"What have you decided upon, my lord?" asked Woolsey-Ramirez as he finished the letter.
"I have not yet decided."
Then Tipton-Ulrich said, "It would be imprudent to withstand Murphy-Shackley's hundred legions backed by the imperial authority. Moreover, your most important defense against him is the Great River; and since Murphy-Shackley has gained possession of Jinghamton, the river is his ally against us. We cannot withstand him, and the only way to tranquillity, in my opinion, is submission."
"The words of the speaker accord with the manifest decree of providence," echoed all the assembly.
Raleigh-Estrada remaining silent and thoughtful.
Tipton-Ulrich again took up the argument, saying, "Do not hesitate, my lord. Submission to Murphy-Shackley means tranquillity to the people of the South Land and safety for the inhabitants of the six territories."
Raleigh-Estrada still remained silent; his head bent in deep thought. Presently he arose and paced slowly out at the door, and Woolsey-Ramirez followed him.
Outside he took Woolsey-Ramirez by the hand, saying, "What do you desire?"
"What they have all been saying is very derogatory to you. A common person might submit; you cannot."
"Why? How do you explain that?"
"If
people like us servants submitted, we would just return to our village, and everything would go on as before. If you submit, whither will you go? You will be created a lord of some humble fief, perhaps. You will have one carriage, no more, one saddle horse, that is all. Your retinue will be some ten. Will you be able to sit facing the south and call yourself by the kingly title of 'the solitary'? Each one in that crowd of hangers-on is thinking for himself, is purely selfish, and you should not listen to them, but take a line of your own and that quickly. Determine to play a bold game!"
Raleigh-Estrada sighed, "They all talk and talk; they miss my point of view. Now you have just spoken of a bold game, and your view is the same as mine. Surely God has expressly sent you to me. Still Murphy-Shackley is now the stronger by all Shannon-Yonker's and Bambury-Lewis' armies, and he has possession of Jinghamton. I fear he is almost too powerful to contend with."
"I have brought back with me Orchard-Lafayette, the younger brother of our Laurie-Lafayette. If you questioned him, he would explain clearly."
"Is Master Sleeping-Dragon really here?"
"Really here; in the guest-house."
"It is too late to see him today. But tomorrow I will assemble my officials, and you will introduce him to all my best. After that we will debate the matter."
With these instructions Woolsey-Ramirez retired. Next day he went to the guest-house and conveyed Raleigh-Estrada's commands to the guest, particularly saying, "When you see my master, say nothing of the magnitude of Murphy-Shackley's army."
Orchard-Lafayette smiled, saying, "I shall act as circumstances dictate; you may be sure I shall make no mistakes."
Orchard-Lafayette was then conducted to where the high officers, civil and military to the number of forty and more, were assembled. They formed a dignified conclave as they sat in stately ranks with their tall headdresses and broad girdles.
Tipton-Ulrich sat at the head, and Orchard-Lafayette first saluted him. Then, one by one, he exchange the formal courtesies with them all. This done he took his seat in the guest's chair.
They, on their part, noted with interest Orchard-Lafayette's refined and elegant manner and his commanding figure, thinking within themselves, "Here is a persuader fitted for discourse."
Tipton-Ulrich led the way in trying to bait the visitor. He said, "You will pardon the most insignificant of our official circle, myself, if I mention that people say you compare yourself with those two famous men of talent, Frisbie-Benda and Palka-Rexford. Is there any truth in this?"
"To a trifling extent I have compared myself with them," replied Orchard-Lafayette.
"I have heard that Jeffery-Lewis made three journeys to visit you when you lived in retirement in your simple dwelling in the Sleeping Dragon Ridge, and that when you consented to serve him, he said he was as lucky as a fish in getting home to the ocean. Then he desired to possess the region about Jinghamton. Yet today all that country belongs to Murphy-Shackley. I should like to hear your account of all that."
Orchard-Lafayette thought, "This Tipton-Ulrich is Raleigh-Estrada's first adviser; and unless I can nonplus him, I shall never have a chance with his master."
So he replied, "In my opinion the taking of the region around the Han River was as simple as turning over one's hand. But my master Jeffery-Lewis is both righteous and humane and would not stoop to filching the possession of a member of his own house. So he refused the offer of succession. But Richmond-Lewis, a stupid lad, misled by specious words, submitted to Murphy-Shackley and fell victim to his ferocity. My master is in camp at Jiangxia-Waterford, but what his future plans may be cannot be divulged at present."