CHAPTER XL.
MY DEPARTURE FROM THE PALACE OF TANJE.
The week of grace allowed me to leave Atvatabar had already expiredere it had seriously occurred to me to actually leave the palace. Thecommotion in the nation consequent on the publication of the manifestoof king and goddess was so great, and the necessity of advising Lyonein the crisis so urgent, that I did not take leave of her until thetime for my departure was exhausted. One thing that made me somewhatcareless of arousing the royal danger was that the _Polar King_ withher terrorite guns could command Kioram in spite of the royal fleet,although it numbered one hundred vessels. Fortunately the royal fleethad not yet learned the use of gunpowder, their guns being dischargedwith compressed air.
A despatch from Captain Wallace stated that the ship was lying in theouter harbor, well equipped either for a long voyage or probablehostilities.
With the view of allaying the excitement of the people, the kingpublished a statement that the alien commander and his retinue hadbeen ordered to leave forthwith. As for Lyone, the crisis had in nowise terrified her; she felt assured, however, that "the beginning ofthe end had come."
"Are you not afraid of lifelong imprisonment or death in case yourcause has no supporters?" I asked.
"They can do me no harm," she replied, "for the entire priesthood ofEgyplosis, the Art Palace of Gnaphisthasia, and thousands ofsympathizers among the people themselves, will rally to my flag whenthe hour of danger comes."
"You can depend on my operations at sea," said I, "in your behalf.Although I have but a single vessel, I will fight the entire fleet ofAtvatabar. One shell of terrorite has more power than a thousand oftheir guns. I will destroy Kioram, if need be, to bring the king tosubmission."
Before leaving Lyone, I drew up a plan of campaign for the comingstruggle. Hushnoly, the high priest, although conservative as regardsthe affairs of the priesthood, was really a trusty friend of thegoddess, and would assist the grand sorcerer in commanding a wing ofthe sacred army.
The liberated priests and priestesses would fight like lions for thecause for which they had been imprisoned. The palace of Gnaphisthasiawould also furnish its battalions, led by Yermoul, lord of art. Then,among the fifty millions of people there were perhaps twenty millionsin favor of reform, who would contribute a large army in support ofLyone.
"It is by no means certain that a civil war will take place, even tosecure the proposed reform," said Lyone. "The people may leave it tothe Borodemy and the law to settle the matter."
"And what would be the result in such a case?" I inquired.
"Well, if I persisted in my demands, and no insurrection took place,"said Lyone, "the king might put me to death as the simplest way ofending the matter, and appoint another goddess in Egyplosis."
"They will never hurt a hair of your head while I live: I swear it!"said I, with considerable emphasis.
Lyone smiled at my enthusiasm, and refused to permit me to lingerlonger with her. We understood each other perfectly. I saw that whenLyone had once made up her mind on a certain course, there could be noretreat. She cared not any longer for a dead throne, for even theworship of the multitude could not feed her famished heart. She musthave a beloved soul, consecrated to herself alone, between whom wouldvibrate the music of great thoughts and tender emotions.
Lyone had declared war upon hopeless love. This was a necessaryconsequence of her altered position. Egyplosis, founded on a brillianttheory, had in practice become a prison, and she must open the doorsto let its prisoners free.
Just as I was leaving the palace I received a message from Hushnolystating that the king had secretly ordered my arrest, and to becircumspect if I wished to reach Kioram free.
Attended by a guard of bockhockids faithful to Lyone I set out forKioram, taking a circuitous road to avoid Calnogor. I had beeninformed by Hushnoly that mobs of excited and bloodthirsty waylealswere flying about the metropolis, shouting "Death to the foreigners!"Mounted on a magnificent, majestic steed of great power, I led mylittle band at a furious pace. The bockhockids with each stride of theleg covered a distance of sixty feet, and could travel easily seventymiles an hour without appearing to run very quickly.
About an hour's travelling brought us abreast of Calnogor, and soonafterward I heard shots fired and the noise of a conflict. Making anaerial _detour_, I discovered a combat between a dozen wayleals on theone side and a crowd of wayleals on the other. I noticed that as fastas the individuals of the larger body were fired at by a weapon in thehands of the smaller company they at once became lifeless, eitherfalling to the ground or hanging limp in the air supported by theirstill vibrating wings. Being intensely curious to see the waylealsusing revolvers, I ventured with my men nearer the _melee_, and comingnear the flying warriors, I discovered to my surprise and horror thatthe smaller band of flying men was a company of my own sailors, led byFlathootly, fighting back to back a swarming mass of wayleals.
The brave fellows fought like lions. No sooner did a wayleal approacha sailor with his deadly spear than he was shot. My men, fighting suchfearful odds, for the enemy numbered several hundreds, could not longmaintain so unequal a combat, notwithstanding the superiority of theirweapons. It was only a question of time when their ammunition would beexhausted, and their spears would then be their only weapon, and I hadevidently arrived in time to relieve them. Flathootly was shouting tothe enemy, "Shtand back, or Oi'll shoot yez!" when I approached. Thesailors cheered to see me flying to their relief, and at that momentthe enemy, recognizing in me the very man they wanted, swarmed aroundto prevent my escape. My bockhockids drew their spears, and thesailors used their revolvers freely, and forming a flying ring,effectually protected me from the onslaught of the king's wayleals. Irallied my entire company, who received the rush of the wayleals witha discharge of revolvers and magnic spears, by means of which wekilled several. Again and again the enemy fell upon us with renewedfury, shouting their war-cry of "Bhoolmakar!" They evidently meant toharass us until re-enforced by a detachment of the royal troops strongenough to capture us.
A wayleal, in an unguarded moment, struck me on the shoulder,fortunately with only one point of his spear, drawing blood.Flathootly, who saw the blow, emptied his revolver in his breast, andhe fell to earth a dead man. I was surprised that the enemy had notalready annihilated my men, for, notwithstanding their fear of thesailors' revolvers, three of the sailors had been killed. It wasterrible news to think of my brave fellows being slaughtered, but Iwas determined to have revenge. I singled out Gossody, the leader ofthe wayleals, and rushing forward on my bockhockid, aimed at his headwith my revolver, and instantly killed him. The death of their leaderparalyzed the wayleals for a time. Before they could recover fromtheir surprise, we killed a number of them. The enemy, once morerallying, made a fresh attack. They hoped to either kill or capture usby sheer force of superior numbers. We killed dozens of them, but at afearful cost. Six of the bockhockids and three more of our own sailorsbit the dust. It was quite evident that it would be only a question oftime before we would be completely annihilated. I saw that it wasnecessary for us to reach Kioram without further fighting. We couldnot afford to risk the life of another man, even to gain a completevictory. I therefore ordered a flying retreat. The bockhockids werearranged in a circle, in the midst of which flew our sailors. Westruck out for Kioram with the speed of the wind, pursued by anever-increasing horde of wayleals thirsting for our blood. Such wasour speed of motion that the thrusts of the enemy were ineffectual. Itwas a magnificent sight to see the giant machines, like flying cranes,devouring distance with their wings, each ridden by a winged warrior.Wearied and exhausted with our fight, and still longer period offlight, it was a welcome sight to see beneath us the city of Kioram,and the _Polar King_ riding at anchor in the outer harbor, beyondwhich lay the royal navy of Atvatabar.
When within sight of the city the enemy unexpectedly gave up thechase, and did not follow us further. We soon gained the ship, and ina short time our bockhockids decorated the masts and rig
ging. Thestory of my imprisonment and the massacre of the six sailors of theforce sent to escort me to Kioram was soon told, and a more determinedcrew never trod the deck of ship of war. We would teach Bhoolmakar alesson he would never forget!