Just ahead of Part Twenty-Five of our winter audio adventure Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson, a quick thank you for all your kind words about our Mark Steyn Club diversions, and especially about Tales for Our Time. We always like to hear what you appreciate and what you don't - and, if you've a particular favourite you think would suit this series, by all means pass it along.
Meanwhile, in tonight's episode of our present Tale, the night has passed and the orgy of violence prompted by the revelation of a "Catholic plot" has abated:
It was not known how many deaths had taken place, but there was scarcely a street without the signs of outrage. Westminster Cathedral had been sacked, every altar overthrown, indescribable indignities performed there. An unknown priest had scarcely been able to consume the Blessed Sacrament before he was seized and throttled; the Archbishop with eleven priests and two bishops had been hanged at the north end of the church, thirty-five convents had been destroyed, St George's Cathedral burned to the ground; and it was reported even, by the evening papers, that it was believed that, for the first time since the introduction of Christianity into England, there was not one Tabernacle left within twenty miles of the Abbey. "London," explained The New People, in huge headlines, "was cleansed at last of dingy and fantastic nonsense."
It was known at about fifteen-and-a-half o'clock that at least seventy volors had left for Rome, and half-an-hour later that Berlin had reinforced them by sixty more. At midnight, fortunately at a time when the police had succeeded in shepherding the crowds into some kind of order, the news was flashed on to cloud and placard alike that the grim work was done, and that Rome had ceased to exist.
Members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear me read Part Twenty-Five of our adventure simply by clicking here and logging-in. Earlier episodes of Lord of the World can be found here, and nearly seventy other Tales for Our Time here.
Fran Lavery, a New Mexico Steyn Clubber, enjoyed the outbound volor flight:
Keep your seatbelts strapped!
Wunderbar writing in Robert Hugh Benson's volor flight descriptions and Mark's stupendous narration puts you squarely in the craft.
For more on The Mark Steyn Club, please see here. And, if you've a chum who enjoys classic fiction, we've introduced a special Mark Steyn Gift Membership.
See you for another installment of Lord of the World tomorrow.