Part 9 (1/2)
”Not before this time tomorrow.”
”All right. Are you in radio communication with Jonkvank now?”
”Full telecast, audio-visual,” the girl replied. ”Just a minute, general.”
He put in his geek-speaker. Within a few minutes, a saurian Ullran face was looking out of it at him; a harsh-lined, elderly, face, with an old scar, quartz-crusted, along one side.
”Your Majesty,” von Schlichten greeted him.
Jonkvank p.r.o.nounced something intended to correspond to von Schlichten's name. ”We have image-met under sad circ.u.mstances, general,” he said.
”Sad for both of us, King Jonkvank; we must help one another. I am told that your soldiers in Krink have risen against you, and that your loyal troops are far from the city.”
”Yes. That was the work of my War Minister, Hurkkirk, who was in the pay of King Firkked of Skilk, may Jeels devour him alive! I have Hurkkirk's head here somewhere. I can have it found, if you want to see it.”
”Dead-traitors' heads do not interest me, King Jonkvank,” von Schlichten replied, in what he estimated that the Krinkan king would interpret as a tone of cold-blooded cruelty. ”There are too many traitors' heads still on traitors' shoulders.... What regiments are loyal to you, and where are they now?”
Jonkvank began naming regiments and locating them, all at minor provincial towns at least a hundred miles from Krink.
”Hurkkirk did his work well; I'm afraid you killed him too mercifully,” von Schlichten said. ”Well, I'm sending the _Northern Star_ to Krink. She can only bring in one regiment at a trip, the way they're scattered; which one do you want first?”
Jonkvank's mouth, until now compressed grimly, parted in a gleaming smile. He made an exclamation of pleasure which sounded rather like a boy running along a picket fence with a stick.
”Good, general! Good!” he cried. ”The first should be the regiment Murderers, at Furnk; they all have rifles like your soldiers. Have them brought to the Great Square, at the Palace here. And then, the regiment Fear-Makers, at Jeelznidd, and the regiment Corpse-Reapers, at....”
”Let that go until the Murderers are in,” von Schlichten advised.
”They're at Furnk, you say? I'll send the _Northern Star_ there, directly.”
”Oh, good, general! I will not soon forget this! And, as soon as the work is finished here, I will send soldiers to help you at Skilk.
There shall be a great pile of the heads of those who had part in this wickedness, both here and there!”
”Good. Now, if you will pardon me, I'll go to give the necessary orders....”
As he left the booth, he saw Hideyos.h.i.+ O'Leary in front of the situation-map, and hailed him.
”Harry and Ha.s.san are getting the car re-ammoed; they dropped me off here. Want to come up with us and see the show?” O'Leary asked, as he saw the general.
”No, I want you to go to Krink, as soon as Harry brings the car here again.” He told O'Leary what he intended doing. ”You'll probably have to go around ahead of the _Star_ and alert these regiments. And as soon as things stabilize at Krink, prod Jonkvank into airlifting troops here. You're authorized, in my name, to promise Jonkvank that he can a.s.sume political control at Skilk, after we've stuffed Firkked's head in the dustbin.”
Jules Keaveney, who always seemed to be where he wasn't wanted, heard that and fairly screamed.
”General von Schlichten! That is a political decision! You have no authority to make promises like that; that is a matter for the Governor-General, at least!”
”Well, as of now, and until a successor to Sid Harrington can be sent here from Terra, I'm Governor-General,” von Schlichten told him, mentally thanking Keaveney for reminding him of the necessity for such a step. ”Captain Malavez! You will send out an all-station telecast, immediately: Military Commander-in-Chief Carlos von Schlichten, being informed of the deaths of both Governor-General Harrington and Lieutenant-Governor Blount, a.s.sumes the duties of Governor-General, as of 0001 today.” He turned to Keaveney. ”Does that satisfy you?” he asked.