CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
AN OMINOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
The startling character of the entire episode, coupled with thesuddenness and utter unexpectedness of its development, and the equallyunexpected firmness and decision of character manifested by the youngqueen, exercised such a paralysing effect upon the members of councilthat, as with one accord, they sank back into their seats and in silencewatched the arrest and removal of Sachar from the Council Chamber. Andbefore any of them could pull themselves together to take any definiteaction, the queen rose to her feet and, bowing to the assembly with aserene and most engaging smile, said:
"My lords of the council, you are dismissed."
Then, turning to the two white men, she murmured, in a voice so low thatonly they two caught the words:
"My lords Dick and Earle, give me the favour of your company to my ownapartments. I desire to consult with ye both." And, accepting thesupport of Dick's proffered hand, she passed out of the Council Chamberthrough the doorway by which she had entered, and, followed by herretinue, made her way to the small but beautiful chamber where she andher grandfather had first received the two white men.
Arrived here, she seated herself on a dais at the upper end of theapartment and, directing her ladies to retire to the other end of theroom, where they would be out of earshot, she rested her chin upon herhand, as though in deep thought, and so remained for the space of nearlyfive minutes.
Then, raising her eyes, she glanced first at Dick and then at Earle, whostood respectfully before her, and said:
"My lords, I am in a strait, and desire the benefit of your advice. Yeare from the great world without, and have doubtless mingled freely withthe teeming millions of whom ye have spoken to the late king, my belovedgrandfather. Ye have told him of the marvellous doings of thosemillions, of their wonderful enterprises and inventions, and of therivalry that exists between them; and I doubt not that, mingling withthem, as ye must have done, ye have acquired wisdom, beside which thewisdom of the wisest of us in Ulua will seem foolishness.
"You did right, my Lord Dick, in ordering Sachar's arrest for hisarrogant and insulting speech, but I doubt whether I should have had thecourage to take so bold a step. For I know that it will mean warbetween him and me--a war of plotting and scheming, if not of actualbloodshed--and I now wish to know whether, in the contest which I feelto be inevitable, I may depend upon your advice and, if necessary, youractive co-operation?"
"You may, your Majesty," answered Dick and Earle in the same breath.
"I thank you with all my heart," returned the queen, glancing up at themwith a bright smile. "I feel," she continued, "that in the strugglewhich I foresee, I shall have to rely upon you almost entirely, for Ibelieve that the members of my council will, with very few exceptions,be against me. Go, therefore, and consult together as to the stepswhich ye would recommend me to take; and then come to me again."
She presented her hand, which Dick and Earle bent over and kissedrespectfully before retiring from the presence.
Upon reaching their own suite of apartments, the two friends weresurprised to find Lyga, the Keeper of Statutes, awaiting them. Therewas a look of concern, not altogether unmingled with amusement, in hisexpression as he rose and advanced to meet them.
"My lords," he said, "it has just come to my ears--and I thought thatye, and you in especial, my Lord Dick, in your capacity ofCaptain-General of the Queen's Bodyguard, ought to know--that Sachar,together with the officer and the file of soldiers into whose custody yedelivered him, has disappeared."
"Disappeared!" echoed Dick. "How mean ye, my Lord Lyga?"
"Exactly as I have said," replied Lyga. "Sachar has not been lodged inprison, as ye ordered, and the officer and file of soldiers are not intheir quarters, as they should be. I rather anticipated some suchoccurrence, and because my sympathies are wholly with the Queen, and Iam on her side, I made it my business to leave the Council Chamberimmediately upon her Majesty's departure, and follow the route thatSachar should have taken. I ascertained that he left the palace,accompanied by the officer and soldiers; but he had not reached theprison when I arrived there, and it is certain that now he will not doso. My own conviction is that, being a man of known power and almostunlimited wealth, he found no difficulty in bribing the officer andsoldiers to allow him to escape, and has very possibly carried them awaywith him to protect them from the consequences of their treachery."
Dick and Earle regarded each other intently for a moment, and thennodded with understanding.
"My Lord Lyga," said Dick, "I thank you for your promptitude in bringingme this information, and also for the assurance of your sympathy withthe cause of the Queen. Doubtless ye have already recognised that we,too, are wholly and unreservedly on her side, to such an extent, indeed,that we are resolved not to depart from Ulua until her Majesty and herauthority are firmly established. Not only so, but we intend to doeverything in our power to bring that consummation to pass. I speak formy Lord Earle as well as myself. You corroborate me, don't you?" headded, turning to Earle.
Earle nodded emphatic assent, and Dick resumed:
"Is your sympathy with her Majesty strong enough to induce you toco-operate with us in her cause, my lord?"
"Assuredly," assented Lyga, "else had I left ye to learn of Sachar'sescape at your leisure."
"Good!" approved Dick. "Being strangers among you, we are naturally toa very great extent ignorant of the characters of Sachar and those whoare likely to take part with him against the Queen; therefore we shallbe glad to hear your opinion as to the probable outcome of Sachar's actof defiance. How, think ye, will it end?"
"I will tell you," answered Lyga. "Knowing Sachar and his ambitions sointimately as I do, I think this is what has happened and will happen.Sachar doubtless went direct from the Council Chamber to his own home,provided himself with all the money he could lay his hands upon at themoment, and then probably proceeded to the house of Nimri, the husbandof his sister, where, having explained the happenings of this morning,he has arranged with Nimri to manage his affairs for him, collect hismoneys, and provide him with such funds as he may need, from time totime. These arrangements made, Sachar will almost certainly go intohiding, and, from his place of concealment, endeavour to organise arevolt against the Queen's authority, with the object of eitherdethroning her, or--if the people will not permit that--compelling herto marry him."
"So," said Dick, "that means something very like civil war, does itnot?"
"It does," agreed Lyga, tersely.
"And, in such an event, how think ye will it go?" demanded Earle.
Lyga considered deeply. "It is a difficult matter to forecast," hepresently replied. "On the one hand, such a thing as a revolt againstthe royal house has never yet occurred in Ulua, and, broadly speaking,the Uluans, as a people, will be opposed to it. For it would be anupsetting of one of Ulua's fundamental laws, and the people at largewill naturally argue that if it is possible to upset one law, it will bepossible to upset others, with consequences which no man can foresee.On the other hand, Sachar is, far and away, the most powerful andinfluential man in the kingdom. There are few, if any, who love him,but there are many who, believing in his power, may be prepared to helphim in the hope of being lavishly rewarded in the event of his beingsuccessful, while there are many more--probably thousands--who, directlyor indirectly, are so dependent upon his favour that they will feel theyhave no choice but to help him, if called upon. And you may restassured that he _will_ call upon every man who is in the least degreeunder his influence. I fear it will be found that he will have a verylarge following."
"In that case," said Dick, "it appears to me that prompt and energeticaction is called for. And right here, my Lord Lyga, is where you can beof the utmost service. I know little or nothing of the laws by whichUlua is governed, while you, I understand, have them at your fingers'ends. Tell me, therefore, how far does my authority, as Captain-Generalof the Queen's Bodyguard, extend?"
"It extends just as far as her Majesty may be pleased to permit,"answered Lyga. "You are entitled, even without obtaining her Majesty'sexpress permission, to take whatever steps you may deem necessary forthe protection of the Queen's person; and, beyond that, you have only toobtain her Majesty's permission to render lawful any act performed byyou in the maintenance of law and order."
"I see," returned Dick. "It would appear, then, that my powers aretolerably wide. Are they wide enough, think you, to justify me inseizing, on behalf of the Queen, all property belonging to Sachar?"
"With what object?" demanded Lyga.
"Primarily, to deprive him of what we English term `the sinews of war,'"replied Dick, "or, in other words, the means to organise a campaign; andsecondarily, with the object of impressing upon all whom it may concernthat we who are taking the side of the Queen are fully prepared tosuppress with a strong hand any attempt to deprive her of any of herrights or of her liberty."
"By Kuhlacan!" ejaculated Lyga. "Are ye prepared to adopt suchstringent measures? We Uluans are a little apt to deprecate force, alittle apt to parley and bargain, to compromise. I think that, as apeople, we are so timorous that we would concede almost anything inorder to avoid strong measures. And that is where Sachar has alreadythe advantage. He is not timorous; on the contrary, he is bold,courageous, overbearing--he frightens people into surrendering to hiswill. And if ye also are prepared to be firm, resolute, fearless, Ibelieve ye will conquer; for if once the people can be brought torealise that your determination is as strong and unshrinking as that ofSachar, there are many who will fear to join him, lest he fall and theyfall with him. But it will not be well that the Queen shall bepersonally involved in the struggle which I foresee. She must remainpersonally aloof, passive and detached from it. The issues will be oftoo grim and strenuous a character for her to be brought into personalcontact with them. She is too young, too inexperienced, tootender-hearted to grapple successfully with them; at a critical momentwhen perhaps her throne, her liberty, possibly even her very life, maybe hanging in the balance, she might be tempted to yield, rather thanfight for what is rightfully her own, in order to avert bloodshed. Thatis a trait of her character upon which Sachar will confidently reckon,therefore we who have her interests at heart must safeguard her from theeffects of untimely weakness by inducing her to invest you with fullpower and authority to act in her behalf as may seem to you best,without being obliged first to submit the point to her. Thus, you andSachar, not she, will be responsible for what may happen. Does such aprospect make you shrink?"
"It does not, friend Lyga," answered Dick.
"I am glad to hear you say so," returned Lyga, "for your view accuratelycoincides with my own. Would that I were young enough actively tosupport you! But what matters? My brain will be worth more to you thanthews and sinews, and I tell you, my Lord Dick, that the best my braincan offer is and shall be at all times freely yours. I am ready, ifneed be, to back my wisdom and cunning against Sachar's courage andstrength. And now, see ye, I advise that ye take immediate steps toseize every item of Sachar's property and goods that ye can lay handsupon. Give the matter into the hands of Acor, who met ye at the gatewhen ye first entered Ulua; he is a good man, staunch and--I believe--faithful, and such orders as ye may give him he will execute.Meanwhile, I will retire to mine own quarters and will there prepare aparchment investing you with full power to act as you may deem necessaryin defence of the Queen's peace. And to-morrow you and I will gotogether and beseech her Majesty to sign it."
"Jove! the plot is thickening, with a vengeance," exclaimed Dick, whenLyga had left them. "But," he continued, "what puzzles me is, how itcomes that _I_ am suddenly boosted to the front and the top in such anextraordinary manner. What I mean is, that up to the present _you_ havebeen _persona grata_ here, and now, without rhyme or reason, it seems tome, I am pitch-forked--"
Earle smiled as he laid his hand on Dick's shoulder.
"My dear chap," he said, "if, as you say, I have thus far been the moreimportant individual of the two here in Ulua, you know as well as I dothat it has been solely by virtue of this Kuhlacan amulet that I wear.But you have only to glance into one of those mirrors which reflect ourimages to understand in a moment why a young girl like Queen Myrrashould instinctively turn to you, rather than to me when--"
"Oh, I say! that's the most utter rot, you know--" began Dick, blushingfuriously. But Earle again interrupted him.
"Rot, or not, my young friend," he said, "it is human nature, which,take my word for it, is pretty much the same all the world over.Besides, you must remember that it was you who intervened so vigorouslywhen that bounder, Sachar, threatened the Queen; therefore it was butnatural that when those other johnnies began to protest against theillegality of your order for Sachar's arrest, her Majesty should at onceinvest you with the necessary authority to legalise your order. And,having made you Captain-General of her bodyguard, she will of courselook to you to discharge the functions of the post. And as for me, Itell you frankly that I think, in choosing you, she showed herself to bea very wise little woman; for you are accustomed to responsibility andcommand. You go ahead, youngster, and fear nothing. I'll back you upto the last cent, whatever you do; and always remember that whenever youfeel in need of information or advice, you have wise old Lyga to fallback upon, and he is a host in himself."
Thus reassured, Dick Cavendish summoned a servant and forthwithdispatched him to the adjacent barracks in which the officers and men ofthe bodyguard were lodged, with a message requesting Captain Acor'simmediate attendance. And when, about a quarter of an hour later, Acorput in an appearance, Dick briefly recounted to him the morning'shappenings, and wound up by directing him to tell off a sufficientnumber of men and with them proceed to search for and arrest Sachar, totake possession of and occupy not only Sachar's residence, but everyother building belonging to the man, and to seize and lodge in a placeof security all Sachar's horses, slaves, and other property capable ofbeing moved. Acor readily undertook to do this, assuring Dick that hebelieved he could enumerate every item of property belonging to Sachar,and that he would permit nothing to escape him. But he expressed somedoubt as to his ability to arrest Sachar, who, he doubted not, hadalready found a secure hiding place. Dick was greatly gratified toobserve that Acor seemed ready to take orders from him without evincingthe slightest symptom of envy or jealousy at the fact of Dick being putover him, for he had rather feared something of the kind from all theofficers of the bodyguard.
Late in the evening, Acor returned to the palace and reported that hehad seized every particle of Sachar's property, but had been unable todiscover the slightest clue to the whereabouts of the man himself, allhis inquiries being met with the assurance that none of his relativeshad seen anything of him since his departure from his house, thatmorning, to attend the meeting of the Council of Nobles. Acor addedthat, while he had not the slightest doubt that this statement was inthe main true, he had just as little doubt that certain of the personswhom he questioned had lied, and among them he strongly suspectedSachar's major-domo, and the Lord Nimri, Sachar's brother-in-law. Theformer of these, however, as Acor pointed out, could render no furtherassistance to his master, since he and his fellow servants were nowunder the strict surveillance of the officer who had been put inpossession of Sachar's principal dwelling; while, as for Nimri, he toowas under surveillance, Acor having instructed two smart, keen servantsof his own to relieve each other in maintaining a strict watch upon thenoble's movements and to follow him whithersoever he might go, reportingto Acor regularly as they went off duty.
At the moment it appeared to both Dick and Earle that these precautionswould prove sufficient, and would doubtless lead, in the course of a dayor two, to the arrest of the recalcitrant noble; but when three days hadpassed bringing no news of Sachar, they decided upon the adoption offurther measures and, having in the meantime, with Lyga's assistance,obtained the Queen's signature to the document giving Dick _carteblanche_ to act in any manne
r that he might deem fit, Cavendishpublished a Proclamation declaring Sachar an outlaw, offering asubstantial reward for such information as should lead to his arrest,and pronouncing outlawry against any and all who might be found to haveafforded him refuge or succour of any kind.
This drastic step, they fully believed, would result in Sachar'sdiscovery and arrest, especially as every house belonging to Sachar, andevery person suspected of being in the slightest degree likely to helpor even sympathise with him, was being strictly watched; but day afterday went by with no discovery made, no smallest scrap of informationcoming to hand; and meanwhile the preparations for the state obsequiesof the late king were so far advanced that at length the date was fixedfor the ceremonial, which was to be of unparalleled pomp andmagnificence.