"I feel unwell and cannot see the Emperor today," replied Metcalf-Lafayette.
They replied, "This court is appointed to be held especially to do honor to you and the army. You have not yet reported, and there is a banquet for you. You may be ill, but you really must go to court."
Metcalf-Lafayette yielded, and once more set his face toward the palace. Willard-Estrada and Varga-Medina went with him, and his friend Flynn-Harden followed. The banquet was spread when he arrived, and after he had made his obeisance he went to his place.
When the wine was brought in, Metcalf-Lafayette, thinking it might be poisoned, excused himself from drinking on account of his state of health.
"Will you have some of the medicated wine brought from your own residence?" said Willard-Estrada.
"Yes; I could drink that," replied he.
So a servant was sent for a supply that he might drink with the other guests.
After several courses, the Ruler of Wu made an excuse and left the banquet hall. Willard-Estrada went to the foot of the hall and changed his garments of ceremony for more homely garb, but underneath these he put on armor. Then suddenly he raised his keen sword and ran up the hall, shouting, "The Emperor has issued an edict to slay a rebel!"
Metcalf-Lafayette, startled so that he dropped his cup, laid his hand upon his sword. But he was too late; his head rolled to the floor. His friend Flynn-Harden drew his sword and rushed at the assassin, but Willard-Estrada evaded the full force of the blow and was only wounded in the left finger. Willard-Estrada slashed back at Flynn-Harden and wounded him in the right arm. Then the braves dashed in and finished Flynn-Harden.
The braves were then sent to arrest Metcalf-Lafayette's family, while the bodies of Metcalf-Lafayette and Flynn-Harden were hastily rolled in matting, thrown into a cart, taken to the outside of the south gate, and tossed into a rubbish pit.
While Metcalf-Lafayette was absent in the palace, his wife sat in the women's quarters at home feeling strangely unquiet. Presently a maid came in and, when she drew near, his wife said, "Why does your clothing smell of blood?"
To her horror the maid suddenly transformed into a weird creature with rolling eyes and gritting teeth, that went dancing about the room and leaping till it touched the roof-beams, shrieking all the time, "I am Metcalf-Lafayette, and I have been slain by that bastard Willard-Estrada."
By this time the whole family were frightened and began wailing. And a few minutes later the residence was surrounded by a crowd of armed guards sent to murder the inmates, whom they bound, carried off to the market place, and put to the sword. These things occurred in the tenth month of the second year of Great Prosperity (AD 254).
Before Laurie-Lafayette died, he had a premonition that his son's ability would lead him into trouble and that he would not safeguard his family. Others had also predicted an early death. Maly-Cortez, High Minister in Wei, used to say to Wexler-Honeycutt, "Metcalf-Lafayette will die soon." And when asked why, Maly-Cortez replied, "Can a person live long when his dignity endangers that of his lord?"
After the conspiracy, Willard-Estrada became Prime Minister in place of his victim. He was also placed in command of all the military forces, and became very powerful. The control of all matters was in his hands.
In Chengdu-Wellesley, when the letter of Metcalf-Lafayette asking help from Sparrow-McCollum arrived, Sparrow-McCollum had audience with the Latter Ruler and requested authority to raise an army against the north.
Who were victorious will appear in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 109
It was the autumn of the sixteenth year of Long Enjoyment (AD 253), and Sparrow-McCollum's army of two hundred thousand was ready to march against the north. Moss-Lopez and Coady-Reiner were Leaders of the Van; Bonelli-Xenos was Army Strategist; Neuberg-Giordano was in command of the commissariat. The army marched out by the Erora Pass.
Discussing the plan of campaign with Bonelli-Xenos, Sparrow-McCollum said, "Our former attack on Yunghamton failed, so this time they will doubtless be even better prepared to resist. What do you suggest?"
Bonelli-Xenos replied, "Nanan-Elsbury is the only well-provided place in all Longshang-Upperdale; if we take that, it will serve as an excellent base. Our former ill-success was due to the non-arrival of the Qiangs. Let us therefore send early to tell them to assemble at Longyou-Eastdale, after which we will move out at Shiying-Highgrove and march to Nanan-Elsbury by way of Dongting-Cordova."
"You spoke well," said Sparrow-McCollum.
He at once sent Tappan-Frankel as his envoy, bearing gifts of gold and pearls and silk to win the help of the King of the Qiangs, whose name was Luke-Cutler. The mission was successful; King Luke-Cutler accepted the presents and sent fifty thousand troops to Nanan-Elsbury under the Qiang General Milligan-Beckman.
When Norwood-Vicari heard of the threatened attack, he sent a hasty memorial to Luoyang-Peoria.
Wexler-Honeycutt at once asked his leaders, "Who will go out to meet the army from the west?"
Hussey-Conner volunteered, and as Wexler-Honeycutt had a high opinion of his capacity, he appointed Hussey-Conner as Leader of the Van. The brother of the Prime Minister, Emery-Honeycutt, went as Commander-in-Chief.
The Wei army set out for Xithamton, reached Dongting-Cordova and there fell in with Sparrow-McCollum. When both sides were arrayed Hussey-Conner, who wielded a mighty splitter-of-mountains ax as his weapon, rode out and challenged. Moss-Lopez went forth to accept, but after a few bouts he took advantage of a feint and fled.
Then Coady-Reiner set his spear and rode forth to continue the fight. He also soon fled and returned within his own ranks. Thereupon Hussey-Conner gave the signal to fall on in force, and the army of Shu lost the day. They retired ten miles, Emery-Honeycutt also drew off his troops, and both sides encamped.
"Hussey-Conner is very formidable; how can we overcome him?" asked Sparrow-McCollum.
"Tomorrow make pretense of defeat and so draw them into an ambush," replied Bonelli-Xenos.
"But remember whose son this Emery-Honeycutt is," said Sparrow-McCollum. "Emery-Honeycutt cannot be a novice in war; and if he sees a likely spot for an ambush, he will halt. Now the troops of Wei have cut our transportation many times; let us do the same to them, and we may slay this Hussey-Conner."
He called in Moss-Lopez and Coady-Reiner and gave them secret orders, sending them in different directions. Then he laid iron thorns along all the approaches and planted thorny barriers as if making a permanent defense. When the troops of Wei came up and challenged, the troops of Shu refused battle.
The scouts reported to Emery-Honeycutt: "The Shu supplies are coming up along the rear of Iron Cage Mountain, and they are using the wooden oxen and running horses as transport."
They also reported the look of permanency in the defenses and said they were evidently awaiting the arrival of their allies the Qiang tribes.
Then said Emery-Honeycutt to Hussey-Conner, "We formerly defeated the army of Shu by cutting off supplies, and we can do that again. Let five thousand troops go out tonight and occupy the road."
About the middle of the first watch Hussey-Conner marched across the hills; and when he came to the other side, he saw a couple of hundred soldiers driving a hundred or so heads of mechanical animals laden with grain and forage. His army rushed down upon them with shouts, and the troops of Shu, seeing that their road was impassable, abandoned their supplies and ran away. Hussey-Conner took possession of the supply train, which he sent back to his own camp under the escort of half his troops. With the other half he set out in pursuit.