THE ARREST OF LYONE.
While the entertainment was at its height, we were surprised by one of
the guards informing us that a messenger had arrived at the fortress
from Egyplosis, bearing for me a despatch of the utmost importance
from the high priest Hushnoly.
We were all excitement at the news, and on opening the despatch, I
read as follows:
"_To His Excellency_ LEXINGTON WHITE, _Lord Admiral of
Atvatabar, Greeting_:
"Your glorious victory over the royal fleet has awakened
popular excitement in favor of deposing His Majesty King
Aldemegry Bhoolmakar, and establishing our late beloved
goddess Lyone on the throne, as queen of Atvatabar.
Egyplosis has openly espoused the cause of Lyone, and the
sacred college of priests and priestesses have taken up arms
in favor of the goddess. His majesty, being resolved to
stamp out rebellion at any cost, has caused the arrest of
Lyone at her palace, Tanje, and has confined her in the
fortress Calnogor as hostage for the good behavior of the
people. He has threatened to put Lyone to death in case her
followers attempt any hostile demonstrations against the
king's authority. We of Egyplosis are committed to the
cause of Her Majesty Lyone, Queen of Atvatabar!
HUSHNOLY."
This was most alarming news! While we had been feasting in inglorious
ease our queen had been arrested and imprisoned! The time for action
had come.
Ere we could deliberate on the best course to pursue, a second message
from Hushnoly arrived, stating that the king, hearing of the outbreak
in Egyplosis, had ordered Coltonobory, the commander-in-chief, to
proceed with his wayleals to Egyplosis, to capture Hushnoly and
disband his followers. This being an open declaration of war, had
precipitated a civil struggle, and the armies both of the king and
queen were being recruited with great excitement on both sides. As for
Kioram, that city had declared for our cause, and the governor was
overjoyed to know that the victory of the _Polar King_ had resulted in
the entire fleet espousing the cause of Lyone.
I questioned Governor Ladalmir on the strength and equipment of both
the king's forces and those willing to support Lyone, and the
probabilities of our cause being successful.
He informed me that the king already commanded an army of half a
million men, composed two-thirds of wayleals and one-third
bockhockids, or flying cavalry, armed with swords, shields and spears
of deadly power. The adherents of Lyone numbered already one hundred
thousand men, who had also proclaimed her queen of Atvatabar,
including five thousand amazons from Egyplosis, who would fight for
their late goddess to the death, all similarly armed.
"The future is doubtful," said the governor; "but with your aid we may
well hope for success. I congratulate you on your splendid victory,
which is already known throughout the kingdom, and will increase our
forces to two hundred and fifty thousand men. It will cheer the heart
of our late goddess to know that she also already possesses a powerful
fleet."
"Do you consider the queen in any immediate danger at the hands of the
king or government?" I inquired.
"Well," said the governor, "at the present stage of affairs it is
difficult to think that either king or Borodemy would dare to execute
her majesty, even although it might be according to law. Yet, if
alarmed at the partial destruction and defection of the fleet and the
growing power of the queen's followers, the bloodthirsty king and
frightened government might possibly execute her, especially if they
saw no hope for themselves in the coming struggle."
"Then," said I, "whether we fight or not, our queen is in very serious
danger of death?"
"That is what I most fear," said the governor. "As soon as I heard of
the imprisonment of her majesty I called a review of my garrison of
wayleals and bockhockids, and asked them if they would espouse the
cause of the queen, and to a man they swore allegiance thereto. I
conceive the only way to secure respect for the queen is to make her
followers as formidable as possible."
"Action," I added, "is imperative. We must strike the king's army a
fearful blow, to impress his majesty with respect for our power. The
queen must either be released by the king or we will release her
ourselves. There must be an immediate mobilization of the queen's
army, and preceding that, a council of war in the fortress of Kioram
to appoint a commander-in-chief and generals of division. Governor
Ladalmir," I continued, "I thank you in the name of Lyone for your
allegiance. It is very gratifying to the fleet to know that it is
spared the necessity of bombarding your beautiful city."
"We have pledged ourselves to support our queen, to whom be freedom
and victory!" said the governor.
"Ay, ay!" said the captains, Pra and Nototherboc.
"The fleet, of course, will assist in defending the city," I said;
"and in addition to this duty will furnish a brigade of thirty
thousand wing-jackets for active service in the interior. Now, in view
of this, how many men can you spare from the garrison?"
The governor replied that he could spare ten thousand wayleals, under
the command of Pra, and five thousand bockhockids, under command of
Nototherboc.
I ordered Astronomer Starbottle, with Flathootly as escort, to depart
at once for Egyplosis, and summon to Kioram High Priest Hushnoly and
the high priestess, Grand Sorcerer Charka and the grand sorceress,
together with such a retinue of trusty officers as would be worthy of
being made commanders in the coming struggle. After summoning
Egyplosis, they were both to go to Gnaphisthasia and summon Yermoul,
lord of art, and his trusty captains, also to Kioram, and return
hither without delay. "Choose each of you," I said, "a pair of the
strongest wings, and arm yourselves with revolvers. You must at all
hazards evade the enemy and carry out your mission with the greatest
possible speed."
Astronomer Starbottle and Flathootly were enthusiastic at being
allowed to undertake so adventurous a journey. They immediately began
to prepare for, an early departure.
"Might I inquire," said the governor, "what you mean by revolvers?"
We showed him the weapons by which we had resisted the onslaught of
myriads of wing-jackets, to the fatal force of which thousands had
succumbed. He was astonished at the invention, and said if the army of
the queen were equipped with so formidable a weapon, King Aldemegry
Bhoolmakar would very easily be driven from his throne, and Lyone
would be truly Queen of Atvatabar.
It was decided that the fortress of Kioram should be immediately
turned into an arsenal for the manufacture of spears and revolvers,
for the use of the wayleals and bockhockids of Lyone's army. The mines
where the metal terrelium was worked and the factories where aquelium
was elaborated from the water of the ocean were to be seized, and vast
quantities of these metals sent to Kioram for the use of the entire
army, to furnish a current for the deadly spears, to be made under the
superintendence of Professor Rackiron.
Astronomer Starbottle and the redoubtable Flathootly were equipped
with splendid sets of wings worked by cells of double power. Their
magnetic spears were far-reaching and carried a current of tremendous
intensity, contact with which was immediate death.
"Be jabers," said Flathootly, "the fellow that touches us will foind
us hornets of the first magnitude. We'll give him a touch of the
cholera morbus."
"I entrust the despatches in your hand, astronomer," said I, "and with
Flathootly as escort and body-guard, I hope you will both execute your
mission and return safe to Kioram."
"Caution and despatch will be our watchwords," said the astronomer,
"and you are already assured of our fidelity."
"In addition to your duty as couriers to Egyplosis and Gnaphisthasia I
desire you," I said, "to explore the upper atmosphere, with a view of
discovering at what height centrifugal gravity ceases to operate on
bodies, and, if possible, where gravity toward Swang begins to exert
its force. I wish to choose an aerial battle-field, where there is no
gravity, so that our wayleals may have absolute freedom of action."
"We have discovered a perceptible movement toward the sun at a height
of fifty miles," said the governor; "at that height our wayleals cease
to revolve with the earth, and therefore have no weight--but your
astronomer can easily verify this fact by his own experience."
"Do you think our couriers will receive opposition from the king's
wayleals?" I inquired.
"I would suggest their being disguised as the king's wayleals as a
means of safety. If they travel as wayleals of her majesty they are
liable to be captured."
The astronomer and Flathootly made the necessary disguise in their
attire as a measure of safety, each donning a leathern cuirass, highly
decorated with white-metal helmet and boots, and packing a sufficient
quantity of food in a portable trunk to supply them during the
journey. They bade us good-by, soaring from the deck into the gulfs of
air above Atvatabar, and directed their flight to Egyplosis.