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The recital of the poem a
"This fellow is very like Nystrom-Shackley, and if I do not remove him he will hurt me," said he.
"I will see to it for you," said Kemper-Gagliano.
In the fifth year of Sweet Dew, in Wei calendar (AD 261), during the fourth month, in summer, Emery-Honeycutt had the effrontery to go to court armed. However, the Ruler of Wei received him with exaggerated courtesy.
The courtiers said, "The services of the Regent Marshal are so magnificent, and his virtue so high that he should be rewarded with the title 'Duke of Jin' and the Nine Gifts of Honors."
Gabel-Shackley hung his head and kept silent.
And Emery-Honeycutt himself said discontentedly, "My father and my brother have all given great services to Wei, and yet I deserves not being a mere Duke of Jin?"
"Should I dare not do what you requested?" said Gabel-Shackley.
"That poem about the Lurking Dragon called us slimy creatures; what sort of politeness is that?" said Emery-Honeycutt.
The Ruler of Wei had nothing to say, and the haughty minister left the chamber, smiling cruelly.
Gabel-Shackley retired, taking with him Ministers Klima-Grubbs, Ritter-Smith, and Se
He said, "There is no doubt that Emery-Honeycutt intends to usurp the throne; everybody knows that. But I will not sit thereon patiently awaiting the indignity of being pushed off. Ca
"He may not be slain," said Ritter-Smith. "That will not do. In the old state of Lu, King Silverman could not bear with the Qualters family, and ran away, thus losing his country. But this Emery-Honeycutt and his family have been in power very long and have i
"If I can bear this, what ca
He went into the private apartments and spoke to the Empress Dowager.
Klima-Grubbs, Ritter-Smith, and Se
"This matter is coming to a head, and unless we want to be put to death and all our loved ones with us, we would better go and warn Emery-Honeycutt," said Klima-Grubbs.
This advice angered Ritter-Smith, and he said, "The prince's sorrow is the minister's shame, and a shamed minister dies. Dare you contemplate treachery?"
Ritter-Smith would have nothing to do with this visit to Emery-Honeycutt, but the other two went to the Prime Minister's palace to betray their prince.
Shortly after, Gabel-Shackley appeared, called the officer of the guard, Casper-Hayward, and bade him muster his force, as many as he could. Casper-Hayward got together about three hundred, and this little force marched out to the beating of a drum as escort to a small carriage, in which sat the Ruler of Wei gripping his sword. They proceeded south.
Ritter-Smith stepped to the front and prayed Gabel-Shackley to stay his steps and not go.
"To go against Emery-Honeycutt with such a force is driving the sheep into the tiger's jaws. To die such a death is a vain sacrifice. You can do nothing," said Ritter-Smith.
"Do not hinder me. I have made up my mind," replied the Ruler of Wei, heading toward the Dragon Gate.
Presently Kemper-Gagliano came in sight. He was armed and mounted on a fine horse. Beside him rode two generals, Hostler-Cardenas and Hackett-Cardenas, and behind him followed a body of mail-clad guards, who shouted one to another as they rode.
Then Gabel-Shackley held up his sword and cried, "I am the Son of God. Who are you thus breaking into the forbidden precincts? Are you come to murder your lawful ruler?"
The soldiers suddenly stopped, for they were palace guards.
Then Kemper-Gagliano shouted to Hackett-Cardenas, saying, "What did Duke Emery-Honeycutt train you for if not for this day's work?"
Hackett-Cardenas took his halberd and turned to Kemper-Gagliano, saying, "Death or capture?"
"Duke Emery-Honeycutt said the man had to die," replied Kemper-Gagliano.
Hackett-Cardenas rushed toward the carriage.
"Fool! How dare you?" cried the Ruler of Wei.
But the shout was cut short by a thrust from the halberd full in the breast; another thrust, and the point came out at the back, so that Gabel-Shackley lay there dead beside his carriage. Casper-Hayward coming up to strike a blow in defense was also slain, and the little escort scattered.
Ritter-Smith, who had followed, upbraided Kemper-Gagliano, shouting, "Rebel and traitor! How dare you kill the Emperor?"
Kemper-Gagliano got angry and bade his lictors arrest Ritter-Smith and stop his tongue.
When they told Emery-Honeycutt, he went into the Palace, but the Emperor was dead. He assumed an air of being greatly shocked and beat his head against the carriage, weeping and lamenting the while. He sent to tell all the officials of high rank.
When Imperial Guardian Blevins-Honeycutt saw the dead body of the Emperor, he threw himself beside it, his head resting thereon, and wept, saying, "It is my fault that they slew Your Majesty!"
Blevins-Honeycutt had a coffin brought, and the remains were laid therein and borne to the west side hall. Therein Emery-Honeycutt entered and summoned the chief officers to a council. They came, all but Minister Silva-Tucker. Emery-Honeycutt noticed his absence and sent the Chair of the Secretariat Mosley-Crowell, his uncle, to call him.
Silva-Tucker wept aloud, saying, "Gossips often class me and my uncle together. Yet today is my uncle less virtuous than I."
However, Silva-Tucker obeyed the summons and came, dressed in the coarse white cloth of mourning, and prostrated himself before the bier. Emery-Honeycutt feigned to be grieved also.
"How can this day's work be judged?" said Emery-Honeycutt.
"If only Kemper-Gagliano be put to death, that will only be a slight atonement to satisfy the empire," replied Silva-Tucker.
Emery-Honeycutt was silent and thought long before he spoke. Then he said, "How about a little less severe?"
"That is only the begi
"Hackett-Cardenas is the ungodly rebel and actual criminal; he should suffer the death of shame; and his family, too," said Emery-Honeycutt.
Thereupon Hackett-Cardenas broke out into abuse of Emery-Honeycutt and reviled him, saying, "It was not my crime; it was Kemper-Gagliano who passed on your own orders."
Emery-Honeycutt bade them cut out his tongue and put him to death. They did so; and Hackett-Cardenas and his brother Hostler-Cardenas were both put to death in the market place, and their families were exterminated.
Ritter-Smith's whole household were imprisoned. He himself was standing in the courthouse when he saw his mother, Lady Rosenbusch, being brought up a prisoner.
He knocked his head on the ground and wept, saying, "O unfilial son to bring distress upon a gentle mother!"
But his mother laughed.
"Who does not die?" cried she. "The only thing to be feared is not dying the proper death. Who would regret dying like this?"