“Are you willing to appear in our palæstra for a testing; and if so, do you choose to compete with the good or the better or the best in each department?”
“I am willing to appear: and defeat would be less mortifying to me at the hands of the best,” said Aleph with infinite composure.
“But one thing remains to be attended to here,” continued Publius Cornelius (for this was the name of the young Roman who acted as master of ceremonies). “According to our rules, when a young man has elected the best competitors—which indeed rarely happens—it is necessary that he stand face to face with them in our presence, that he may fully understand what he undertakes, and have an opportunity to recede from his choice if he thinks best: also that we may judge whether his choice is a reasonable one. Our best will now please present themselves with the candidate in front of the bema.”
A number of young men rose in different parts of the hall, and made their way to the open space before Seti. Aleph also advanced and stood near, facing them.
There was a profound silence for a few moments as the confronting parties surveyed each other, and were closely surveyed and compared by the rest (many standing on their seats for the purpose). Then burst out an almost deafening cheer.
The fact was that as long as Aleph stood by himself his extraordinary physical advantages had not fully displayed themselves. But when he came to stand with others everybody at once saw that in that group there was no face so noble and winning, no figure so majestic and exquisitely proportioned, no bearing so lofty and poised and full of suggestion of power and leadership as Aleph’s. So evident was all this to the “best” themselves that they could not prevent the consciousness of it from appearing in their uneasy faces and attitudes—especially after that spontaneous cheer which they well understood.
“Well?” inquired Cornelius, looking at Aleph.
Aleph again passed his eyes naturally and serenely through the group before him, resting them for an instant on one taller and brawnier than the rest, and then said quietly, “I adhere to my choice.”
A young man started up. “Our president has stated that we are to judge of the reasonableness of this choice. It seems to me a very unreasonable one. The advantages are too much on one side. Unless the gods interfere (and somehow they are not apt to do so in these days) there can be but one result to such an unequal competition. It is foreordained. I therefore propose, in the interest of our Best, that the candidate be at once passed to his matriculation with all the honors and with no conditions whatever. This course, it is true, is unprecedented; but then the circumstances are unprecedented. Those of us who know a good thing when we see it, are, I think, quite prepared for this action.”
Action, Action was exclaimed from all parts of the hall.