began tugging on her tail. “Mommy? Who is this cat?” Looking back, she ushered the little ones in front of her. “This is my good friend Christopher,” she said. “Christopher, this is Stuart, Derek, and Misty. They are the light of my life.” Crouching down, I began playing with the little ones. I was then struck with a sudden impulse. I stood erect and gripped Molly’s paws. “Run away with me,” I said. “We can make a fresh start together. Just me, you and the little ones. What do you say?” Molly looked down at her children but remained silent. I said, “Don’t worry about them. I’ll raise them as if they were my own.” To my surprise she sternly replied, “They already have a father.” I was a little taken aback by this. She continued in a softer tone, “It wouldn’t be right to take them so far away. After all, he still has the right to be near his children. Besides, don’t you still have a lot of work to do here in Utopia? The world isn’t going to bring about equality on its own.” I smiled outwardly but on the inside I felt wounded. I don’t know why. What she said was true. “Your right,” I said. “I’ll go along with whatever you think is best.” Molly faintly smiled. She then peered at my face curiously with her large copper eyes. “You look much older than you did the last time I saw you,” she said. “How has life been treating you?” Immediately my previous worries came back to mind. She listened attentively as I unburdened myself to her. I told her about how Sabrina abandoned me and about the growing discontent despite all of my concessions. She comforted me. “Don’t be too discouraged,” she said. “The issues you are dealing with are as old as time. I heard Socrates once complained about animals always demanding individuality. As soon as it’s granted, what do they do? Everyone copies one another. Finally he concluded that’s its just not possible to please everyone. Once he stopped trying, his job became a whole lot easier. I don’t know if that helps but at least now you know you’re not alone in dealing with this problem.” I nodded appreciatively. “Thank you. It does help a little. But Utopia is a lot different than the Union of Animals. We have the only truly free animal society in the world. Our problems must be coming from outside influence.” Molly slightly frowned. I continued, “If only there was a way to protect our citizens from the outside world…” I would just like to point out that during all this time of regional instability Utopia’s borders had remained open. Utopia maintained a policy, which invited any animal th
at craved freedom, to join us. In addition, if for some reason they wanted to leave, they were free to go at any time. It was at this point that I began to rethink our policy. I said, “Molly. When I invited you to my home, it wasn’t just a place to stay I was offering. I took on the responsibility to protect you from the outside world. Should it be any different with Utopia’s citizens? They are like my children. I need to protect them.” Molly listened attentively. “What if…” I continued. “…we were to erect a wall surrounding Utopia? This would serve to keep any bad influences from corrupting their minds.” In an undertone Molly replied, “I don’t know if that would work.” Undeterred I continued, “We’re just brainstorming here. Think about it. One of the problems we may be having is that too many citizens don’t see themselves as part of the community. If we ask our citizens to remain in Utopia for a while and at the same time succeed in keeping our enemies out, imagine what we could accomplish.” At this point Molly’s children began to stir and her attention was diverted. I helped her to gather up the little ones and put them to bed. The subject was dropped but a seed had already been planted in my mind.
Chapter 10 - Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - Leo Tolstoy
We were now three months into the project. The badgers were of tremendous help in the construction of the wall. Their experience in building strong dams was much appreciated. At first the idea of surrounding Utopia with a wall of stone was met with resistance. However after I explained to everyone that it was absolutely necessary for our protection, the mood changed. Many had even become anxious to complete the wall as soon as possible. It was around this time that an unfortunate event took place that would altar Utopia’s future forever. Now this next part of the story is a little blurry to me. I’ll do my best to relate it to you exactly as I remember it. I hope you’ll forgive me if it comes off as a bit surreal.
It was a bright sunny day. The air was fresh. Molly, the children and I decided to take a walk towards the caverns. She had been promising this trip to the little ones for some time now and today seemed like the perfect day for it. Everything seemed perfect. We probably looked like the happiest family in the world. Though unbeknownst to me, my life was about to be turned upside down. Leading the way, I approached the entrance of the caverns. I was just about to lead the group into the large opening, when I turned around to give some last minute safety tips to Molly and the kids. As I turned to face forward I felt the ground shake, there was a deafening thunderclap and the opening to the cavern was gone. I suddenly found myself staring at a wall of stone just inches away from my face. My legs began to feel weak. I jumped back and rushed to make sure that Molly and the kids were ok. That’s when I realized what had happened. It wasn’t the cavern wall I had been staring at; rather it was a large boulder that was now partially plunged into the ground. I quickly looked up to the top of the mountainside that opened into the caverns. As I tried to catch a glimpse of what caused the boulder to fall the sun’s rays filled my eyes. Squinting I thought I made out the silhouettes of four or five beings moving around the mountain edge. I placed my paw in front of my eyes to shield them from the blinding sun. Peeping out between the spaces of my fingers I fixed my gaze on a solitary figure looking down at me from the top of the mountain. It was a dog. I knew this dog. “It can’t be,” I thought. But it was. It was the same dog I had spoken to years ago when the threshold guardian first gave me the tour of Lumpenproleteria. Back then he was just a puppy but I was sure it was he. He was there for only a brief instant then he too disappeared. I don’t remember all of the details surrounding how we exited this area but I do have vague mental snapshots of ushering Molly and the kids to safety. The following week was an obscure combination of images. There were various animals with worried faces looking down at me, the feeling of being forcibly held down as I struggled in a cold sweat, and furiously barking orders as I raced to and fro in a delirium. Gradually I experienced extended periods of lucidity where I felt my mind clearer than ever before. I remember a distinct sensation of understanding secrets that had been hidden from animals from the beginning of time. However I would inevitably relapse into delirium and when I awoke the secret was forgotten. During one of my periods of lucidity it was explained to me that the assassination attempt was likely sponsored by one of the new militant groups that had emerged in Utopia. This particular group I was told had a philosophy called Chaoticism, which was opposed to any forms of animal order. This group wanted to roll back domestication, which they claimed, would bring about paradisiacal conditions. All of this sounded absurd to me but I was sure about one thing. These ideas could not have come from within Utopia. Outside influences were at work. In frenzy I requested to know the status of the construction project. To my surprise and delight I was told that the wall was almost complete. Apparently even in my weakened state I had the presence of mind to order the construction project completed. I’m told there was some resistance in carrying out the orders but that I was so convincing even in my fragile condition that the citizens capitulated. In fact they had been working in shifts so that the work continued nonstop ever since the attempt on my life. The attempt, by the way resulted in a strange chain of events that left me once again in a state of isolation. Allow me to explain. Rumors were spreading that Molly had something to do with the attempt. I knew this was preposterous so I of course stood by my love and defended her, tooth and nail. To my dismay the rumors were too much for her to bear and she left me, taking the children with her. I was beside myself. “Where could she go?” I thought. “Her close association with me made it impossible for her to return to the Union of Animals. She must be somewhere in Utopia. But why didn’t she just stand by me?” I wondered. “Together we could ride out this storm.” I ordered a careful search to be made for Molly. She would certainly realize her mistake and return to me. After days of searching it was reported to me that she had returned to Kliev. It didn’t make any sense to me but I was informed that Socrates welcomed her back with open arms. This unwelcome news had a debilitating affect on my mind. I felt unsure of myself. I had a general idea of the direction I wanted Utopia to take but something was holding me back. It was like some kind of mental block. I called for Stanley and he cheerfully strutted into my chambers. I gently gripped him by the whiskers in my characteristic way. By now he had become accustomed to this procedure. I had to be sure that Utopia was going to be all right. I first peered into his eyes. Everything seemed to be normal. His eyes appeared to be a little glazed over and his pupils were dilated but he was completely relaxed. His wide smile put me at ease. I thought, “Utopia is going to be just fine!” and I sent him away. But after I was alone my worries began to plague me. “Utopia’ jail’s are now brimming with animals. Our friends are demanding an explanation for the large stone wall surrounding our borders and to make matters worse both Socrates and Zarathustra are using a new strategy against me that I’m not sure how to handle. They are spreading propaganda that makes me look like a tyrant but paints them as moderates. Can you believe that?” I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I could have gone to my mentor but I felt ashamed. What could I do? A deep depression gripped my mind. It made me unable to even get out of bed some days. I remember sitting in dark rooms for days at a time without the energy to even move. If someone or something didn’t rescue me from this condition soon I knew I would come undone. I felt as if I was just about to lose it, when suddenly the light to my room was turned on. It seemed strange to me because the door had not opened and I was sure I was alone. Standing before me was a cat who looked familiar to me but I couldn’t remember where we had met before. He was about my size and age. He had green eyes and a coat of white with large black patches. “Hello?” I muttered. He responded, “Hello,” echoing my words. I asked, “Who are you? How did you get in here?” He responded, “I’m Joab. I’m here because you need my help.” Recognizing the truth in his words I decided not to bother pursuing the question of how he gai
ned access to my private chambers. “I doubt if anyone can help me at this point?” I groaned. “I can help you,” stated Joab confidently. “But first I need your permission to do what needs to be done.” Puzzled, I replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is it that needs to be done?” After a brief silence Joab replied, “You know what needs to be done.” After an even longer silence I found myself reluctantly nodding my head. It’s not easy for me to explain to you why I did this but I will try. The physical body performs all sorts of actions. Many of these actions are involuntary. For example, no thought goes into the action of the heart pumping blood throughout the body. In order to survive the action is carried out without needing the approval of the mind. I believe this same force is what caused me to begin nodding my head without even understanding my reasons for doing so. After being given permission, Joab turned off the light and exited the room. I found myself feeling a little bit easier and I soon fell asleep. All that night I had nightmares filled with the most barbaric torturous images imaginable. I’ll spare you the graphic details but I will tell you this. All of the nightmares had a reoccurring theme. I was the one inflicting the torture on others. I awoke in a cold sweat. At that point I wasn’t sure if my encounter with Joab was also a dream so I decided to make it a point to inquire if anyone had actually entered my chambers or not. Upon standing up I expected to feel nauseous and weak. To my surprise I felt pretty good. Both my body and mind felt relaxed. I was inexplicably free of stress. After stretching and a few yawns I felt ready to face the world. I still couldn’t get over how good I felt. The first citizens I ran into after exiting my chambers were a couple of guards whose assignments included not only guarding prisoners but also handling surveillance throughout Utopia. One of the guards was a golden brown striped tabby with green eyes. The other was a jet-black cat with yellow eyes. I asked the tabby, “Citizen, are you aware of anyone entering my chambers last night?” The guards glanced at one another nervously then stared at the ground. The tabby answered, “No sir. Not to my knowledge.” I thought, “These guards are acting strange. Why are they avoiding eye contact with me? I’ve seen this look before. That time when Niccolo first invaded Fostoria his animals had a similar look on their faces.” I replied, “That’s odd because I could have sworn that I saw a cat with black and white patches…” Divining that his friend had given the wrong answer the black cat interjected, “Sir, I saw a cat with black and white patches.” Surprised and a bit relieved I asked, “You did?” He quickly responded, “Yes he was a cat, and he had black and white patches.” Suspiciously I inquired, “Did he enter my private chambers?” The black cat glanced at his friend then replied, “Yes?” A sudden wave of relief passed over me. “So I’m not crazy after all,” I thought to myself. “Very well,” I said. “As you were.” The guards cautiously passed by me and around a corner. I could have sworn I heard the scuffling sound of cat’s running as soon as they were out of my sight. Their behavior struck me as odd but my mood was so elevated that I refused to let it bother me. As I walked through Utopia the next citizens I ran into were the Siamese twins Truth and Justice. With our bumpy past I expected this to be a very awkward encounter. To my surprise there was no awkwardness at all. In fact the twins talked with me very cordially. The discussion was free of veiled threats and suspicious glances. It was as if the twins had somehow acquired a whole new respect for me. I took my leave of the twins feeling strange. It was as if I had awakened into a different world. I won’t lie. It was a welcome change. My old world was full of anxiety and stress. The next citizen I ran into was Secretary of State Bruno. “Christopher!” he exclaimed excitedly running up to me. He quickly checked himself. Averting eye contact he quickly looked to the ground. “I mean… Commander, I just arrived. Is there anything I need to know?” Reluctantly he raised his eyes and gazed at me inquiringly. “This is strange behavior,” I thought. Bruno continued, “Sir, rumors have spread throughout the international community that Utopia has been… emptying our holding cells. Everyone has been approaching me to make a statement on these rumors. I honestly didn’t know what to tell them seeing as I was not informed of a change in our policies. Early this morning I went to see for myself if the rumors were true.” Bruno gave me an intense look. “I must say that I noticed the number of prisoners appeared greatly reduced from what I expected to see.” I smiled to myself, “This must be Joab’s work.” I said, “Don’t worry yourself Bruno. The prisoners are being rehabilitated and released back into society. You didn’t expect us to hold them forever did you?” A look of surprise then relief registered on Bruno’s face. “No sir. I knew we couldn’t hold them forever but I wasn’t informed that we had begun tackling this problem. If you don’t mind my asking, who is handling the rehabilitation project?” I smiled. “His name is Joab. I think we’ve finally found an official who cares about Utopia as much as I do.” Bruno frowned slightly. Picking up on this I interjected, “That wasn’t directed at you. You’re doing a fine job as Secretary of State, but when you have to work harder it means others are not doing their jobs. I’m expecting Joab to make both of our lives a whole lot easier.”
Breed The Secret Design To Maintain Racial Inequality Among The Despised Classes Page 26
