Klap snaps to attention — body ramrod straight, mitt at his temple in a perfect salute, slit eye held wide in a forced-ecstatic painted expression. The officers regard him with satisfaction and turn away. Klap LEFT in attention, the officers RIGHT departing. The comedy: Klap, the smug-cynic of every other page, forced into the mask of universal cheer to avoid the clang.
Wide rally — an OLD OFFICER (canonical citizen but with an extravagant plumed helmet, heavy epaulets dripping with metal fringe, beard-stippling on his dome painted to suggest age and rank) standing on a podium, ONE MITT raised in a fist toward heaven, BELLOWING the rally cry. The crowd visible in the foreground packed in formation, their thumbs-up raised in unison. Trurl + Klap caught in the surge somewhere in the crowd.
The thundering response — the entire crowd's mouths open, the response 'All hail to happiness!' reverberating in the air with sound-waves rippling outward. Trurl and Klap visible in the crowd compelled to mouth the words along, their faces a study in horrified compliance.
Narration: then turned with the rest to Klapaucius—who didn’t wait for such encouragement but snapped to attention at once, assuming a properly ecstatic expression, at which they were satisfied and continued on their way.
Citizen says: All hail to life!
Citizen says: “All hail to happiness.”
page 49
