Ch 11: Ministry of Hidden Knowledge

clack-clickadee clack-clackding clack-clickadee clack-clackding [typewriters and pneumatic tubes in rhythm] Verse 1 Across the river stood a building Larger than I'd ever seen. Seven hundred glowing windows, Every one of them lit. Steam drifted from iron towers. Telegraph wires disappeared within. And every glowing window seemed to whisper: "Something important happens here..." The guide informed us proudly: "Public tours are offered daily As part of our commitment To complete transparency." At which point six clerks hurried past Carrying a curtain. Chorus of Clerks clack-clickadee clack-clackding File it! Stamp it! Sign it! Queue! Department Twenty-Seven Knows exactly what to do! clack-clickadee clack-clackding File it! Stamp it! Sign it! Queue! Department Twenty-Seven Has referred us to Twenty-Two! Verse 2 Inside was brighter than outside. Gas lamps. Oil lamps. Desk lamps. Wall lamps. Brass lamps hanging everywhere. Funny thing was... For a building with so many windows, I couldn't find a single one. The guide showed us Several approved corridors, Three authorised filing cabinets, And a display entitled: NOTHING TO HIDE Behind which somebody was clearly hiding. A pneumatic tube exploded overhead. The guide smiled calmly. "Perfectly normal." Traveller Refrain I may be lost, But I'm smart enough. I may be tired, But I'm tough enough. There's light out there. I know it. I saw the windows. Verse 3 Somewhere between Archives And Clarifications, The tour became separated From itself. A staircase folded into a filing cabinet. Three maps contradicted one another. Paper aeroplanes delivered messages To departments nobody could locate. An important-looking folder escaped. Six secretaries pursued it. Everyone seemed extremely busy. Nobody appeared entirely certain why. Chorus clack-clickadee clack-clackding File it! Stamp it! Sign it! Queue! One more clue! One more room! One more archive! One more truth! clack-clickadee clack-clackding File it! Stamp it! Sign it! Queue! The answer's very nearly here! Please proceed immediately! Verse 4 The corridors became impossible. One led to maps. The maps led to corridors. The corridors contained more maps. A filing cabinet offered directions. Halfway through delivering them It changed its mind. Somewhere a brass machine announced: SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION APPROACHING Every three minutes. Nothing arrived. The machine seemed delighted. Traveller Refrain I may be lost, But I'm smart enough. I may be turned around. There were windows. I'm sure there were. I remember seeing them. Build [typewriters accelerate] clack-clickadee clack-clackding clickadee clack-clackding clickadee clack-clackding Files flying! Maps folding! Tube messages firing! Folders escaping! Doors revolving! Clerks shouting! Machines announcing: FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE! FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE! FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE! Layered Climax clack-clickadee clack-clackding File it! Stamp it! Sign it! Queue! One more file! One more clue! One more answer! Almost through! Traveller (calm beneath the chaos) I may be lost, But I'm smart enough. I may be tired, But I'm tough enough. There's light out there. I know it. I saw the windows. Ending At some point, Without quite noticing, I realised something. The guide was gone. The tour was gone. The entrance was gone. And for the first time Since stepping through the doors, I had no idea where I was. The typewriters carried on. The tubes carried on. The maps kept changing. The Department carried on. And somewhere deep inside the building, A bell began to ring. clack-clickadee clack-clackding... clickadee clack-clackding... clickadee clack-clackding... And suddenly, I wasn't entirely sure I could find my way back out.