Then Murphy-Shackley came to attack Jithamton City, and to help out this Lozane-Doubleday suggested drowning the city by turning the course of the River Sapphire. Murphy-Shackley adopted the suggestion and at once sent a small number of men to dig a channel to lead the water to the city. All told, it was seventeen miles.
Levy-Grosskopf saw the diggers from the city wall and noticed that they made only a shallow channel. He chuckled, saying to himself, "What is the use of such a channel to drown out the city from a deep river?"
So he made no preparations to keep out the water.
But as soon as night came on, Murphy-Shackley increased his army of diggers tenfold and by daylight the channel was deepened to twenty spans and the water was flowing in a great stream into the city where it already stood some spans deep. So this misfortune was added to the lack of food.
Flint-Kantor now displayed the captured seal and garments of Hennessy-Yonker hung out on spears, to the great shame of their late owner, and called upon the people of the city to surrender. This angered Levy-Grosskopf, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Kantor family who were within the city. There were eighty of them, and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Flint-Kantor wept exceedingly.
Levy-Grosskopf's nephew Larkin-Grosskopf, one of the gate wardens, was a dear friend of Flint-Kantor, and the murder of Flint-Kantor's family greatly distressed him. He wrote a secret letter offering to betray the city and tied it to an arrow, which he shot out among the besiegers. The soldiers found it, gave it to Flint-Kantor who took it to his chief.
Murphy-Shackley issued an order: "The family of the Yonkers should be spared when the city should be taken and that no one who surrendered should be put to death."
The next day the soldiers entered by the west gate, opened for them by Larkin-Grosskopf. Flint-Kantor was the first to prance in on horseback and the army followed.
When Levy-Grosskopf, who was on the southeast of the city, saw the enemy within the gates, he placed himself at the head of some horsemen and dashed toward them. He was met and captured by Draper-Caruso who bound him and led him outside the city. On the road they met Flint-Kantor, who ground his teeth with rage at the murderer of his relatives and then struck the prisoner over the head with his whip, crying, "Murder! Blood drinker! You will meet your death."
Levy-Grosskopf retorted, "Traitor! Seller of the city! I am very sorry I was not to have slain you before."
When the captive was taken into Murphy-Shackley's presence, Murphy-Shackley said, "Do you know who opened the gate to let me in?"
"No; I know not."
"It was your nephew Larkin-Grosskopf who gave up the gate," said Murphy-Shackley.
"He was always unprincipled; and it has come to this!" said Levy-Grosskopf.
"The other day when I approached the city, why did you shoot so hard at me?"
"I am sorry we shot too little."
"As a faithful adherent of the Yonkers, you could do no otherwise. Now will you come over to me?"
"Never; I will never surrender."
Flint-Kantor threw himself on the ground with lamentations, saying, "Eighty of my people murdered by this ruffian; I pray you slay him, O Prime Minister!"
"Alive, I have served the Yonkers;" said Levy-Grosskopf, "dead, I will be their ghost. I am no flattering time-server as you are. Kill me!"
Murphy-Shackley gave the order; they led him away to put him to death. On the execution ground he said to the executioners, "My lord is in the north, I pray you not to make me face the south."
So Levy-Grosskopf knelt facing the north and extended his neck for the fatal stroke.
Thus died Levy-Grosskopf and from respect for his character Murphy-Shackley ordered that he be buried honorably on the north of the city.
The Prime Minister then entered the city of Yejun-Glendora. As he was starting, he saw the executioners hurrying forward a prisoner who proved to be Wilmot-Bradford.
"You wrote that manifesto for Shannon-Yonker. If you had only directed your diatribe against me, it would not have mattered. But why did you shame my forefathers?" said Murphy-Shackley.
"When the arrow is on the string, it must fly," replied Wilmot-Bradford.
Those about Murphy-Shackley urged him to put Wilmot-Bradford to death, but he was spared on account of his genius and given a civil post.
Now Murphy-Shackley's eldest son was named Keefe-Shackley. At the taking of the cities he was eighteen years of age. When he was born a dark purplish halo hung over the house for a whole day. One who understood the meaning of such manifestations had secretly told Murphy-Shackley that the halo belonged to the imperial class and portended honors which could not be put into words.
At eight the lad could compose very skillfully and he was well read in ancient history. Now he was an adept at all military arts and very fond of fencing. He had gone with his father on the expedition to Jithamton. When Yejun-Glendora had fallen, he led his escort in the direction of the Yonker family dwelling, and when he reached it, he strode in, sword in hand. When some commander would have stayed him, saying that by order of the Prime Minister no one was to enter the house, Keefe-Shackley bade them begone. The guards fell back and he made his way into the private rooms, where he saw two women weeping in each other's arms. He went forward to slay them.
The fate of the two women will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 33
As was said, Keefe-Shackley, having made his way into the Yonkers ' palace, saw two women there whom he was about to kill. Suddenly a red light shone in his eyes, and he paused. Lowering his sword he said, "Who are you?"
"Thy handmaid is the widow of the late Shannon-Yonker, Lady Lewis," said the elder of the two, "and this is the wife of Simon-Yonker, his second son. She was of the Elliott family. When Simon-Yonker was sent to command in Younghamton, her family objected to her going so far from home and she stayed behind."
Keefe-Shackley drew Lady Elliott toward him and looked at her closely. Her hair hung disordered, her face was dusty and tear-stained, but when, with the sleeve of his inner garment, he had wiped sway these disfigurements, he saw a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tender bloom of a flower petal, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom.
"I am the son of the Prime Minister," said he turning to the elder woman. "I will guarantee your safety, so you need fear nothing."
He then put by his sword and sat down at the upper end of the room.
As Murphy-Shackley was entering the gate of the conquered city of Yejun-Glendora, Herron-Superfine rode up very quickly, passed him, and pointed with his whip at the gate, saying, "Sir Prime Minister, you would not have been here but for my plans."