THE COUNCIL OF WAR IN KIORAM.
The sensation produced by the defeat of the royal fleet, the
destruction of forty of the ships, and the defection of the remaining
sixty vessels to the cause of Queen Lyone, shook the nation from its
centre to circumference. It appeared incredible that one ship could
destroy so many well-armed vessels. Our terrorite guns were considered
demon powers, and such was the consternation produced by their
terrible energy that, were it possible for us to use such weapons in
aerial battle, their appearance would alone cause the royal army to
surrender.
Coltonobory was confident he could soon suppress the insurrection by
virtue of his superior force.
As for his majesty, he was beside himself with rage at the loss of his
fleet. Had Admiral Jolar been alive he would have answered for his
defeat with his life. The following royal proclamation testified to
the implacable wrath of the king:
"_His Majesty_ KING ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR _of Atvatabar to
his faithful people_:
"Know ye, my people of Atvatabar, that the desperate
barbarian who commands the alien ship, the _Polar King_, has
not only alienated the affections of the Goddess Lyone,
thereby insulting our holy religion and our laws, but has
destroyed forty of our ships of war, and induced the
remainder of our fleet to follow his fortunes, thereby
giving him power to destroy our commerce, blockade our
harbors, and burn our cities. His success has encouraged
many who have hitherto been our faithful subjects to flock
to his standard, and the terrors of treason and insurrection
devastate our beloved country.
"What will be thought of Lyone, who was lately our beloved
and adored goddess, who has treasonably allowed herself to
be proclaimed Queen of Atvatabar, and who is the prime cause
of all this deluge of crime, treason and apostasy by
encouraging a heretical affection for a desperate criminal,
and who dares to abuse her holy office by seeking matrimony
with a murderer? It would be impossible for this cowardly
and desperate assassin to visit our country with such
destruction were it not that she who was our goddess
sympathizes with his inhuman and infernal work. She has only
to speak the word that she has no sympathy with such a
monster, and his power will be paralyzed in a moment, and
peace restored to our unhappy country. Will it be believed
that she absolutely refuses to disown such a viper, and even
boasts of his work, and that he will shortly set her free?
"Our prisoner, she has disregarded our clemency in holding
back the sword of justice that hangs over her head. Her life
is already forfeited by her own actions. The monster of
insurrection and apostasy must be struck in its most vital
part. Orders have been given for a full conclave of the
Borodemy, to put our fallen goddess on trial forthwith, and
if found guilty to be immediately executed.
"The commander-in-chief of the army, Coltonobory, has orders
to attack, pursue and put to death without mercy all rebels
in arms, and arrest all sympathizers with the rebel cause.
"Given in our palace at Calnogor in the twenty-sixth year of
our reign.
"ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR, _King of Atvatabar_."
This proclamation revealed the desperate crisis matters had reached.
The bloodthirsty king had Lyone in his power, and unless a miracle
happened nothing could save her. The fact that the flag of the queen
floated above Kioram must have added enormously to the wrath of the
king, and the supreme question with us then was how to save our queen
from a cruel fate.
While discussing this important subject with Governor Ladalmir and my
own retinue, we were agreeably surprised to learn of the arrival of
the high priest and priestess and the grand sorcerer and sorceress
from Egyplosis. Astronomer Starbottle and Flathootly had so far
evidently succeeded in their mission.
Hushnoly reported that all Egyplosis was up in arms for the cause of
the queen. The priestesses had formed an amazonian legion of five
thousand wayleals. These would be commanded by the high priestess
Zooly-Soase and the grand sorceress Thoubool in equal divisions. The
sacred phalanx of priests of the spiritual palace would be under the
command of the grand sorcerer, while Hushnoly would hold himself in
readiness for a special command.
While praising the devotion of the twin-souls, a message by telegraph
was received from Gnaphisthasia, stating that the lord of art,
Yermoul, was on his way to Kioram. He would travel on the wing by a
circuitous route, to avoid contact with any of the king's wayleals.
Yermoul would be accompanied by the chief priests of poetry, painting,
sculpture, music, decoration, architecture, and dancing.
No messenger had been sent to Grasnagallipas, high priest of the
palace of inventions in Calnogor, as tidings had been received from
that quarter that the priests of invention, owing to their close
connection with the seat of government, had become bockhockids of the
king. The defection of Grasnagallipas was a severe blow to our cause,
as he was the greatest inventor in the kingdom, and master of ten
thousand magnetic bockhockids, that machine being his own invention.
Governor Ladalmir said the crisis upon which we were to deliberate
demanded immediate action, and the first step to be taken was to
appoint a commander-in-chief for the army of the queen. The victory
achieved by the commander of the _Polar King_ in fighting the royal
navy single-handed, and his personal sympathy with her majesty,
pointed out his excellency, Lexington White, already lord admiral of
the fleet, as the man of all others fit to assume the supreme command
of all operations directed against the royal army to secure the
liberation of Lyone and the reformation of the religion of Atvatabar.
"I therefore," said he, "nominate his excellency, Lexington White,
commander-in-chief of the army of the queen."
The governor's proposition was received with the wildest enthusiasm,
and I gracefully accepted the high honor conferred upon me.
Hushnoly was appointed my assistant, under the title of supreme
general of the army, and the list of generals included the grand
sorcerer Charka, the grand sorceress Thoubool, the high priestess
Zooly-Soase, the lord of art Yermoul, Governor Ladalmir, Generals Pra
and Nototherboc. The chief priests of poetry, painting, music,
architecture and decoration, and Professors Rackiron, Goldrock and
Starbottle, Dr. Merryferry and Flathootly were also created generals
of the army, being at the same time relieved from service in the
fleet.
Rear-Admiral Wallace was promoted to full command of the fleet during
my absence therefrom, with the title of admiral.
As president of the council, I spoke as follows:
"Supreme General Hushnoly and generals of the army of Her Majesty
Lyone, Queen of Atvatabar, you are aware of the nature of the crisis
that calls us together and the cause to which we devote our lives and
fortunes. Our beloved queen, for whom we fight, is in the hands and at
the mercy of a cruel tyrant. We may hear of her death at any moment.
Such an event would crush our hopes and blast our cause beyond hope of
recovery. We must be both bold and prudent. We must concentrate our
forces to withstand the onset of the enemy. A proclamation must be
issued making Kioram, which is under the protection of the fleet, the
headquarters of the army and the rallying-ground for volunteers. Our
arsenal in the fortress will begin at once to make revolvers, under
the superintendence of General Rackiron, for the use of our wayleals.
Armed with these, one hundred thousand wayleals will be equal to half
a million men without such weapons.
"We must strike a mighty blow as soon as possible for the sake of
Lyone, our queen. Once break the power of the king, and he will be
glad to sue for peace by liberating our adored idol, the pride of
Atvatabar."
These sentiments were applauded with impetuous excitement.
Hushnoly caused telegraphic despatches as to the proceedings of the
council to be sent to Egyplosis, Gnaphisthasia, and to sympathizers in
Calnogor, calling on volunteers for the army of the queen to report
themselves at Kioram without delay.
Admiral Wallace was instructed to send vessels to various points on
the coast of Atvatabar, to receive volunteers and supplies and
transmit them to Kioram with all possible speed.
The mines of precious metals of the queen, situated on the northern
coast of the kingdom, and the materials for making guns, gunpowder and
terrorite, were to be accumulated at Kioram without delay.
Professor Rackiron agreed, if furnished with men and materials, to
turn out sufficient hand mitrailleuses to arm one hundred thousand
wayleals in less than a month. He also proposed to furnish our
wayleals with magnic spears, and to arm the legs of the bockhockids
with magnic toes, so that a company of the strange animals could rout
a legion of wayleals. We discovered that the materials for the
manufacture of terrorite existed in abundance in Atvatabar, and as the
secret of this substance was still ours, we were in a position to work
fearful havoc on the enemy.
Before the council broke up the most encouraging news was received
from our agents throughout the kingdom that the enrollment of
volunteers for our cause was proceeding with great rapidity, and a
hundred thousand men would arrive in Kioram within a week from the
date of our proclamation. Hushnoly was appointed general of
volunteers, in addition to his rank as supreme general of the army.
General Yermoul and his colleagues would command the contingent from
Gnaphisthasia, consisting of fourteen thousand wayleals.
While thus discussing the details of our army organization, Astronomer
Starbottle and his body-guard, Flathootly, arrived at the fortress,
having safely escaped all perils in making a very hazardous journey.