CHAPTER VII. -The coming Race

In Chapter VII of “The Coming Race”, the narrator is provided with a private room formerly belonging to Zee, in a grand edifice. Unlike the more publicly opulent spaces, this room is modestly adorned, featuring walls hung with variegated matting and a bed of simple design. The room also houses an aviary of melodious, unfamiliar birds capable of complex musical arrangements, hinting at a level of domestic and artistic sophistication.

The narrator’s reflections are soon interrupted by the visit of his host and Zee. The host is curious about the narrator’s origins, given the vast differences between their peoples. Despite the narrator’s attempts to tout the advancements and civilisation of his own world, notably emphasizing the achievements and ideals of the United States and New York City, the host and Zee respond with polite skepticism, especially towards the concept of democracy and its effects on societal happiness and progress.

The conversation shifts toward the narrator’s accidental journey to their world and his descriptions of the upper world’s technological and societal norms. The host, while intrigued, remains unconvinced of the superiority or even equivalence of the narrator’s world compared to their own advanced civilization, which leverages the mysterious force known as “vril” for various applications, from weather control to mental influence, suggesting a unity of natural forces far beyond the scientific understanding of the narrator’s world.

The chapter closes with an agreement of confidentiality between the narrator, the host, and Zee concerning the details of the upper world, a decision underpinned by the suggestion that knowledge of such a place could pose a risk to their society. Zee hints at the power of vril to erase memories, emphasizing the potential for control over not only physical but also mental realms. The chapter juxtaposes the technological advances and societal structures of two vastly different civilizations, emphasizing themes of discovery, cultural relativism, and the ethical implications of power.