CHAPTER XLVI.
THE ARREST OF LYONE.
While the entertainment was at its height, we were surprised by one ofthe guards informing us that a messenger had arrived at the fortressfrom Egyplosis, bearing for me a despatch of the utmost importancefrom the high priest Hushnoly.
We were all excitement at the news, and on opening the despatch, Iread 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 ingloriousease our queen had been arrested and imprisoned! The time for actionhad come.
Ere we could deliberate on the best course to pursue, a second messagefrom Hushnoly arrived, stating that the king, hearing of the outbreakin Egyplosis, had ordered Coltonobory, the commander-in-chief, toproceed with his wayleals to Egyplosis, to capture Hushnoly anddisband his followers. This being an open declaration of war, hadprecipitated a civil struggle, and the armies both of the king andqueen were being recruited with great excitement on both sides. As forKioram, that city had declared for our cause, and the governor wasoverjoyed to know that the victory of the _Polar King_ had resulted inthe entire fleet espousing the cause of Lyone.
I questioned Governor Ladalmir on the strength and equipment of boththe king's forces and those willing to support Lyone, and theprobabilities of our cause being successful.
He informed me that the king already commanded an army of half amillion men, composed two-thirds of wayleals and one-thirdbockhockids, or flying cavalry, armed with swords, shields and spearsof deadly power. The adherents of Lyone numbered already one hundredthousand men, who had also proclaimed her queen of Atvatabar,including five thousand amazons from Egyplosis, who would fight fortheir late goddess to the death, all similarly armed.
"The future is doubtful," said the governor; "but with your aid we maywell hope for success. I congratulate you on your splendid victory,which is already known throughout the kingdom, and will increase ourforces to two hundred and fifty thousand men. It will cheer the heartof our late goddess to know that she also already possesses a powerfulfleet."
"Do you consider the queen in any immediate danger at the hands of theking or government?" I inquired.
"Well," said the governor, "at the present stage of affairs it isdifficult to think that either king or Borodemy would dare to executeher majesty, even although it might be according to law. Yet, ifalarmed at the partial destruction and defection of the fleet and thegrowing power of the queen's followers, the bloodthirsty king andfrightened government might possibly execute her, especially if theysaw no hope for themselves in the coming struggle."
"Then," said I, "whether we fight or not, our queen is in very seriousdanger of death?"
"That is what I most fear," said the governor. "As soon as I heard ofthe imprisonment of her majesty I called a review of my garrison ofwayleals and bockhockids, and asked them if they would espouse thecause of the queen, and to a man they swore allegiance thereto. Iconceive the only way to secure respect for the queen is to make herfollowers as formidable as possible."
"Action," I added, "is imperative. We must strike the king's army afearful blow, to impress his majesty with respect for our power. Thequeen must either be released by the king or we will release herourselves. There must be an immediate mobilization of the queen'sarmy, and preceding that, a council of war in the fortress of Kioramto appoint a commander-in-chief and generals of division. GovernorLadalmir," I continued, "I thank you in the name of Lyone for yourallegiance. It is very gratifying to the fleet to know that it isspared the necessity of bombarding your beautiful city."
"We have pledged ourselves to support our queen, to whom be freedomand 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 thirtythousand wing-jackets for active service in the interior. Now, in viewof this, how many men can you spare from the garrison?"
The governor replied that he could spare ten thousand wayleals, underthe command of Pra, and five thousand bockhockids, under command ofNototherboc.
I ordered Astronomer Starbottle, with Flathootly as escort, to departat once for Egyplosis, and summon to Kioram High Priest Hushnoly andthe high priestess, Grand Sorcerer Charka and the grand sorceress,together with such a retinue of trusty officers as would be worthy ofbeing made commanders in the coming struggle. After summoningEgyplosis, they were both to go to Gnaphisthasia and summon Yermoul,lord of art, and his trusty captains, also to Kioram, and returnhither without delay. "Choose each of you," I said, "a pair of thestrongest wings, and arm yourselves with revolvers. You must at allhazards evade the enemy and carry out your mission with the greatestpossible speed."
Astronomer Starbottle and Flathootly were enthusiastic at beingallowed to undertake so adventurous a journey. They immediately beganto 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 ofmyriads of wing-jackets, to the fatal force of which thousands hadsuccumbed. He was astonished at the invention, and said if the army ofthe queen were equipped with so formidable a weapon, King AldemegryBhoolmakar would very easily be driven from his throne, and Lyonewould be truly Queen of Atvatabar.
It was decided that the fortress of Kioram should be immediatelyturned into an arsenal for the manufacture of spears and revolvers,for the use of the wayleals and bockhockids of Lyone's army. The mineswhere the metal terrelium was worked and the factories where aqueliumwas elaborated from the water of the ocean were to be seized, and vastquantities of these metals sent to Kioram for the use of the entirearmy, to furnish a current for the deadly spears, to be made under thesuperintendence of Professor Rackiron.
Astronomer Starbottle and the redoubtable Flathootly were equippedwith splendid sets of wings worked by cells of double power. Theirmagnetic spears were far-reaching and carried a current of tremendousintensity, contact with which was immediate death.
"Be jabers," said Flathootly, "the fellow that touches us will foindus hornets of the first magnitude. We'll give him a touch of thecholera morbus."
"I entrust the despatches in your hand, astronomer," said I, "and withFlathootly as escort and body-guard, I hope you will both execute yourmission 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 Idesire you," I said, "to explore the upper atmosphere, with a view ofdiscovering at what height centrifugal gravity ceases to operate onbodies, and, if possible, where gravity toward Swang begins to exertits force. I wish to choose an aerial battle-field, where there is nogravity, so that our wayleals may have absolute freedom of action."
"We have discovered a perceptible movement toward the sun at a heightof fifty miles," said the governor; "at that height our wayleals ceaseto revolve with the earth, and therefore have no weight--but yourastronomer c
an easily verify this fact by his own experience."
"Do you think our couriers will receive opposition from the king'swayleals?" I inquired.
"I would suggest their being disguised as the king's wayleals as ameans of safety. If they travel as wayleals of her majesty they areliable to be captured."
The astronomer and Flathootly made the necessary disguise in theirattire as a measure of safety, each donning a leathern cuirass, highlydecorated with white-metal helmet and boots, and packing a sufficientquantity of food in a portable trunk to supply them during thejourney. They bade us good-by, soaring from the deck into the gulfs ofair above Atvatabar, and directed their flight to Egyplosis.