The people started.
Those sitting rose to their feet. For a moment the silence of death
prevailed; all became watchful, and many faces grew pale.
"Comrades!" resounded Pavel's voice, ringing and firm.
A dry, hot haze burned the mother's eyes, and with a single movement
of her body, suddenly strengthened, she stood behind her son. All
turned toward Pavel, and drew up to him, like iron filings attracted
by a magnet.
"Brothers! The hour has come to give up this life of ours, this
life of greed, hatred, and darkness, this life of violence and
falsehood, this life where there is no place for us, where we are
no human beings."
He stopped, and everybody maintained silence, moving still closer
to him. The mother stared at her son. She saw only his eyes, his
proud, brave, burning eyes.
"Comrades! We have decided to declare openly who we are; we raise
our banner to-day, the banner of reason, of truth, of liberty! And
now I raise it!"
A flag pole, white and slender, flashed in the air, bent down,
cleaving the crowd. For a moment it was lost from sight; then over
the uplifted faces the broad canvas of the working people's flag
spread its wings like a red bird.
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