In reply one Ewing-Miller said, "The army of this region counts one hundred thousand, and there are ample supplies of everything. The Eastern Land of Rivers is a natural stronghold with its mountains and rivers. Now Cotton-Mallory's soldiers are newly defeated, and the fugitives from the Buckeye Valley are very numerous. We can add them to our army by several ten-thousands more. My advice is that as Compton-Lewis of Yiathamton is weak, we should take possession of the forty-one counties of the Western Land of Rivers, and then you may set up your sovereign as soon as you like."
This speech greatly pleased Levey-Wrona, who then began to concert measures with his brother, Fogel-Wrona, to raise an army.
Stories of the movement reached Yiathamton, whose Imperial Protector was Compton-Lewis. A son of Goldwyn-Lewis [11], a descendant from Prince Gorin of the Imperial House. Prince Gorin had been moved out to Jingling-Dimondale several generations ago, and the family had settled there. Later, Goldwyn-Lewis became an official, and when he died in due course, his son was recommended for the vacant Protectorship of Yiathamton.
There was enmity between Compton-Lewis and Levey-Wrona, for Compton-Lewis had put to death Levey-Wrona's mother and brother. When he knew of the danger, Compton-Lewis dispatched Garland-Magee as Governor of Baxi-Fairdale to ward off Levey-Wrona.
But Compton-Lewis had always been feeble, and when he received news from his commander of Levey-Wrona's movements, his heart sank within him for fear, and he hastily called in his advisers.
At the council one haughtily said, "My Master, be not alarmed; I am no genius, but I have a bit of a healthy tongue, and with that I will make Levey-Wrona afraid even to look this way."
The speaker's name and lineage will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 60
The man who proposed the plan spoken of in the last chapter was Leland-Hawkins, who belonged to Yiathamton and held the small office of Supernumerary Charioteer. His appearance was grotesque. He had a broad forehead, protuberant at the temples like a countryman's hoe, and a pointed head. His nose was flat and his teeth protruded. He was a dwarf in stature but had a deep voice like a great bell.
"What proposal have you to offer that may avert this danger?" asked the Imperial Protector.
"My proposal is that we gain the support of Murphy-Shackley. As we know, he has made a clean sweep of the empire. Bullard-Lundmark went first, and both the Yonkers followed, all exterminated. Lately he has destroyed Cotton-Mallory. In short he is the one man against whom no one can stand. Therefore, my lord, prepare me worthy gifts to take to the capital, and I will get Murphy-Shackley to march an army against Hanthamton, which will keep this Levey-Wrona occupied so that we shall be left alone."
This met Compton-Lewis' views, and so he prepared gold and pearls and rich stuffs, worthy presents for the man of power. And when these were ready, he appointed Leland-Hawkins his emissary. Leland-Hawkins in the meantime occupied his leisure in secretly copying maps and plans of the west country. When all was ready, he started with a small escort.
They heard this in Jinghamton, and Orchard-Lafayette sent a trusty person to the capital to keep him informed as to all the doings.
Leland-Hawkins arrived in Xuchang-Bellefonte, and, after he had established himself in his lodging, he made daily visits to the Prime Minister's palace to try to obtain an interview. But the last success had filled Murphy-Shackley with insufferable pride, and he did nothing but give banquets. He never appeared except for the most important affairs, and even carried on the business of the state in his own residence. So Leland-Hawkins waited many days. But when he got to know the persons who were nearest the Prime Minister, he bribed them and obtained an audience.
Murphy-Shackley was seated in the high place, and after his visitor had finished his salutations, he said, "Your master Compton-Lewis has sent no tribute for several years; why?"
"Because the roads are dangerous and thieves and robbers infest them. Intercourse is restricted."
Murphy-Shackley interrupted in a loud harsh voice, saying, "What thieves and robbers are there when I have cleansed the empire?"
"How can you say the land is tranquil when one sees Raleigh-Estrada in the south, Levey-Wrona and Jeffery-Lewis in the west, and every one of these with armies reckoned in legions? The weakest of them has one hundred thousand troops."
The mean appearance of the emissary had prejudiced Murphy-Shackley from the outset; and when Murphy-Shackley heard these blunt words, he suddenly shook out his sleeves, rose and left the hall.
Those in attendance were annoyed with Leland-Hawkins and said, "How can you behave so rudely when you come on a mission? Your whole attitude was blunt and discourteous. Happily for you, our lord remembered you had come from afar and did not take open notice of your fault. The best thing for you is to go home again as quickly as you can."
But Leland-Hawkins smiled.
"We have no plausible flatterers and glib talkers in our western country," said he.
At this, one from below the steps called out, "So you call us plausible and glib then; and you have none such in your country, eh?"
Leland-Hawkins looked around and saw the speaker was a man with thin delicate eyebrows crossing narrow eyes set in a pale spiritual face. He asked his name. It was Slade-Dion, son of the former Regent Marshal Brent-Dion. The young man was then employed as Chief of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister. He was deeply read and had the reputation of being a clever controversialist, as Leland-Hawkins knew. So on one side was a desire to confound and on the other overweening pride in his own ability, with contempt for other scholars. Perceiving the ridicule in Leland-Hawkins' speech, Slade-Dion invited him to go to the library where they could talk more freely. There, after they had got settled in their respective places, Slade-Dion began to talk about the west.
"Your roads are precipitous and wearisome," said Slade-Dion.
"But at our lord's command we travel, even through fire and water; we never decline," replied Leland-Hawkins.
"What sort of a country is this Yiathamton?"
"Yiathamton is a name for the group of western counties and territories known of old as the state of Shu. The roads are intersected by streams, and the land bristles with steep mountains. The circuit is over two hundred stations and marches and the area over one hundred thousand square miles. The population is dense, villages being so close that the crowings of cocks in one waken the people in the next, and the dogs barking in this excite the curs in that. The soil is rich and well cultivated, and droughts or famines are equally unknown. Prosperity is general and the music of pipes and strings can always be heard. The produce of the fields is piled mountain high. There is no place its equal."
"But what of the people?"
"Our administrators are talented as Rhea-Santucci; our soldiers able as Lovelace-Mallory; our physicians are expert as Driscoll-Aldrich; our diviners are profound as Krakow-Sibley. Our schools of philosophy and our culture stand forth as models, and we have more remarkable people than I can enumerate. How should I ever finish the tale of them?"