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you dancing from left to right； and then from right to left； with Seven Men
and a Woman in your immediate proximity on the left； and eight Men and
two Women on your right。 Is not this correct？〃
〃It is correct；〃 said the King； 〃so far as the numbers and sexes are
concerned； though I know not what you mean by ‘right' and ‘left。' But I
deny that you saw these things。 For how could you see the Line； that is to
say the inside； of any Man？ But you must have heard these things； and
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then dreamed that you saw them。 And let me ask what you mean by those
words ‘left' and ‘right。' I suppose it is your way of saying Northward and
Southward。〃
〃Not so；〃 replied I； 〃besides your motion of Northward and Southward；
there is another motion which I call from right to left。〃
King。 Exhibit to me； if you please； this motion from left to right。
I。 Nay； that I cannot do； unless you could step out of your Line
altogether。
King。 Out of my Line？ Do you mean out of the world？ Out of Space？
I。 Well； yes。 Out of YOUR world。 Out of YOUR Space。 For your
Space is not the true Space。 True Space is a Plane； but your Space is only a
Line。
King。 If you cannot indicate this motion from left to right by yourself
moving in it； then I beg you to describe it to me in words。
I。 If you cannot tell your right side from your left； I fear that no words
of mine can make my meaning clearer to you。 But surely you cannot be
ignorant of so simple a distinction。
King。 I do not in the least understand you。
I。 Alas！ How shall I make it clear？ When you move straight on； does it
not sometimes occur to you that you COULD move in some other way；
turning your eye round so as to look in the direction towards which your
side is now fronting？ In other words； instead of always moving in the
direction of one of your extremities； do you never feel a desire to move in
the direction； so to speak； of your side？
King。 Never。 And what do you mean？ How can a man's inside 〃front〃
in any direction？ Or how can a man move in the direction of his inside？
I。 Well then； since words cannot explain the matter； I will try deeds；
and will move gradually out of Lineland in the direction which I desire to
indicate to you。
At the word I began to move my body out of Lineland。 As long as any
part of me remained in his dominion and in his view； the King kept
exclaiming； 〃I see you； I see you still； you are not moving。〃 But when I
had at last moved myself out of his Line； he cried in his shrillest voice；
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〃She is vanished； she is dead。〃 〃I am not dead；〃 replied I； 〃I am simply out
of Lineland； that is to say； out of the Straight Line which you call Space；
and in the true Space； where I can see things as they are。 And at this
moment I can see your Line； or sideor inside as you are pleased to call it；
and I can see also the Men and Women on the North and South of you；
whom I will now enumerate； describing their order； their size； and the
interval between each。〃 When I had done this at great length； I cried
triumphantly； 〃Does that at last convince you？〃 And； with that； I once
more entered Lineland； taking up the same position as before。
But the Monarch replied； 〃If you were a Man of sensethough； as you
appear to have only one voice I have little doubt you are not a Man but a
Womanbut； if you had a particle of sense； you would listen to reason。
You ask me to believe that there is another Line besides that which my
senses indicate； and another motion besides that of which I am daily
conscious。 I； in return； ask you to describe in words or indicate by motion
that other Line of which you speak。 Instead of moving； you merely
exercise some magic art of vanishing and returning to sight； and instead of
any lucid description of your new World； you simply tell me the numbers
and sizes of some forty of my retinue； facts known to any child in my
capital。 Can anything be more irrational or audacious？ Acknowledge your
folly or depart from my dominions。〃
Furious at his perversity； and especially indignant that he professed to
be ignorant of my sex； I retorted in no measured terms； 〃Besotted Being！
You think yourself the perfection of existence； while you are in reality the
most imperfect and imbecile。 You profess to see； whereas you see nothing
but a Point！ You plume yourself on inferring the existence of a Straight
Line； but I CAN SEE Straight Lines； and infer the existence of Angles；
Triangles； Squares； Pentagons； Hexagons； and even Circles。 Why waste
more words？ Suffice it that I am the completion of your incomplete self。
You are a Line； but I am a Line of Lines called in my country a Square：
and even I； infinitely superior though I am to you； am of little account
among the great nobles of Flatland； whence I have come to visit you； in
the hope of enlightening your ignorance。〃
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Hearing these words the King advanced towards me with a menacing
cry as if to pierce me through the diagonal； and in that same movement
there arose from myriads of his subjects a multitudinous war…cry；
increasing in vehemence till at last methought it rivalled the roar of an
army of a hundred thousand Isosceles； and the artillery of a thousand
Pentagons。 Spell…bound and motionless； I could neither speak nor move to
avert the impending destruction； and still the noise grew louder； and the
King came closer； when I awoke to find the breakfast…bell recalling me to
the realities of Flatland。
SECTION 15 Concerning a Stranger from
Spaceland
From dreams I proceed to facts。
It was the last day of our 1999th year of our era。 The patterning of the
rain had long ago announced nightfall； and I was sitting （footnote 3） in the
company of my wife； musing on the events of the past and the prospects of
the coming year； the coming century； the coming Millennium。
My four Sons and two orphan Grandchild