of the king. When he retired to rest on the preceding night, Juda
appeared to be in the enjoyment of perfect health; but when his servants
entered the royal sleeping-apartment on the following morning to arouse
his Majesty and attend him to the bath, he was found lying dead upon his
couch, with every indication that dissolution had taken place several
hours previously. Of course, the court physicians were instantly
summoned; but they could do nothing except pronounce that death had
actually occurred, and that it was due to natural causes. To the great
surprise of Earle and Dick, no attempt was made to hold a _post mortem_,
with the object of ascertaining the actual cause of death; but a little
judicious inquiry soon elicited the fact that such investigations were
unknown in Ulua, the skill and knowledge of the physicians not having
advanced so far. With the permission of the princess, Earle was present
when the physicians viewed the body, and he was compelled to admit that
there was nothing in its appearance to justify the slightest suspicion
of foul play, which indeed nobody so much as hinted at. Earle gave it
as his opinion that the cause of death was some obscure and unsuspected
affection of the heart.
Simultaneously with the summoning of the physicians upon the discovery
of the royal demise, the "Council of Nobles"--a council, the functions
of which correspond in some measure with those of the British Cabinet--
was summoned to the palace; and it was to the members of this that the
physicians formally reported the death of the king. Thereupon steps
were immediately taken for the public announcement of the event, which
took place at noon of the same day, the heralds proclaiming the death of
the king and the accession of the Princess Myrra to the throne, first in
the square before the palace, and next in four other squares situated
respectively in the northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters of
the city. And at the same time the state embalmers were called in and
the body was handed over to them that they might at once begin the long
and elaborate process by means of which the subject is rendered
practically impervious, for all time, to the influences of decay.
The young queen was now allowed a clear week of complete retirement, in
order that she might give free vent to her natural grief at the loss of
her grandfather, and prepare herself for the discharge of the important
duties which would now devolve upon her, during which period she was
left entirely to herself, and was not asked to transact business of any
sort whatsoever. At the expiration of the week she emerged from her
seclusion, a little pale and worn-looking, but to all appearance
perfectly calm, as the two white men were rejoiced to see, for it now
transpired that the religious beliefs of the Uluans were such as to
preclude anything in the nature of deep or lasting sorrow at the loss of
relatives, an article of their faith being that the departed, unless
they happened to be notoriously evil livers, found everlasting peace and
happiness in a sort of Elysium, and that therefore there was no occasion
for prolonged grief.
No sooner, however, did the young queen emerge from her temporary
seclusion than she found herself face to face with a problem which,
unless all the conditions are favourable, may easily resolve itself into
one of the most unpleasant which a young woman so placed can be called
upon to solve.
For it now appeared that Myrra occupied a position unique in the annals
of Uluan sovereignty, being the only female who had ever succeeded to
the throne. All the past monarchs had been male, from time immemorial;
and the fact that a female had now succeeded, and she only a young girl,
filled the Council of Nobles with consternation, which is easily to be
comprehended, when it is remembered that in Ulua women are regarded as
being so far inferior to men that they are considered as mere chattels
and but little better than domestic animals. A Council of Nobles had
already been convened to discuss so novel and disconcerting a situation,
at which one more than usually daring spirit had actually ventured to
suggest the election of one of themselves to fill the vacated throne.
But this suggestion had been promptly vetoed by Lyga, the "Keeper of
Statutes," who, referring to the musty tome in which were the laws
relating to the government of Ulua, reminded the council that the law of
succession explicitly provides that, upon the death of the sovereign,
his next immediate successor becomes monarch. Or, failing an immediate
successor, through pre-decease--as in the present case--then, the
immediate successor of him who should have succeeded comes to the
throne. The title of Princess Myrra to the throne was thus indubitably
established, and the only question really before the council was how so
unique a situation was to be met. A long and heated discussion
followed, in the course of which two facts were clearly established, the
first of which was that, by the law of succession, Myrra was now the
Queen of Ulua; and the second, that the idea of being governed by a
woman was utterly distasteful to the members of the Council of Nobles.
Finally, it was decided that, since by immemorial custom, the Uluan wife
was the subject of her husband, the only thing to be done was to request
the queen to marry, when her husband would become virtually king. This
decision was regarded as a quite satisfactory solution of the
difficulty; and it was immediately proposed that a list of approved
names should be there and then prepared for submission to her Majesty,
and that she should be invited to select from that list the person whom
she would accept as her spouse.
So far, so good. But now, at the very moment when the great difficulty
appeared to have been surmounted, other and equally awkward difficulties
at once began to arise. The position of husband to the queen was one
which naturally appealed to every member of the council, and equally
naturally, each member claimed the right to have his name included in
the list. Sachar, the most powerful of the nobles--he who had suggested
the election of one of themselves to fill the throne--seized a parchment
and, with the air of an autocrat, at once inscribed his own name at the
head of the list, without deigning to inquire whether such action was or
was not acceptable to his colleagues. Then, still retaining the pen in
his hand, he glanced round at the assemblage and said:
"I propose that the next name upon the list shall be that of Lyga, the
Keeper of Statutes."
For a moment the members regarded each other in amazement; then, under
the impression that Sachar was perpetrating an ill-timed jest of more
than questionable taste, they broke into a storm of protest; for Lyga
was a little wizened, dried-up man, close upon eighty years of age.
But Sachar answered their protests with a stare of haughty surprise that
quickly silenced them, for not only was he the most powerful man among
them, but he was also of a headstrong, domineering disposition,
impatient of opposition and quick to resent anything that in the least
degree savoured of it. He was by no means popular, either with his
colleagues or with the people at large; but he was greatly feared,
because of the immense power and influence which he commanded, and the
unscrupulous manner in which he wielded it.
"What mean ye?" he fiercely demanded. "Am I to understand that ye
object to Lyga as unsuitable? And if so, upon what grounds? Is he not
the `Keeper of Statutes,' and as such, the most suitable man for the
position of virtual ruler of Ulua? For who among ye knows a tithe so
much as he of the laws by which we are governed; or who so likely to see
that those laws are maintained in perfect integrity?"
"So far, perhaps ye are right, Sachar," retorted Lyga, who was the only
man present entirely devoid of fear of the formidable noble. "But is my
age to be counted as nothing? Am I a suitable consort for a girl of
sixteen? Ye know that I am not; and ye know, too, that if the choice
rested between me and thee, thou would'st be the chosen one. Go to! Ye
are astute, Sachar, but not astute enough to deceive old Lyga. If ye
are taking it upon yourself to propose names, propose those of men who
shall not only be capable of efficiently discharging the duties of their
exalted position, but who shall also be acceptable to her Majesty in
point of age and disposition. I say that, in nominating such a man as
myself, ye are lacking in respect and consideration to your sovereign."
There was a low murmur of approval at this fearless, straightforward
speech from the old man, hearing which, Sachar, who perceived that his
ruse had been seen through, savagely dashed down the pen and, wheeling
round upon his colleagues, exclaimed:
"So ye approve of and endorse the unworthy insinuation which Lyga has
preferred against me? It is well! Proceed ye with your nominations,
uninfluenced by me. My aim was to nominate those who, by wisdom and
experience, are most suited to rule over us, irrespective of age or
other considerations. But since ye have seen fit to suspect my motives,
nominate whom ye will. Understand this, however, I demand that my name
shall be included, for I am at least as capable of governing as any man
among ye; and understand this also, that I retain my right to vote
against those nominated whom I may regard as unsuitable."
And therewith Sachar bowed to the assembly, a bow in which scorn and
contempt were about equally expressed, and stalked out of the chamber.
For a few moments consternation reigned supreme among those who
remained, for they knew Sachar well, and clearly understood that, quite
unwittingly, they had made a bitter and implacable enemy of the most
powerful and unscrupulous man in Ulua. But presently Lyga grappled with
the situation and, with a few carefully chosen words, rallied his
colleagues upon their alarm, which he assured them was altogether
disproportioned and uncalled for, and brought them back to the business
in hand, with the result that, after a long and acrimonious discussion,
a list was drafted, containing some twenty names, for submission to her
Majesty.
In due course the list was presented, with all the state and ceremony
which so momentous an occasion demanded. And then consternation again
reigned; for the young queen, after carefully perusing the list, handed
it back to Sachar, who had presented it, with the calm pronouncement
that none of the names therein was acceptable to her!
Thereupon the council retired in confusion; another meeting was held,
another list prepared--in which Sachar insisted that his name should be
included, notwithstanding the queen's previous rejection; and her
Majesty was requested to name an early date for its presentation, which
she did.
The second presentation took place at about half-past nine o'clock in
the morning, a few minutes prior to which the Council of Nobles, having
previously assembled in the antechamber, filed in and took their places.
These were immediately followed by a squadron of the queen's bodyguard,
fully armed, under the command of their officer, who drew them up across
the lower end of the chamber, completely blocking all means of exit or
entrance, except through the doorway at the upper end of the chamber,
used exclusively by the monarch and his or her personal attendants.
This done, a court messenger was dispatched to acquaint the queen that
the council had assembled; and a few minutes later her Majesty entered,
heralded by a flourish of trumpets moulded out of a sort of terra-cotta,
and, accompanied by the ladies and officers of her household, among whom
were Earle and Dick.
With slow and dignified step her Majesty moved to the throne and, bowing
to the assembled council, seated herself, at the same time signing to
the two white men to stand one on either side of her, to the undisguised
astonishment of the nobles and the scarcely concealed indignation of
Sachar.
A short pause now ensued while the members of council, who had risen
upon the queen's entrance, seated themselves. Then Sachar, who occupied
the place at the head of the table on the queen's right hand, rose to
his feet and, addressing her Majesty, made a lengthy speech, in which he
set forth, in considerable detail, all the reasons which had led up to
the present action of the council, reminded her of her rejection of the
first list presented, and in veiled dictatorial tones, ventured to
express the hope that her Majesty would experience no difficulty in
selecting a name from the list now about to be laid before her. Then he
unrolled the parchment and, with a bow which seemed to say: "This is
your last chance, so make the best of it," laid it upon the table before
her.
Bowing in return, and with just the faintest suggestion of a smile
lurking about her lips and in her eyes, Myrra stretched forth her hand
and, taking the parchment began to read it. But no sooner had her eyes
rested upon it than she laid it down again.
"How now, my Lord Sachar!" she exclaimed. "What means this?" And she
laid her finger upon the place where his name again occupied the head of
the list. "Have ye here the list which was first submitted to me?"
"No, your Majesty, we have it not here," answered Sachar.
"Understanding that the names therein were unacceptable, we thought it
unnecessary to produce it. But it can be procured in a very brief space
of time, if your Majesty so desires."
"I do so desire," remarked the queen. "Let it be brought forthwith."
And she sank back in her seat to await the arrival of the document.
A few minutes later Lyga, in whose charge it was, appeared with the
first list, which he laid open upon the table before the queen. He wore
a smile of amusement as he hobbled back to his place, for in common with
most of the members of council, he pretty shrewdly guessed what was
impending, and he would very cordially welcome anything that savoured of
a snub administered to the haughty and domineering Lord Sachar.
"So!" continued the queen, placing a slim forefinger upon each of the
documents. "I felt sure I was not mistaken. The name of my Lord Sachar
heads each of these documents. Yet I think it will be remembered that,
only a few days agone, I distinctly stated that _none_ of the names in
this list"--tapping Number 1 with her left forefinger--"was acceptable
to me. How comes it, then, that a name once rejected by me is again
submitted for my approval?"
And, so saying, Myrra stretched forth her hand and, taking the reed pen
which Lyga smilingly handed to her, drew it firmly and deliberately
through Sachar's sprawling signature.
For a moment there was a breathless hush, while the very atmosphere
seemed to shudder in anticipation of that tempestuous and irreparable
outbreak on the part of Sachar which the queen's deliberate snub might
be expected to provoke. The man's sallow visage grew black with fury,
his eyes blazed lightnings down upon the head of the girl who was
smilingly erasing his name, his fists clenched until the knuckles showed
white, and his beard and moustache bristled like the mane of an angry
lion. Indeed, so menacing was his aspect that Dick Cavendish, with a
single stride, interposed his own bulky form between that of the queen
and the infuriated Sachar, into whose flashing eyes he stared so
threateningly that the noble suddenly found a new object for the vials
of his wrath. But Dick simply did not care a fig for Sachar or his
anger; he already knew the man pretty well by reputation, and
instinctively understood that there was but one way to deal with a
bully, therefore he laid a heavy hand upon the noble's shoulder, glared
as savagely at him as he knew how, and whispered--a whisper which
reached the ears of every occupant of the table:
"Have a care, my lord; have a care! Restrain yourself, sit down if you
don't want me to wring your neck for you!"
And Sachar, who had never in his life before been cautioned, much less
threatened, sank into his seat, speechless and utterly overwhelmed with
amazement, for the moment, at the discovery that there actually existed
an individual who was not afraid of him.
Meanwhile, the queen, with the pen still in her hand, was thoughtfully
considering the list before her and calmly and deliberately erasing name
after name, until not one remained. Then, with a smile, Myrra glanced
at the faces turned toward her, and remarked:
"I am sorry, my lords, that you should have been put to so much trouble
to no purpose, but the names in this list are no more acceptable to me
than were those in the first."
Sachar had been watching the steady process of erasure with fast growing
anger. He believed he began to see the full meaning of the queen's
action. She did not intend to wed at all if she could help it, and
unless she could be compelled to do so, his chance of becoming king was
gone. If she could only be induced to name some person as acceptable,
he believed he could find means to persuade that person to waive the
honour in his (Sachar's) favour; but if she would not do so, what was to
be done? Therefore, when the queen lightly pushed the rejected list
from before her, Sachar sprang to his feet and, addressing the assembly
at large, said:
"My lords, we seem to be singularly unfortunate in our endeavours to
find a consort in every way acceptable to her Majesty. To me it seems
possible that we may compile list after list of names regarded by
ourselves as in every respect eligible, and every list shall meet with a
fate like unto that now upon the table. I would therefore venture to
suggest that the process be reversed, and that instead of our drafting a
list and presenting it for her Majesty's approval, the Queen be
requested to prepare a list of persons acceptable to her, and submit it
to us. Then we, in council assembled, will take that list, give it our
most careful consideration, and decide whether there be any names in it
of which we can all conscientiously approve. What say you, my lords;
does my proposal seem acceptable to you?"
A momentary silence followed this proposal; then, one after another, the
assembled nobles briefly expressed their acquiescence, finishing up with
old Lyga, who pithily remarked:
"If her Majesty approves your proposal, my Lord Sachar, I see not why
any of us should disapprove."
"That being the case--" began Sachar. But the queen stopped him with
uplifted hand.
"One moment, if you please," she said. "If I understand the council
aright, their purpose in all this talk about lists, is to hurry me into
marriage, irrespective of my own inclinations. Now, my Lord Lyga,
before we proceed farther into this matter, I wish to ask you, as Keeper
of Statutes: Is there in existence a law compelling me to wed at the
bidding of my Council of Nobles?"
"I am not aware of any such law, your Majesty," answered Lyga. "Nay, I
will go farther than this, and say that, knowing the statutes intimately
as I do, there is no such law."
"Good!" answered the queen. "I have never heard of any such law, but in
view of my council's somewhat high-handed action, I thought it possible
such a law might exist, of which I had not heard. You say that there is
no such law; and I trust my council will accept your assurance as proof
of its non-existence. Now, one more question. Is there a law
prohibiting an unmarried woman from ruling Ulua?"
"No, your Majesty, there is no such law," answered Lyga. And the glance
of triumph which he flashed at Sachar seemed to say that he was glad of
it.
"Again, good!" remarked the queen. "My thanks to you, my Lord Lyga, for
making this matter perfectly clear. And my thanks to you also, the
members of my council, for the keen interest which you have been pleased
to manifest in a matter which, now that it comes to be investigated,
seems to concern me alone. Believe me, I appreciate that interest at
its true and full value; but I beg that you will not trouble yourselves
further in the matter, for the thought of marriage has not yet occurred
to me, and at the present moment I am not prepared to entertain a
proposal from anyone. When I am, I will let you know, and the matter
can be re-opened. Meanwhile, I will seize this opportunity to say that
I believe I, though unmarried, shall be able, with your wise advice and
assistance, to govern Ulua as efficiently as though I enjoyed the help
of a husband."
For a moment the members of council were stricken dumb with amazement
and consternation at the quiet, self-possessed firmness with which this
young girl deliberately set herself in opposition to their combined
wishes. And the worst of it was that, as they now fully realised, she
was acting entirely within her rights.
They were still struggling with their emotions when Sachar, always
bitterly impatient of opposition, and always accustomed to act upon the
impulse of the moment, sprang to his feet, his eyes ablaze with fury,
and shouted:
"My lords, fellow members of the Council of Nobles, are you going to
submit without protest to this most monstrous disregard of our wishes?
Because, if you are, I am not. I say that, law or no law, we will not
be governed by a woman. The queen _must_ and _shall_ marry forthwith;
and if she will not choose for herself a husband, acceptable to us all,
we will choose one for her and compel her to marry him, by force, if
necessary--"
He stopped suddenly and sank helplessly back into his seat, forced
thereto by the irresistible pressure of Dick's hands upon his shoulders,
the grip of which threatened to crush his shoulder-blades together.
And, looking up, he found Dick Cavendish towering over him with a look
in his eyes that seemed to spell sudden death to the rash offender. For
three or four seconds Dick, still retaining that frightful and agonising
grip upon Sachar's shoulders, glowered at the now writhing noble; then
he shook the unfortunate man with such furious violence that Sachar's
teeth not only clicked together like castanets, but they also bit his
tongue through as he attempted to speak.
By this time the whole chamber was in an uproar, _every_ man having
started to his feet in terror of what should happen next. A few of the
more timid ones were hastily leaving their seats and beating a
precipitate retreat toward the door, only to be stopped, however, by the
crossed halberds of the guard. Lyga was the only noble who seemed in
nowise disconcerted by so extraordinary a happening, and he stood
smiling benevolently on Dick while the latter was manhandling the
enraged yet terrified Sachar. Several of the other nobles, however,
anxious to curry favour with Sachar, hastened to his assistance, and
strove unavailingly to break Dick's grip, while the captain of the
guard, accompanied by a file of soldiers, having responded to Dick's
call, now stood uncertainly by, at a loss to know whether or not he
ought to obey the young Englishman's order to arrest a noble and member
of the council.
This state of uncertainty on the part of the captain of the guard did
not pass wholly unnoticed by those present, a few of whom loudly
protested against the arrest as illegal, in that it had been ordered by
one without authority.
"Ha! say you so?" cried the queen, also rising to her feet. "Then that
is a matter to be easily remedied." Turning to Dick, she added:
"My Lord Dick, I appoint you Captain-General of my bodyguard, here and
now. And I authorise you to arrest my Lord Sachar and lodge him in
prison."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
AN OMINOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
The startling character of the entire episode, coupled with the
suddenness and utter unexpectedness of its development, and the equally
unexpected firmness and decision of character manifested by the young
queen, exercised such a paralysing effect upon the members of council
that, as with one accord, they sank back into their seats and in silence
watched the arrest and removal of Sachar from the Council Chamber. And
before any of them could pull themselves together to take any definite
action, the queen rose to her feet and, bowing to the assembly with a
serene and most engaging smile, said:
"My lords of the council, you are dismissed."
Then, turning to the two white men, she murmured, in a voice so low that
only they two caught the words:
"My lords Dick and Earle, give me the favour of your company to my own
apartments. I desire to consult with ye both." And, accepting the
support of Dick's proffered hand, she passed out of the Council Chamber
through the doorway by which she had entered, and, followed by her
retinue, made her way to the small but beautiful chamber where she and
her grandfather had first received the two white men.
Arrived here, she seated herself on a dais at the upper end of the
apartment and, directing her ladies to retire to the other end of the
room, where they would be out of earshot, she rested her chin upon her
hand, as though in deep thought, and so remained for the space of nearly
five minutes.
Then, raising her eyes, she glanced first at Dick and then at Earle, who
stood respectfully before her, and said: