Governor-General Sidney Harrington had a ruddy outdoors-man's face and
a ragged gray mustache; in his old tweed coat spotted with pipe ashes,
he might have been any of a dozen-odd country-gentlemen of von
Schlichten's boyhood in the Argentine. His face was composed enough
for the part, too. But beyond him in the governor's office,
Lieutenant-Governor Eric Blount matched von Schlichten's frown, his
sandy-haired and younger face puckered in worry.
"We picked up a few of Keeluk's goon-gang," von Schlichten was
reporting. "But I doubt if they'll tell us anything we don't already
know. The dog was gone, but we found where it had been kept; at least
one of the rabbits had been there, too. No trace of the goat. Anyhow,
the riot's been put down. The Kragans and some of King Jaikark's
infantry are patrolling the section. Jaikark's troops are busy making
mass arrests. Either more slaves for the King's court favorites or
else our Prime Minister Gurgurk wants to use them for patronage."
Blount nodded. "Gurgurk's building quite a political organization,
lately. He must be about ready to shove Jaikark off the throne."
"Oh, Gurgurk wouldn't dare try anything like that," Harrington said.
"He knows we wouldn't let him get away with it."
"Then why's he subsidizing this Mad Prophet Rakkeed?" Blount wanted to
know. "Rakkeed is preaching a holy war against all Terrans and against
Jaikark. Gurgurk subsidizes Rakkeed, and...."
"You haven't any proof of that," the governor protested.
Blount shrugged, his face looking grim. Von Schlichten knew how he
felt. They couldn't prove it, but both knew that Rakkeed had been
getting funds from the hands of Gurgurk. The prophet had been stepping
up his crusade against the Terrans, and Gurgurk wasn't the only one
backing him. The Prime Minister probably figured on using Rakkeed to
stir up an outbreak; then Gurgurk could step in, after Jaikark was
killed, put down the revolt he helped incite, and claim to be the best
friend of the Company. But the question was whether Rakkeed could be
used that way. He was becoming more of a menace than Gurgurk could
ever be. Everywhere they turned, Rakkeed was at the bottom of their
trouble--just in this case, where Keeluk was one of Rakkeed's
followers.
His power seemed to be growing, too. There were rumors that he had
been entertained at the palace in Keegark, just as he was usually
entertained by the big shipowning nobles here at Konkrook; come to
think of it, the last time here, he'd been guest of the Keegarkan
ambassador. He went all over Ullr, crusading, traveling coolie-class
in disguise on Company ships, according to their best information.