express it differently, saying, instead: Trust not too far the loyalty of even the stones of your chamber.
'Saw you ever a creature endowed with such inordinate vanity!' exclaimed one.
'He believes that he is wiser than, not any man, but all men combined,' said another. 'Sometimes I feel that I can abide his arrogance no longer.'
'But you will, Gefasto,' said Gofoloso. 'To be Chief of Warriors of Veltopismakus is too rich a berth to be lightly thrown aside.'
'When one might simultaneously throw away one's life at the same time,' added Torndali, Chief of Quarries.
'But the colossal effrontery of the man!' ejaculated another, Makahago, Chief of Buildings. 'He has had no more to do with Zoanthrohago's success than have I and yet he claims the successes all for himself and blames the failures upon Zoanthrohago.'
'The glory of Veltopismakus is threatened by his egotism,' cried Throwaldo, Chief of Agriculture. 'He has chosen us as his advisers, six princes, whose knowledge of their several departments should be greater than that of any other individuals and whose combined knowledge of the needs of Veltopismakus and the affairs of state should form a bulwark against the egregious errors that he is constantly committing; but never will he heed our advice. To offer it he considers a usurpation of his royal prerogatives, to urge it, little short of treason. To question his judgment spells ruin. Of what good are we to Veltopismakus? What must the people of the state think of us?'
'It is well known what they think of us,' snapped Gofoloso. 'They say that we were chosen, not for what we know, but for what we do not know. Nor can you blame them. I, a breeder of diadets, master of ten thousand slaves who till the soil and raise a half of all the food that the city consumes, am chosen Chief of Chiefs, filling an office for which I have no liking and no training, while Throwaldo, who scarce knows the top of a vegetable from its roots, is Chief of Agriculture. Makahago worked the quarry slaves for a hundred moons and is made Chief of Buildings, while Torndali, who is acclaimed the greatest builder of our time, is Chief of Quarries. Gefasto and Vestako, alone, are masters of their bureaus. Vestako the king chose wisely as Chief of the Royal Dome, that his royal comfort and security might be assured; but in Gefasto behold his greatest blunder! He elevated a gay young pleasure-seeker to the command of the army of Veltopismakus and discovered in his new Chief of Warriors as great a military genius as Veltopismakus has ever produced.'
Gefasto bowed his acknowledgment of the compliment.
'Had it not been for Gefasto the Trohanadalmakusians would have trapped us fairly the other day,' continued Gofoloso.
'I advised the king against pushing the assault,' interjected Gefasto, 'as soon as it became evident that we had failed to surprise them. We should have withdrawn. It was only after we had advanced and I was free from him that I could direct the affair without interference, and then, as you saw, I quickly extricated our troops and withdrew them with as little loss of men and prestige as possible.'
'It was nobly done, Gefasto,' said Torndali. 'The troops worship you. They would like a king who led them in battle as you might lead them.'
'And let them have their wine as of old,' interjected Makahago.
'We would all rally around a king who permitted us the innocent pleasure of our wine,' said Gofoloso: 'What say you, Vestako?'
The Chief of the Royal Dome, the king's major-domo, who had remained silent throughout the arraignment of his master, shook his head.
'It is not wise to speak treason now,' he said.
The three looked sharply at him and glanced quickly at one another.
'Who has spoken treason, Vestako?' demanded Gofoloso.
'You have all come too close to it for safety,' said the oily Vestako. He spoke in a much louder voice than the others had spoken, as though, far from being fearful of being overheard, he rather hoped that he would be. 'Elkomoelhago has been good to us. He has heaped honors and riches upon us. We are very powerful. He is a wise ruler. Who are we to question the wisdom of his acts?'
The others looked uneasily about. Gofoloso laughed nervously. 'You were ever slow to appreciate a joke, my good Vestako.' he said. 'Could you not see that we were hoaxing you?'
'I could not,' replied Vestako; 'but the king has a fine sense of humor. I will repeat the joke to him and if he laughs then I shall laugh, too, for I shall know that it was indeed a joke. But I wonder upon whom it will be!'
'Oh, Vestako, do not repeat what we have said—not to the king. He might not understand. We are good friends and it was said only among friends.' Gofoloso was evidently perturbed in spirit—he spoke rapidly. 'By the way, my good Vestako, I just happened to recall that the other day you admired one of my slaves. I have intended giving him to you. If you will accept him he is yours.'
'I admire a hundred of your slaves,' said Vestako, softly.
'They are yours, Vestako,' said Gofoloso. 'Come with me now and select them. It is a pleasure to make my friend so trifling a present.'
Vestako looked steadily at the other four. They shifted uneasily in momentary silence, which was broken by Throwaldo, Chief of Agriculture. 'If Vestako would accept a hundred of my poor slaves I should be overwhelmed with delight,' he said.
'I hope they will be slaves of the white tunic,' said Vestako.
'They will,' said Throwaldo.
'I cannot be outdone in generosity,' said Torndali; 'you must accept a hundred slaves from me.'
'And from me!' cried Makahago, Chief of Buildings.
'If you will send them to my head slave at my quarters before the sun enters the Warriors' Corridor I shall be overwhelmed with gratitude,' said Vestako, rubbing his palms and smiling unctuously. Then he looked quickly and meaningly at Gefasto, Chief of Warriors of Veltopismakus.
'Best can I show my friendship for the noble Vestako,' said Gefasto, unsmiling, 'by assuring him that I shall, if possible, prevent my warriors from slipping a dagger between his ribs. Should aught of harm befall me, however, I fear that I cannot be responsible for the acts of these men, who, I am told, love me.' For a moment longer he stood looking straight into the eyes of Vestako, then he turned upon his heel and strode from the room.
Of the six men who composed the Royal Council, Gefasto and Gofoloso were the most fearless, though even they flattered the vain and arrogant Elkomoelhago, whose despotic powers rendered him a most dangerous enemy. Custom and inherent loyalty to the royal family, in addition to that most potent of human instrumentalities—self- interest, held them, to the service of their king, but so long had they been plotting against him and so rife was discontent throughout the city, that each now felt that he might become bolder with impunity.
Torndali, Makahago and Throwaldo having been chosen by the king for their supposed pliability and having, unlike Gefasto and Gofoloso, justified his expectations, counted for little one way or another. Like the majority of the Veltopismakusian nobles under the reign of Elkomoelhago they had become corrupt, and self-interest guided their every act and thought. Gefasto did not trust them, for he knew that they could be bought even while professing their virtue, and Gefasto had taken to the study of men since his success with the warriors of his city—a success that was fully as much a surprise to him as to others—and his knowledge of the mounting restlessness of the people had implanted in the fertile soil of a virile brain the idea that Veltopismakus was ripe for a new dynasty.
Vestako he knew for a self-acknowledged and shameless bribe-taker. He did not believe that there was an honest hair in the man's head, but he had been surprised at the veiled threat of exposure he had used to mulct his fellows.
'Low indeed have fallen the fortunes of Veltopismakus,' he said to Gofoloso as the two walked along the Warriors' Corridor after quitting the council chamber of the king.
'As exemplified by—?' queried the Chief of Chiefs.
'By Vestako's infamy. He cares neither for king nor for people. For slaves or gold he would betray either, and Vestako is typical of the majority of us. No longer is friendship sacred, for even from Throwaldo he exacted the toll of his silence, and Throwaldo has ever been accounted his best friend.'
'What has brought us to such a pass, Gefasto?' asked
Gofoloso, thoughtfully. 'Some attribute it to one cause and some to another, and though there should be no man in Velopismakus better able than myself to answer my own question, I confess that I am at a loss. There are many theories, but I doubt me the right one has yet been expounded.'
