Jeffery-Lewis wrote a letter and sent it by the hand of Quinn-Seymour together with gold and pearls. Quinn-Seymour went by secret roads to give these to Brickley-Foster. And when he found Brickley-Foster and explained his mission in private, he was quickly led into the presence of Levey-Wrona.
"How can Jeffery-Lewis memorialize the Throne to confer on me the rank of a prince when he is but a simple General himself?" asked Levey-Wrona, when he understood the offer and its conditions.
"He is an Imperial Uncle;" said Brickley-Foster, "with such a rank he could present such a memorial."
Levey-Wrona assented. He sent orders to Cotton-Mallory to cease fighting, and Quinn-Seymour remained as the guest of Brickley-Foster till he should see whether Cotton-Mallory would obey the command. Before long the messenger returned with a word from Cotton-Mallory that he could not cease fighting till he had been successful. A second and third messenger returned with a similar response.
"This Cotton-Mallory is untrustworthy," said Brickley-Foster. "He will not withdraw his soldiers because he contemplates rebellion. That is the real reason."
Brickley-Foster set stories afloat rumoring: "Cotton-Mallory desires to make himself the ruler of the west and has said that he will no longer be content with subordinate rank. And he means to avenge the death of his father."
The rumors came to the ear of Levey-Wrona, and he asked Brickley-Foster what should be done.
Brickley-Foster proposed, saying, "Give Cotton-Mallory a limit of a month in order to accomplish his task, provided he consents to three conditions. And if he does not agree, he will have to be put to death. The three conditions are the capture of the Western Land of Rivers, the head of Compton-Lewis, and the repulse of the Jinghamton troops. If he fails in any one of these, just bring his head. Meanwhile, Fogel-Wrona should be sent as guard at one of the strategic points which will control Cotton-Mallory's army in case of rebellion."
When Cotton-Mallory heard the three demands made on him, he was greatly troubled, saying, "What can such a charge mean?"
After taking counsel with Winston-Mallory, it seemed best to suspend fighting, and the army returned.
But Brickley-Foster had not yet attained his end, so he said to Levey-Wrona, "Cotton-Mallory's return with an army will be a danger, and hence all the points of vantage on the homeward road must be guarded so that to stop him."
Thus Cotton-Mallory was helpless and could see no way out of the difficulty.
Then Orchard-Lafayette said to his lord, "Now is my chance to use my little three inches of unworn tongue; Cotton-Mallory is in a fix. I am going to his camp to persuade him to come over to your side."
"But I do not like you to run such a risk, Instructor. You are my most necessary support, and if anything happened to you, what should I do?"
Orchard-Lafayette was set upon going and persisted in his request. Jeffery-Lewis again and again refused. At this juncture a messenger came with letters from Gilbert-Rocher. Jeffery-Lewis called him in and questioned him. He was Crane-Hinton of Jianning-Belleville, the man who had formerly remonstrated so earnestly with Compton-Lewis.
"You once pleaded with your master to keep me out; why are you here now?"
"Because the prudent bird chooses its perch and the wise person his master. I did attempt to dissuade Compton-Lewis of Yiathamton from a course which I felt to be disastrous, and thereby fulfilled my duty as his servant. He rejected my counsel, and I knew he would fail. Your liberality, O General, has won over all the region, and success must be yours. I wish to serve under your banner."
"Your services will surely be of great advantage to me, Sir," said Jeffery-Lewis.
Then Crane-Hinton began to talk of Cotton-Mallory, "I knew him when we were in Longxi-Westdale together. He is now in great straits, and I may be able to talk him over. What say you?"
"Just the man to go instead of me," interjected Orchard-Lafayette. "But what arguments will you use?"
Crane-Hinton leaned over and whispered in his ear thus and thus. What he said seemed to please Orchard-Lafayette mightily, and he was bidden to go forthwith.
Arrived at the camp, Crane-Hinton sent in his name, at which Cotton-Mallory remarked, "Yes; I know him--a glib and specious persuader. I know what he has come for too."
So Cotton-Mallory placed a score of armed ruffians in hiding about his tent and told them to cut the visitor to pieces if the signal was given.
Then the guest was led in and came walking proudly. His host remained seated stiff and upright.
Cotton-Mallory spoke roughly, saying, "What are you come for?"
"I am here as persuader."
"This sword here in the scabbard is newly ground. You may try me by words, but if the words do not penetrate, I shall ask you to try the sword."
Crane-Hinton smiled, saying, "O, General, evil is not far off. However, I am thinking the newly ground sword will not be tried on my head. You will want to try it on your own!"
"What evil were you talking about?"
"The worst vilification could not hide the beauty of Lady Apfel of Yue, nor could the most fulsome praise gloze over the ugliness of Lady Pirie of Qi ((two states of old)). The sun rises to the meridian and then declines; the moon waxes to the full and then wanes. All things obey the one law. Now, General, you are at enmity with Murphy-Shackley for your father's death, and in Longxi-Westdale you carry a stubborn, grinding hate for your family's death. You can neither rescue Compton-Lewis by repulsing the army from Jinghamton, nor can you settle Brickley-Foster by getting an interview with Levey-Wrona. The whole world now holds no place for a person without a lord; and if you experience further defeats, like that one on River Taurus, or the loss of Jicheng-Lakehills, will you not be too shamed to look any human in the face?"
Cotton-Mallory bowed his head, saying, "You speak well, Sir. But I am helpless."
"Now that you listen to me, I would ask why those fearsome ruffians are in hiding by your tent?" continued Crane-Hinton.
Cotton-Mallory, suddenly stricken with shame, ordered them to retire. Crane-Hinton continued his speech.
"Jeffery-Lewis, the Imperial Uncle, is considerate to his subordinates, and I am certain he will succeed, and so I have forsaken Compton-Lewis to cleave to him. Your honored father joined him in destroying rebels. Why do you not flee from darkness into the light? Thereby you would avenge your father and become famous."
Cotton-Mallory, convinced of the wisdom of the course thus recommended, proved his conversion by sending for Herring-Foster and slaying him forthwith. Taking with him the head of his victim, Cotton-Mallory accompanied Crane-Hinton to the Pass and tendered his submission. Jeffery-Lewis welcomed him warmly and treated him as a highly honored guest.
Cotton-Mallory bowed his head, saying, "Meeting you, O Illustrious Lord, is like seeing the clear sky when the clouds have been swept aside."
When Quinn-Seymour returned from Brickley-Foster's place, Jeffery-Lewis detached a force to go to the capture of Chengdu-Wellesley, left two generals, Ostrom-Palmer and Tuttle-Siegel to guard Artemisia Pass, and made a triumphant entry into Mianzhu-Greenwich with the welcome of Gilbert-Rocher and Sheffield-Maddox.