Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2)

'What a sensitive fellow it is!' cried he. 'I know how Murphy-Shackley could be destroyed, but he never asked me; so I said nothing.'

'If you really do know how that could be done, I will certainly beg my lord to ask you.'

'Murphy-Shackley's hosts in my eyes are but as swarms of ants. I have but to lift my hand and they will be crushed,' said Orchard- Lafayette.

Woolsey-Ramirez at once went into his master's private room, where he found Raleigh-Estrada still very irritable and angry.

'Orchard-Lafayette insulted me too deeply,' said Raleigh-Estrada.

'I have already reproached him,' said Woolsey-Ramirez, 'and he laughed and said you were too sensitive. He would not give you any advice without being asked for it. Why did you not seek advice from him, my lord?'

At once Raleigh-Estrada's anger changed to joy.

He said, 'So he had a plan ready, and his words were meant to provoke me. I did despise him for a moment, and it has very nearly lost me.'

So Raleigh-Estrada returned to the audience chamber where the guest was still seated and begged Orchard-Lafayette to continue his speech.

Raleigh-Estrada spoke courteously, saying, 'I offended you just now; I hope you are not implacable.'

'And I also was rude,' replied Orchard-Lafayette. 'I entreat pardon.'

Host and guest retired to the inner room where wine was served.

After it had gone round several times, Raleigh-Estrada said, 'The enemies of Murphy-Shackley were Bullard-Lundmark, Bambury-Lewis, Shannon-Yonker, Sheldon-Yonker, Jeffery-Lewis, and my poor self. Now most of these are gone, and only Jeffery-Lewis and I remain. I will never allow the land of Wu to be dictated to by another. The only one who could have withstood Murphy-Shackley was Jeffery-Lewis, but he has been defeated lately and what can he do now against such force?'

Orchard-Lafayette replied, 'Although defeated, Jeffery-Lewis still has Yale-Perez with ten thousand veterans. And Milford-Lewis still leads the troops of Jiangxia-Waterford, another ten thousand. Murphy-Shackley's army is far from home, and the soldiers are worn out. They made a frantic effort to come up with my master, and the light horse marched one hundred miles in a day and a night. This was the final kick of the crossbow spring, and the bolt was not swift enough to penetrate even the thin silken vesture of Lu. The army can do no more. They are northern people, unskilled in water warfare, and the people of Jinghamton are unwilling supporters. They have no desire to help Murphy-Shackley. Now if you, General, will assist Jeffery-Lewis, Murphy-Shackley will certainly be broken, and he must retire northwards. Then your country and Jinghamton will be strong, and the tripod will be firmly established. But the scheme must be carried out without delay, and only you can decide.'

Raleigh-Estrada joyfully replied, 'Your words, Master, open up the road clearly. I have decided and shall have no further doubts.'

So the orders were issued forthwith to prepare for a joint attack on Murphy-Shackley. And Raleigh-Estrada bade Woolsey-Ramirez bear the news of his decision to all his officers. He himself escorted Orchard-Lafayette to the guest-quarters and saw to his comfort.

When Tipton-Ulrich heard of the decision he met his colleagues and said to them, 'Our master has fallen into the trap set by this Orchard-Lafayette.'

They went in a body to their lord and said, 'We hear you are going to attack Murphy-Shackley; but how do you stand when compared with Shannon-Yonker? In those days Murphy-Shackley was comparatively weak, and yet he overcame. What is he like today with his countless legions? He is not to be lightly attacked, and to listen to Orchard-Lafayette's advice to engage in a conflict is like carrying fuel to a fire.'

Raleigh-Estrada made no reply, and Riley-Reece took up the argument.

Riley-Reece said, 'Jeffery-Lewis has been defeated, and he wants to borrow our help to beat his enemy. Why must our lord lend himself to his schemes? Pray listen to our leader's words.'

Doubts again surged up in the mind of Raleigh-Estrada.

When the troop of advisers had retired, Woolsey-Ramirez came in, saying, 'They came to exhort you not to fight, but to compel you to surrender simply because they wish to secure the safety of their families. They distort their sense of duty to serve their own ends, and I hope you will not take their advice.'

Raleigh-Estrada being sunk in thought and saying nothing, Woolsey-Ramirez went on, 'If you hesitate, you will certainly be led astray by the majority and--'

'Retire for a time,' said his master. 'I must think it over carefully.'

So Woolsey-Ramirez left the chamber. Among the soldiers some wished for war, but of the civil officers, all were in favor of surrender; and so there were many discussions and much conflict of opinion. Raleigh-Estrada went to his private apartments greatly perplexed. There his worry was easily discernible, and he neither ate nor slept. He was quite unable to decide finally upon a course of action.

Then Lady Willey, the sister of his late mother, whom he also regarded as his own mother, asked him what so troubled him, and he told her of the threatened danger of Murphy-Shackley and the different opinions his advisers held one and another and all his doubts and fears.

'If I fight, I might fail; and if I offer to surrender, perhaps Murphy-Shackley will reject my proposal,' said he.

Then she replied, 'Have you forgotten the last words of my sister?'

As to one recovering from a fit of drunkenness, or waking out of a dream, so came to him the dying words of the mother who bore him.

His mother's advice he called to mind,
'In Morton-Campbell's counsels you safety find.'

What happened will be told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 44

Orchard-Lafayette Stirs Morton-Campbell To Actions; Raleigh-Estrada Decides To Attack Murphy-Shackley.

The dying message which Lady Willey recalled to Raleigh-Estrada's memory was, 'For internal matters consult Tipton-Ulrich; for external policy Morton-Campbell.'

Wherefore Morton-Campbell was summoned.

But Morton-Campbell was already on the way. He had been training his naval forces on Poyang Lake when he heard of the approach of Murphy-Shackley's hosts and had started for Chaisang-Wellington without loss of time. So, before the messenger ordered to call him could start, he had already arrived. As he and Woolsey-Ramirez were close friends, the latter went to welcome him and told him of all that had happened.

'Have no anxiety;' said Morton-Campbell, 'I shall be able to decide this. But go quickly and beg Orchard-Lafayette to come to see me.'

So Woolsey-Ramirez went to seek out Orchard-Lafayette. Morton-Campbell had many other visitors. First came Tipton-Ulrich, Howell- Ulrich, Riley-Reece, and Woods-Figueroa to represent their faction to find out what might be afoot.

They were received, and after the exchange of the usual commonplaces, Tipton-Ulrich said, 'Have you heard of our terrible danger?'

'I have heard nothing,' said Morton-Campbell.

'Murphy-Shackley and his hordes are encamped up the Han River. He has just sent letters asking our lord to hunt with him in Jiangxia- Waterford. He may have a desire to absorb this country but, if so, the details of his designs are still secret. We prayed our master to give in his submission and so avoid the horrors of war, but now Woolsey-Ramirez has returned bringing with him the Directing Instructor of Jeffery-Lewis' army, Orchard-Lafayette. Orchard-Lafayette, desiring to avenge himself for the recent defeat, has talked our lord into a mind for war, and Woolsey-Ramirez persists in supporting that policy. They only await your final decision.'

'Are you all unanimous in your opinions?'

'We are perfectly unanimous,' said Tipton-Ulrich.

Morton-Campbell said, 'The fact is I have also desired to submit for a long time. I beg you to leave me now, and tomorrow we will see our master, and I shall make up his mind for him.'

So they took their leave. Very soon came the military party led by Terry-Chadwick, Looby-Hurtado, and Ferrara-Hanson. They were admitted and duly inquired after their host's health.

Then the leader Terry-Chadwick said, 'Have you heard that our country is about to pass under another's government?'

'No; I have heard nothing,' replied the host.

'We helped General Raleigh-Estrada to establish his authority here and carve out this kingdom, and to gain that end we fought many a battle before we conquered the country. Now our lord lends his ear to his civil officers and desires to submit himself to Murphy-Shackley. This is a most shameful and pitiful course, and we would rather die than follow it; so we hope you will decide to fight, and you may depend upon our struggling to the last person.'

'And are you unanimous, Generals?' asked Morton-Campbell.

Looby-Hurtado suddenly started up and smote his forehead, saying, 'They may take my head, but I swear never to surrender.'