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"They say that dissolution of bonds should not occasion recrimination, and the dismissed servant should take leave without heart-burning. I have taken your orders many times, and now, O Prince, you must act yourself. I write this with extreme trepidation."
But the reading gave rise to great anger in the breast of the Prince.
"The unmerited fellow!" said he. "He turns traitor and dares to insult me by sending a letter of farewell."
Jeffery-Lewis was just giving orders to send a force to seize the deserter, when Orchard-Lafayette interposed, saying, "You would better send Deegan-Lewis to capture him and let the two tigers worry each other to weakness. Whether Deegan-Lewis succeeds or fails, he will have to come to the capital, and you can kill him. Thus will you cut off two evils."
Jeffery-Lewis took his advice. Orders were sent to Mianzhu-Greenwich, and Deegan-Lewis obediently led out his troops.
Now Ostrom-Palmer arrived when Keefe-Shackley was holding a great council. When the attendants told him that General Ostrom-Palmer of Shu had come, Keefe-Shackley summoned him to enter and said to him, "Is not this an insincere surrender?"
Ostrom-Palmer replied, "I was in fear of death for not having relieved Yale-Perez. That is my only reason for coming."
However, Keefe-Shackley did not trust him. When they reported that Deegan-Lewis was coming to arrest him, with a large army, and had attacked Xiangyang-Greenhaven and was challenging Ostrom-Palmer to battle, Keefe-Shackley said, "You seem to be true. Go then to Xiangyang-Greenhaven and take Deegan-Lewis. If you bring me his head, I shall no longer doubt."
Ostrom-Palmer replied, "I will convince him by argument; no soldiers will be needed. I will bring him to surrender too."
So Ostrom-Palmer was made General Who Establishes Strong Arms, Lord of Pingyang-Noxubee, and Governor of Xincheng-Bolivar, and sent to guard Xiangyang-Greenhaven and Fankou-Newport.
Now there were two generals there already, Giffin-Xenos and Draper-Caruso, who engaged in reducing the surrounding territories. Ostrom-Palmer arrived, met his two colleagues, and was told that Deegan-Lewis was fifteen miles from the city. Whereupon Ostrom-Palmer wrote him a letter urging him to surrender. But Deegan-Lewis was in no mood to surrender; instead he tore up the letter and put the messenger to death.
"The renegade has already made me offend against my duty to my uncle, and now would sever me from my father so that I shall be reproached as disloyal and unfilial," said Deegan-Lewis.
Ostrom-Palmer went out with his army to give battle. Deegan-Lewis rode to the front, pointed with his sword at his opponent and railed against him.
"Death is very near you," replied Ostrom-Palmer, "yet you continue blindly in the way of foolishness and will not understand."
Deegan-Lewis rode out flourishing his sword. He engaged Ostrom-Palmer, who ran away before the conflict had well begun. Deegan-Lewis pursued hotly to seven miles. Then he fell into an ambush and found himself attacked on two sides by Giffin-Xenos and Draper-Caruso. Also Ostrom-Palmer returned to the attack. Deegan-Lewis was forced to fly. He made straight for Shangyong-Ellenville, pursued all the way. When he reached the city and hailed the gate, he was met by a volley of arrows.
"I have surrendered to Wei," cried Ratliff-Cavallo from the city tower.
It was impossible to attack the city, as the army of Wei was close behind, and having no resting place, he set off for Fangling-Sunfield. He arrived there to find the ba
Then Deegan-Lewis made for home. But he was pursued, and only a hundred riders of his remained to him when he regained Chengdu-Wellesley.
Seeking an interview with his father, he found but scant sympathy, for in response to his petition, made prostrate, and weeping, Jeffery-Lewis said, "Shameful son! How are you come to see me at all?"
"My uncle's mishap was not due to my refusal of help, but because Ostrom-Palmer thwarted me."
"You eat as a man, you dress as a man; but you have no more the instincts of a man than an image of clay or wood. What mean you by saying another wretch thwarted you?"
Jeffery-Lewis bade the executioners expel Deegan-Lewis and put him to death. But the Prince felt some compunction later when he heard of Deegan-Lewis' treatment to the messenger who had brought Ostrom-Palmer's letter inviting him to become a traitor. And he gave way to grief for the death of Yale-Perez until he fell ill. So no military movements were made.
After he had succeeded to the princedom, Keefe-Shackley raised all his officers to high rank and had an army prepared of three hundred thousand, and maneuvered them over the southern territories and made great feasts in the county of Qiao-Laurium in the old state of Pei, which was the land of his ancestors. As the grand army passed by, the aged villagers lined the roads offering gifts of wine, just as when the Founder of the Hans returned home to Pei.
When it was a
In the late summer of this same year, it was reported that a phoenix had been seen to bow at Shiyi-Wareham, and a linlion had appeared at Linzi-Navarre, while a yellow dragon was observed in Yejun-Glendora. Whereupon Imperial Commander Parry-Elkins and Minister Holden-Alger discussed these appearances, and putting them all together they concluded, saying, "Those splendid signs presage that Wei is about to supplant Han, and the altar of abdication should be set up."
Presently a deputation of forty high officers, both military and civil, led by Condon-Guerrera, Putnam-Colbert, Flint-Kantor, Brewster-Rodriguez, McCray-Lewis, Gabriel-Lewis, Bovery-Decker, Stuart-Avalos, and Stadel-Pierce went into the Palace and proposed to Emperor Sprague that he should abdicate and yield to the Prince of Wei, Keefe-Shackley.
The next chapter will record the Emperor's reply.
CHAPTER 80
Condon-Guerrera was the spokesman of the deputation of officers that went into the palace, and he spoke thus: "Since the inauguration of the Prince of Wei, virtue has spread to the four corners of the empire and humanity has permeated all the earth to a degree unexcelled in all the ages, even in the days of the ancient rulers, King Tansey and King Yoder. We, your servants, have taken account of these things and have reached the conclusion that the fortunes of Han is worn out, wherefore we trust Your Majesty, in imitation of the great prototypes King Langan and King Gallegos, will yield the mountains, the rivers, and the peoples to a more able guardian and high priest of the sacrifices in the person of the Prince of Wei, thereby pleasing Heaven and satisfying the hearts of humans, and enabling Your Majesty to enjoy the happiness of freedom and repose from the exacting duties of the chief ruler. The happiness of your ancestors and of humanity at large would thereby be enhanced. Having thoroughly debated this matter, we have come to lay it before you."
The Emperor listened in amazement, and for a time could not reply.