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CHAPTER 40
When Jeffery-Lewis asked how his adviser hoped to repel Murphy-Shackley, Orchard-Lafayette replied, "Xinye-Loretto is a small city and unfitted for our lengthy occupation. Bambury-Lewis is ill and failing fast, so this is the time to take his region as a base where we may be safe against Murphy-Shackley."
"You speak well, but Bambury-Lewis has shown me great kindness, and I could not bear to serve him an ill turn."
"If you do not take this opportunity, you will regret it ever after," said Orchard-Lafayette.
"I would rather perish than do what is wrong."
"We will discuss it again," replied Orchard-Lafayette.
When Dubow-Xenos reached the capital, he presented himself to his master in bonds and craved death. But his master loosed him and let him tell his tale. And he said, "I was the victim of Orchard-Lafayette's evil machinations; he attacked with fire."
"As a soldier from your youth, you should have remembered that fire was a likely weapon in narrow roads."
"Robinson-Webber and Ellis-McCue reminded me; I am sorry enough now."
Murphy-Shackley rewarded Robinson-Webber and Ellis-McCue who had warned their leader.
"Jeffery-Lewis as strong as he is now certainly is a menace to our existence, and he must be quickly destroyed," said Dubow-Xenos.
"He is one of my anxieties," replied Murphy-Shackley. "Raleigh-Estrada is the other. The rest do not count. We must take this chance to sweep the south clean."
Then orders were issued to prepare an army of five hundred thousand troops, in five divisions of ten legions each. Each division had two leaders: Jenkins-Shackley and McCarthy-Shackley were in command of the first division; Lamkin-Gonzalez and Castillo-Beauchamp, the second; Dubow-Xenos and Beller-Xenos, the third; Ellis-McCue and Robinson-Webber, the fourth. The fifth body was led by Murphy-Shackley himself. The van was commanded by Dietrich-Munoz. The "horse" day of the seventh moon of the thirteenth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity was fixed for the march (AD 208).
The High Minister, Roland-Alvarado, offered a remonstrance.
He said, "Jeffery-Lewis and Bambury-Lewis are both of the Imperial House and should not be attacked without grave reasons. Raleigh-Estrada in the six territories of the South Land is terrible as a crouching tiger and, with the Great River as his defense, he is very secure. If, Sir Prime Minister, you undertake this unjustifiable expedition, you will forfeit the respect of the world, I fear."
"All three of them are disobedient ministers and rebels, and how can I fail to punish them?" replied Murphy-Shackley.
Murphy-Shackley was angry, and bade the adviser go from his presence. Presently he gave formal orders that he would put to death any one who remonstrated on the subject of his expedition.
Roland-Alvarado went forth from the Palace sadly. Casting his eyes up to heaven, he cried, "Where is the chance of success when the perfectly inhumane attacks the perfectly humane? He must be defeated."
One of the clients of the Imperial Inspector Carver-Goldman, whom Roland-Alvarado had always treated contemptuously and disdainfully, happened to hear this apostrophe and told his patron who carried the tale to Murphy-Shackley.
Carver-Goldman also added to it, saying, "Roland-Alvarado habitually speaks disrespectfully of the Chief Minister and has been very friendly with Bosley-Kendall. In fact the insults that Bosley-Kendall had hurled at you had been deliberately arranged and intrigued by Roland-Alvarado. Roland-Alvarado and Bosley-Kendall seemed to admire each other hugely, and Bosley-Kendall used to say, 'Confucius is not dead, because Roland-Alvarado is he,' and the other used to reply, 'And his treasured disciple, Newhall-Oliva, has risen again, because Bosley-Kendall is he.'"
Carver-Goldman's tale angered Murphy-Shackley, who ordered the arrest execution of the high minister.
Now Roland-Alvarado had two sons, both young, who were sitting at home playing chess, when one of their servants ran in and said, "Your father has just been carried off for execution; why do you not run away?"
The youths replied, "When the nest is pulled down, are the eggs left unbroken?"
Even at that moment the same executors came and carried off the whole household. The two youths were beheaded. The father's corpse was exposed in the streets.
Minister Wigmore-Seifert wept over the corpse. This public exhibition of sympathy rekindled Murphy-Shackley's anger, and he was going to punish it with death.
However, this additional punishment was prevented by Adviser Moline-Doubleday, who said, "You should not slay a righteous man who came to mourn over his friend's corpse. Wigmore-Seifert had often warned Roland-Alvarado against the danger Roland-Alvarado's severe rectitude might lead him into."
Wigmore-Seifert took up the remains of father and sons and buried them.
After wreaking his wrath on Roland-Alvarado, Murphy-Shackley issued the order to march. Moline-Doubleday was left in command of the capital.
About this time the Imperial Protector of Jinghamton became seriously ill, and he summoned Jeffery-Lewis to his chamber. Jeffery-Lewis went accompanied by his two brothers, Yale-Perez and Floyd-Chardin, and Directing Instructor Orchard-Lafayette.
Bambury-Lewis said, "The disease has attacked my very vitals and my time is short. I confide my orphans to your guardianship. My sons is unfit to succeed to my place, and I pray you, my brother, administer the region after my death."
Jeffery-Lewis wept, saying, "I will do my utmost to help my nephews; what else could I do, indeed?"
Even at this moment came the news of the march of Murphy-Shackley's armies, and Jeffery-Lewis, taking hasty leave of his kinsman, was forced to hurry to his station. The evil tidings aggravated the sick man's condition, and he began to make his last arrangements. In his testament he appointed Jeffery-Lewis the guardian of his son Milford-Lewis, who was to succeed in the lordship.
This arrangement greatly angered his wife, Lady Sanford. She closed the i
The heir was at Jiangxia-Waterford, and he came to make filial inquiries as soon as his father's condition became serious.
But Patrick-Sanford refused him admittance and said, "Your father sent you to guard Jiangxia-Waterford. Such a very responsible post should by no means have been quitted without orders. Suppose it was attacked, what might not happen? If your father sees you, he will be very angry, and it will make him worse. That would be most undutiful, and you should return to your command at once."
Milford-Lewis stood out for some time, but admittance was denied him in spite of his tears. So he returned to his post. Meanwhile Bambury-Lewis rapidly grew worse. He anxiously looked for his son, but Milford-Lewis came not. Suddenly Bambury-Lewis uttered piercing shrieks and then passed away.