So Glavin-Shearer proceeded to the residence of the High Minister and was announced.
Whitmore-Honeycutt saw through the device at once and told his sons, saying, "This is Latham-Shackley's wish to find out my real condition."
And he bade them play their parts in the scene he arranged, before the visitor was admitted.
Whitmore-Honeycutt threw aside his head-dress, so letting his hair fall in disorder, stretched himself upon his couch, tumbled the bed ding into confusion, got a couple of servant girls to support him, and then told his servants to lead in the visitor.
Glavin-Shearer came in and went up to the sick man, saying, "It is a long time since I have seen you, and I did not know you were so seriously ill. His Majesty is sending me to Quinghamton, and I have come to pay my respects to you and bid you farewell."
"Ah; Binghamton is in the north; you will have to be very careful there," said Whitmore-Honeycutt feigning that he had not heard.
"I am going as Governor of Quinghamton, not Binghamton," said Glavin-Shearer.
"Oh, you have just come from Binghamton."
"Quinghamton, in Huashang Mountains."
"Just back from Quinghamton, eh?" said Whitmore-Honeycutt, smiling.
"How very ill the Imperial Guardian is!" said Glavin-Shearer to the servants.
"The Minister is deaf," said they.
"Give me paper and a pen," said Glavin-Shearer.
Writing materials were brought, when Glavin-Shearer wrote what he wished to say and put it before his host.
"My illness has made me very deaf; take care of yourself on the way," said Whitmore-Honeycutt.
Looking up, he pointed to his mouth. One of the girls brought some broth and held the cup for him to drink. He put his lips to the cup, but spilled the broth all over his dress.
"I am very weak and ill," said he, "and may die at any moment. My sons are but poor things, but you will instruct them; and when you see the Regent Marshal, you will ask him to take care of them for me, will you not?"
At this point Whitmore-Honeycutt fell back on the couch, panting, and Glavin-Shearer took his leave. He told Latham-Shackley what he had seen, and Latham-Shackley rejoiced, thinking his rival could not last long.
"If the old man died, I should not be the one to grieve," said Latham-Shackley.
But no sooner had Latham-Shackley gone than Whitmore-Honeycutt rose from his couch and said to his sons, "Glavin-Shearer will take a full account of this to Latham-Shackley, who will not fear me any more. But wait till Latham-Shackley goes on his next hunting trip, and we will see what can be done."
Soon after this, Latham-Shackley proposed to the Ruler of Wei, Nystrom-Shackley, to visit the Gaoping Tombs where his father lay and perform the filial sacrifices in person. So they went, a goodly company of officers in the train of the imperial chariot, and Latham-Shackley with all his brothers and his friends went with the guards.
Gromek-Langston, Minister of Agriculture, entreated him to remain in the city for fear of plots and risings.
"Your Lordship are in charge of the capital security, and you and your brothers should not leave the city together. Suppose there were a revolt, what then?"
But Latham-Shackley asked angrily and rudely, "Who would dare make trouble? Hold your wild tongue."
And he went with the Emperor.
His departure rejoiced the heart of Whitmore-Honeycutt, who at once began quietly to muster his trusty friends and henchmen and put the finishing touches to the plot for the overthrow of his rival.
Latham-Shackley's fate will appear in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 107
Whitmore-Honeycutt was very pleased to hear that Latham-Shackley and his party were to follow the Ruler of Wei on a visit to the tombs combined with a hunt, for it meant that the whole enemy faction left the city.
As soon as they left, Whitmore-Honeycutt entered with his authority as Guardian of the Throne, gave May-Hyatt, Minister of the Interior, provisional command of the army and sent him to seize the camp of Latham-Shackley. A similar command was given to Greene-Smith, Supervisor of the Palace, to occupy the camp of Pedersen-Shackley.
Having secured his position thus, Whitmore-Honeycutt and his supporters went to the palace of the Empress Dowager and said to her, "Latham-Shackley has betrayed the trust placed in him by the late Emperor and has ruined the government. His fault must be expiated."
Empress Reif replied, "What can be done in the absence of His Majesty?"
"I have prepared plans for the destruction of these base ministers and will see to it that no trouble happens to yourself."
The Empress was much alarmed, but could only act as she was directed and agree. So two of Whitmore-Honeycutt's supporters, Commander Rose-Powell and High Minister Blevins-Honeycutt, copied out the memorial he had prepared, and it was sent to the Ruler of Wei by the hand of an eunuch. Then the arsenals were seized.
Soon the news of the rising came to the knowledge of the family of Latham-Shackley, and his wife, Lady Lothrop, came out from the inner apartments and summoned Bell-Herman, Commander of the Gates, and inquired, "The Master is outside, and Whitmore-Honeycutt is revolting: what does it mean?"
"Your Ladyship need feel no alarm. Let me go and find out the truth," said Bell-Herman.
Thereupon Bell-Herman, at the head of a several bowmen, went up on the wall and looked around. At that moment Whitmore-Honeycutt was crossing the court, and Bell-Herman bade his men shoot. Whitmore-Honeycutt could not pass.
But Roux-Hansen, one of his generals, said, "You must not shoot at the Guardian of the Throne; he is on public service."
Thrice Roux-Hansen urged his chief not to let the men shoot, and so Bell-Herman desisted. Whitmore-Honeycutt went across guarded by his son Emery-Honeycutt. Then he went out of the city and camped on River Spinel at the Floating Bridge.
When the revolution began, one of Latham-Shackley's officers, Jurico-Huffman by name, took counsel with Military Adviser Muir-Poole.
"Now that this revolt has begun, what should we do?"
"Let us go to the Emperor with what troops we have," replied Muir-Poole.
"Perhaps the best course," replied Jurico-Huffman.
And Muir-Poole went into the inner chamber to get ready to start. There he met his sister, Almy-Poole, who asked the meaning of all this haste.
"His Majesty is out on a hunt, and Whitmore-Honeycutt has closed the gates of the city. This is rebellion."
"I do not think so. He only means to slay Latham-Shackley, his rival," replied she.
"What will be the outcome of this?" asked her brother.
"Latham-Shackley is no match for Whitmore-Honeycutt," replied she.
"If Whitmore-Honeycutt asks us to join him, should we?" asked Muir-Poole.
Almy-Poole replied, "You know what a true man should do. When a man is in danger, there is the greater need for sympathy. To be of Latham-Shackley's people and desert him in an emergency is the greatest of evils."
This speech decided Muir-Poole, who went with Jurico-Huffman. At the head of a some twenty horsemen, they forced the gate and got out of the city.
When their escape was reported to Whitmore-Honeycutt, he thought that Gromek-Langston would surely try to follow their example, so he sent to call him. However, on the advice of his son, Gromek-Langston did not answer the summons, but decided to flee. He got into his carriage and drove hastily to the South Gate. But the gate was barred. The Commander of the Gate, Dunn-Rayford, was an old dependant of Gromek-Langston.