Chapter VI: The Conspiracy

Despite the fact that the audience chamber of the imperial palace of Reabon was crowded with people, the silence was so intense that the buzzing of a fly would have been audible from one end of the room to the other. Whereas, only a moment before, the people had laughed and chatted in little groups, they now stood in straight, rigid lines along the marble walls, arranged according to their respective ranks and stations in life, for the scarlet curtains which surrounded the massive throne had been drawn back, signifying the approach of the princess, the Torrogina.

Those who stood at the lower end of the hall and farthest from the throne were the slaves, the prevailing color of whose garments was gray. Next to the slaves stood the common people, the tradesmen, farmers, merchants, mechanics, and the like, who were attired in blue. Then came the nobles and their families, who might be recognized anywhere by their purple garments, and finally members of the royal families of Reabon and her many rogats, who were privileged to wear scarlet, the universal Zarovian color of royalty, and to stand next to the throne during audiences.

All eyes were turned toward the door as four men entered, carrying a great golden palanquin with curtains of scarlet. The litter-bearers all wore heavy beards, cut off square below the chin. On their heads were jeweled golden crowns, and their scarlet garments proclaimed their royal birth. They were kings of four of the sixteen kingdoms which comprised the empire of Reabon, and were serving their allotted time in attendance on the Torrogina Vernia, as was required by law.

Behind the palanquin walked the illustrious Orthad, commander of all the armies of Reabon, and responsible only to the princess herself. He was armed with tork and scarbo, and resplendent in his magnificent uniform, which was of purple, denoting his noble birth, and decorated with no inconsiderable quantity of gold fringe, gold braid and jewels. On a scarlet cushion held before him he carried the great jeweled scarbo, the scepter of Reabonian authority.

A hundred members of the Imperial Guard marched behind in double file, and ranged themselves at regular intervals alone the wall. Their uniforms were of an olive green color, decorated with silver in lieu of the gold which adorned that of their commander.

When the four palanquin-bearers arrived at the foot of the throne which was reached by four broad steps, they gently lowered their burden to the floor, and each stepped forward and lay, face downward, on one of the steps. No sooner had they taken their places than the scarlet curtains parted, and the beautiful ruler of the greatest empire in all Zarovia, Vernia of Reabon, emerged and ascended the four human steps to the throne.

As she took her seat with quiet dignity, every one in the room bowed low with right hand extended palm downward. She made a picture of dazzling loveliness, as she sat there attired in a clinging garment of scarlet material that left her white arms and shoulders bare--her jeweled crown resting lightly on her fluffy golden curls, a dainty, alluringly feminine ruler who had succeeded a thousand mighty emperors and was, herself, mightier and more ambitious than them all.

* * * * *

The first person to seek audience before the throne was a gayly uniformed ambassador from the great western empire of Mernerum, laden with costly presents from its mighty emperor, and bringing a proposal of marriage, despite the fact that this same suitor had been refused no less than a score of times before.

When Bonal, her prime minister in earthly courts, advised her that the ambassador from Mernerum sought audience, Vernia looked a trifle bored.

"Are there not several other ambassadors with presents and similar messages waiting without?" she asked.

"Yes, your majesty, there are ten in all from as many empires."

"Send them all in at once. I can say 'No' to all collectively and thus save time, otherwise our entire day will be taken up in listening to their pleas, and the more important business of the empire will have to be postponed."

The ten ambassadors traversed the length of the hall with much pomp and ceremony, each followed by a concourse of slaves laden with the most costly presents a great emperor could procure, and humbly bowed before the throne. Bonal announced their ten proposals as one, Vernia promptly and courteously declined, and they sadly took their departure, reflecting, no doubt, on the stormy receptions which awaited them when they should announce the failure of their missions to their several imperial masters.

Her matrimonial offers disposed of, the Torrogina listened to the reports of the rulers of her various provinces. Last on the list came Uxpo, as it was the last kingdom conquered. Though the other provinces were ruled by princes, this one was temporarily under the control of a military commander, for its fierce, warlike people had not been completely subjugated. A stalwart young captain bore tidings from his commander. He humbly approached the foot of the throne and waited for permission to speak, then announced:

"Prince Thaddor has escaped from the quarries. He nearly killed two of his guards and ran away into the fern-forest."

Vernia was greatly surprised. That Prince Thaddor had found courage to escape seemed incredible to her, for she was well aware of his gentle, studious ways and unresisting disposition; but that he had nearly killed two of his guards in the process seemed little short of miraculous.

"You have sent soldiers after him, I presume."

"Men are scouring the forests and mountains in search of him, but up to the time of my departure, no trace had been found of the fugitive. There is another matter of which my commander bids me speak. It has been prophesied by some unknown soothsayer that a great fighter is coming from another world to lead Uxpo to victory and independence. This ridiculous prediction has spread throughout the kingdom, and as result it is a seething caldron of unrest. The Fighting Traveks of Uxpo make nightly raids on our soldiers, and even the women and children have grown rebellious."

Vernia frowned slightly.

"This mutiny must be put down, once and for all," she said. "Orthad: assemble an army of ten thousand men at once--I will lead them in person. Bonal: my palanquin-bearers. Postpone all further hearings until my return from Uxpo."

* * * * *

Half hour later two men stood on one of the smaller balconies of the imperial palace in whispered conversation. One wore the scarlet of royalty, the other the purple of the nobility and the trappings and insignia of an imperial commander.

The one in scarlet, a youth of twenty, with furtive, shifty eyes and a full sensuous mouth that was only partly concealed by a thin growth of beard, whispered hoarsely:

"Have a care, my worthy Zueppa. It is not necessary to shout. I hear quite well, you know, and some one might be loitering in the corridor. Are you sure the four men who are to constitute her personal bodyguard will not fail us?"

"Their loyalty to your highness, Prince Destho, is beyond question. If they fail they will die, rather than betray us."

"They must not fail. There is too much at stake. After all, the task is not too difficult. They have only to hide her in the northern mountains for a year--a short year, mind you--then none will dare to question my title to the throne. And you, my faithful Zueppa. I will make you supreme commander of Reabon. The wealth of a king shall be yours, even though you may not wear the color of royalty. Second only to myself, you will hold the greatest office in Zarovia."

"May I not again remind your highness that there is a much easier and simpler way to attain our ends? A deadly bullet, a quick thrust of the knife or scarbo in the confusion of battle--"

"Stop, fool! Do you take me for an assassin? My ambition is great, but my desire for this woman is greater. You must detain her for a year. Then return her to me unharmed. She has spurned me, ridiculed me, mocked me, but as Emperor of Reabon I can dictate terms. She will come to my arms with willingness when she finds me ruling in her stead, for law is law, and no ruler may remain outside the capital for a year and retain the throne. If she remains obdurate, then will I have the power and, believe me, the will, to bend her to my wishes."

"Your highness's plans shall be carried out to the letter. Farewell, your highness--your imperial majesty that is to be."

In the great outer court, Vernia reviewed her army of ten thousand picked soldiers. She was clad from head to foot in a suit of shining scarlet leather, and wore a chain-belt which supported a small golden tork on the right side, and a short, light scarbo with jeweled hilt on the left.

Beside her stood the armored car which was to conduct her to the field of battle. It could not be said to bear any resemblance to a terrestrial car unless the fact that it had a wheel might be called a resemblance. This great wheel, which was a full twenty feet in diameter, supported the car, not above but inside it. The tire was a trifle over a foot in width and covered with a resilient material that was both tough and springy.

The entire vehicle was kept erect by a rapidly revolving gyroscope in the center of the boxlike car, while the box itself was kept from revolving by an inner idling wheel on which it was supported. Four small gears which extended from the car at right angles from each other, connected with the great inner gear wheel and with the power mechanism. This was driven by the same kind of highly-explosive gas as that used in the torks, and was capable of a speed of more than two hundred miles an hour on a level road.

The machine was impractical for use in the forests and mountains but would serve to convey the princess across the level plains to the borders of Uxpo. From then on she would have to walk like her soldiers, or ride in a litter. The driver sat just in front of the gyroscope, the cushioned seat of the princess was immediately behind it, and an armed guard stood in a small inclosure at each of the four corners of the car.

She mounted to the door on a small metal stairway, gave the command to march, and stepped within and the guard raised the stairway and fastened it in place, then resumed his position as the heavy vehicle lumbered away at the head of the army.