Ministry of Disturbance
Page 6
afraid those bad old days are long past, Your Imperial Majesty,"Lord Koreff said. "But we Sword-Worlders got around the galaxy, for awhile. In fact, I seem to remember reading that some of our brethrenfrom Morglay or Flamberge even occupied Aditya for a couple ofcenturies. Not that you'd guess it to look at Aditya now."
* * * * *
It was First Citizen Yaggo's turn to take precedence--the seat on theright of the throne chair. Lord Koreff sat on Ranulf's left, and, tobalance him, Prince Ganzay sat beyond Yaggo and dutifully beganinquiring of the People's Manager-in-Chief about the structure of hisgovernment, launching him on a monologue that promised to last at leasthalf the luncheon. That left the King of Durendal to Paul; for a start,he dropped a compliment on the cloth-of-silver leotard.
King Ranulf laughed dulcetly, brushed the garment with his fingertips,and said that it was just a simple thing patterned after the Durendalianpeasant costume.
"You have peasants on Durendal?"
"Oh, _dear_, yes! Such quaint, _charming_ people. Of course, they're allpoor, and they wear such _funny_ ragged clothes, and travel about inrackety old aircars, it's a wonder they don't fall apart in the air. Butthey're so _wonderfully_ happy and carefree. I often wish I were one ofthem, instead of king."
"Nonworking class, Your Imperial Majesty," Lord Koreff explained.
"On Aditya," First Citizen Yaggo declared, "there are no classes, and onAditya everybody works. 'From each according to his ability; to eachaccording to his need.'"
"On Aditya," an elderly Counselor four places to the right of him saidloudly to his neighbor, "they don't call them classes, they call themsociological categories, and they have nineteen of them. And on Aditya,they don't call them nonworkers, they call them occupational reservists,and they have more of them than we do."
"But of course, I was born a king," Ranulf said sadly and nobly. "I havea duty to my people."
"No, they don't vote at all," Lord Koreff was telling the Counselor onhis left. "On Durendal, you have to pay taxes before you can vote."
"On Aditya the crime of taxation does not exist," the First Citizen toldthe Prime Minister.
"On Aditya," the Counselor four places down said to his neighbor,"there's nothing to tax. The state owns all the property, and if theImperial Constitution and the Space Navy let them, the State would ownall the people, too. Don't tell me about Aditya. First big-ship commandI had was the old _Invictus_, 374, and she was based on Aditya for fouryears, and I'd sooner have spent that time in orbit around Niffelheim."
Now Paul remembered who he was; old Admiral--nowPrince-Counselor--Gaklar. He and Prince-Counselor Dorflay would getalong famously. The Lord Marshal of Durendal was replying to someobjection somebody had made:
"No, nothing of the sort. We hold the view that every civil or politicalright implies a civil or political obligation. The citizen has a rightto protection from the Realm, for instance; he therefore has theobligation to defend the Realm. And his right to participate in thegovernment of the Realm includes his obligation to support the Realmfinancially. Well, we tax only property; if a nonworker acquires taxableproperty, he has to go to work to earn the taxes. I might add that ournonworkers are very careful to avoid acquiring taxable property."
"But if they don't have votes to sell, what do they live on?" aCounselor asked in bewilderment.
"The nobility supports them; the landowners, the trading barons, theindustrial lords. The more nonworking adherents they have, the greatertheir prestige." And the more rifles they could muster when theyquarreled with their fellow nobles, of course. "Beside, if we didn't dothat, they'd turn brigand, and it costs less to support them than tohave to hunt them out of the brush and hang them."
"On Aditya, brigandage does not exist."
"On Aditya, all the brigands belong to the Secret Police, only on Adityathey don't call them Secret Police, they call them Servants of thePeople, Ninth Category."
A shadow passed quickly over the pavilion, and then another. He glancedup quickly, to see two long black troop carriers, emblazoned with theSun and Cogwheel and armored fist of Security, pass back of the OctagonTower and let down on the north landing stage. A third followed. He rosequickly.
"Please remain seated, gentlemen, and continue with the luncheon. If youwill excuse me for a moment, I'll be back directly." I hope, he addedmentally.
* * * * *
Captain-General Dorflay, surrounded by a dozen officers, Thoran andhuman, had arrived on the lower terrace at the base of the OctagonTower. They had a full Thoran rifle company with them. As he went downto them, Dorflay hurried forward.
"It has come, Your Majesty!" he said, as soon as he could make himselfheard without raising his voice. "We are all ready to die with YourMajesty!"
"Oh, I doubt it'll come quite to that, Harv," he said. "But just to beon the safe side, take that company and the gentlemen who are with youand get up to the mountains and join the Crown Prince and his party.Here." He took a notepad from his belt pouch and wrote rapidly, sealingthe note and giving it to Dorflay. "Give this to His Highness, and placeyourself under his orders. I know; he's just a boy, but he has a goodhead. Obey him exactly in everything, but under no circumstances returnto the Palace or allow him to return until I call you."
"Your Majesty is ordering me away?" The old soldier was aghast.
"An emperor who has a son can be spared. An emperor's son who is tooyoung to marry can't. You know that."
Harv Dorflay was only mad on one subject, and even within the frame ofhis madness he was intensely logical. He nodded. "Yes, Your ImperialMajesty. We both serve the Empire as best we can. And I will guard thelittle Princess Olva, too." He grasped Paul's hand, said, "Farewell,Your Majesty!" and dashed away, gathering his staff and the company ofThorans as he went. In an instant, they had vanished down the nearestrampway.
The emperor watched their departure, and, at the same time, saw a bigblack aircar, bearing the three-mooned planet, argent on sable, ofTravann, let down onto the south landing stage, and another troopcarrier let down after it. Four men left the aircar--Yorn, PrinceTravann, and three officers in the black of the Security Guard. PrinceGanzay had also left the table: he came from one direction as PrinceTravann advanced from the other. They converged on the emperor.
"What's happening here, Prince Travann?" Prince Ganzay demanded. "Whyare you bringing all these troops to the Palace?"
"Your Majesty," Prince Travann said smoothly, "I trust that you willpardon this disturbance. I'm sure nothing serious will happen, but Ididn't dare take chances. The students from the University are marchingon the Palace--perfectly peaceful and loyal procession; they're bringinga petition for Your Majesty--but on the way, while passing through anonworkers' district, they were attacked by a gang of hooligansconnected with a voting-bloc boss called Nutchy the Knife. None of thestudents were hurt, and Colonel Handrosan got the procession out of thedistrict promptly, and then dropped some of his men, who have since beenre-enforced, to deal with the hooligans. That's still going on, andthese riots are like forest fires; you never know when they'll shift andget out of control. I hope the men I brought won't be needed here.Really, they're a reserve for the riot work; I won't commit them,though, until I'm sure the Palace is safe."
He nodded. "Prince Travann, how soon do you estimate that the studentprocession will arrive here?" he asked.
"They're coming on foot, Your Majesty. I'd give them an hour, at least."
"Well, Prince Travann, will you have one of your officers see that thepublic-address screen in front is ready; I'll want to talk to them whenthey arrive. And meanwhile, I'll want to talk to Chancellor Khane,Professor Dandrik, Professor Faress and Colonel Handrosan, together. AndCount Tammsan, too; Prince Ganzay, will you please screen him and invitehim here immediately?"
"Now, Your Majesty?" At first, the Prime Minister was trying to suppressa look of incredulity; then he was trying to keep from showingcomprehension. "Yes, Your Majesty; at once." He frowned slig
htly when hesaw two of the Security Guard officers salute Prince Travann instead ofthe emperor before going away. Then he turned and hurried toward theOctagon Tower.
* * * * *
The officer who had gone to the aircar to use the radio returned andreported that Colonel Handrosan was bringing the Chancellor and bothprofessors from the University in his command-car, having anticipatedthat they would be wanted. Paul nodded in pleasure.
"You have a good man there, Prince," he said. "Keep an eye on