“‘When all the gold on earth will be ours, the power will go over to us. Then will be fulfilled the promise made to Abraham. Gold is the ruler of the earth. Gold is power, reward, pleasure ... all that human beings fear and desire. This is the mystery of the Caballa ... the teachings concerning the spirit which rules the world, and about the future! Eighteen centuries we have belonged to our enemies. The future belongs to us. For the fifth time in the course of the thousand-year-old struggle to which we have consecrated ourselves, those who know of the existence of the secret union have gathered here to take counsel as to the means which are afforded us by the sins of our enemies, and each time, for five hundreds years, a new Sanhedrim, ordered the fiercest struggle. But, excepting Russia, not a single century has been crowned with such success as this one. Therefore we may think that the time for which we are striving is near, and we may say, “The Future is ours!”’
“‘Yes, if persecutions against the Jews will not take place in the meantime!’ pointed out one of the men with a bitter smile.
“‘The dark days of such a danger are passed. The success of so-called civilization among the Christian nations may serve as the best protection for our endeavors. Before listening to the individual opinions, let us examine the material means, the pure capital possessed by the nation of Israel....’
“‘But against the three and a half million Jews with their money there are 265 million enemies in Europe, or rather 500 million fists,’ remarked one of these present.
“‘The head will protect us against the fists, as in the past. Labor is the slave of speculation, and violence is the slave of wisdom. Who will deny that cunning is the distinctive trait of our nation?
“‘Our nation is ostentatious and greedy, arrogant and pleasure-loving.
“‘Where there is light there is also shadow. It is not in vain that Adonai our God gave his chosen people the tenacity of a snake, the cunning of a fox, the look of a falcon, the memory of a dog, the diligence of an ant, and the sociability of a beaver. We were in captivity on the rivers of Babylon, and have become powerful! Our temple was destroyed, but we have built a thousand new temples! For eighteen hundreds years we were slaves; now we have grown head and shoulders above all other nations.’
“All the twelve pronounced the concluding words—
“‘Brethren,’ said the Levite, ‘the time has come when, in accordance with the laws of the founder of our union, we must determine ways and means by which the Jews shall attain their goal as soon as possible; our experience of a hundred years will help us in this. We who know must direct and guide the masses which are blind. We, the builders, will combine the dead stones into a pillar which must reach the sky.’
“‘The Tower of Babel was destroyed by the hand of Him whose name I dare not pronounce,’ said the sceptic.