Chapter 47: The Council of War in Kioram

The sensation produced by the defeat of the royal fleet, the destruction of forty of the ships, and the defection of the remaining sixty vessels to the cause of Queen Lyone, shook the nation from its centre to circumference. It appeared incredible that one ship could destroy so many well-armed vessels. Our terrorite guns were considered demon powers, and such was the consternation produced by their terrible energy that, were it possible for us to use such weapons in aerial battle, their appearance would alone cause the royal army to surrender.

Coltonobory was confident he could soon suppress the insurrection by virtue of his superior force.

As for his majesty, he was beside himself with rage at the loss of his fleet. Had Admiral Jolar been alive he would have answered for his defeat with his life. The following royal proclamation testified to the implacable wrath of the king:

“His Majesty KING ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR _of Atvatabar to
his faithful people_:
“Know ye, my people of Atvatabar, that the desperate
barbarian who commands the alien ship, the Polar King, has
not only alienated the affections of the Goddess Lyone,
thereby insulting our holy religion and our laws, but has
destroyed forty of our ships of war, and induced the
remainder of our fleet to follow his fortunes, thereby
giving him power to destroy our commerce, blockade our
harbors, and burn our cities. His success has encouraged
many who have hitherto been our faithful subjects to flock
to his standard, and the terrors of treason and insurrection
devastate our beloved country.

“What will be thought of Lyone, who was lately our beloved
and adored goddess, who has treasonably allowed herself to
be proclaimed Queen of Atvatabar, and who is the prime cause
of all this deluge of crime, treason and apostasy by
encouraging a heretical affection for a desperate criminal,
and who dares to abuse her holy office by seeking matrimony
with a murderer? It would be impossible for this cowardly
and desperate assassin to visit our country with such
destruction were it not that she who was our goddess
sympathizes with his inhuman and infernal work. She has only
to speak the word that she has no sympathy with such a
monster, and his power will be paralyzed in a moment, and
peace restored to our unhappy country. Will it be believed
that she absolutely refuses to disown such a viper, and even
boasts of his work, and that he will shortly set her free?
“Our prisoner, she has disregarded our clemency in holding
back the sword of justice that hangs over her head. Her life
is already forfeited by her own actions. The monster of
insurrection and apostasy must be struck in its most vital
part. Orders have been given for a full conclave of the
Borodemy, to put our fallen goddess on trial forthwith, and
if found guilty to be immediately executed.

“The commander-in-chief of the army, Coltonobory, has orders
to attack, pursue and put to death without mercy all rebels
in arms, and arrest all sympathizers with the rebel cause.
“Given in our palace at Calnogor in the twenty-sixth year of
our reign.

“ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR, King of Atvatabar.”

This proclamation revealed the desperate crisis matters had reached. The bloodthirsty king had Lyone in his power, and unless a miracle happened nothing could save her. The fact that the flag of the queen floated above Kioram must have added enormously to the wrath of the king, and the supreme question with us then was how to save our queen from a cruel fate.

While discussing this important subject with Governor Ladalmir and my own retinue, we were agreeably surprised to learn of the arrival of the high priest and priestess and the grand sorcerer and sorceress from Egyplosis. Astronomer Starbottle and Flathootly had so far evidently succeeded in their mission.

Hushnoly reported that all Egyplosis was up in arms for the cause of the queen. The priestesses had formed an amazonian legion of five thousand wayleals. These would be commanded by the high priestess Zooly-Soase and the grand sorceress Thoubool in equal divisions. The sacred phalanx of priests of the spiritual palace would be under the command of the grand sorcerer, while Hushnoly would hold himself in readiness for a special command.

While praising the devotion of the twin-souls, a message by telegraph was received from Gnaphisthasia, stating that the lord of art, Yermoul, was on his way to Kioram. He would travel on the wing by a circuitous route, to avoid contact with any of the king’s wayleals. Yermoul would be accompanied by the chief priests of poetry, painting, sculpture, music, decoration, architecture, and dancing.

No messenger had been sent to Grasnagallipas, high priest of the palace of inventions in Calnogor, as tidings had been received from that quarter that the priests of invention, owing to their close connection with the seat of government, had become bockhockids of the king. The defection of Grasnagallipas was a severe blow to our cause, as he was the greatest inventor in the kingdom, and master of ten thousand magnetic bockhockids, that machine being his own invention.