按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
eror's third wife and had been retained when Cling the Lofty had ascended the throne。 Endow's appetite for pretty young men was notorious and he was generally regarded with disguised contempt。 I can say this now that I am out of his reach。 Only Lombar's desires and organization kept Endow in power。 On this visit； he pottered around the office while Lombar bullied him。 I almost felt sorry for the old man when Lombar showed him some photos of recent executions。 The old fellow almost fainted and I wondered what he would have done if Lombar had produced the latest pictures of his peccadillos with the pretty young spaceman。 But he promised he would do his part and remember his lines。
At last the day of the Grand Council meeting arrived。 We set out well before dawn； Endow and his nurse； Lombar； two Apparatus clerks and myself in Endow's air limousine。
Now I know you may find this hard to believe； but I had never before been to Palace City。 The Academy Cadet Corps goes there every year to march in review。 The newest class members are always introduced to the Emperor…if you can call standing in a group of ten thousand before the throne 〃being introduced。〃 But it just happened； not from any design； that each time that day had e around； I was doing punishment drill for low grades and was not included。
Palace City makes a lot of people nervous。 Today I found it impressive enough with its circular buildings； its circular parks； its circular walls； everything seven times as big as life。 I have heard that it was once the capital city of the race overthrown by the Voltar invasion so long ago but has been so improved； one would never find traces of it： I think the original city was simply crushed to rubble and cleared away。 Some find the hugeness of the place overwhelming and others say the glittering gold walls are hard on the eyes。 But none of that was what made me sweat： it was the time shift。
Anyone with a lot of space travel behind them gets nervous about anything to do with a black hole。 If you ever got too close to one； that would be it。 The consequent warping of space； as you know； causes a time shift。
Undoubtedly it was a wise and clever thing； but early Voltar engineers moved a very small； nuclear black hole into the mountain behind Palace City as a power source and defense mechanism。 This is fine： it gives Palace City an unlimited supply of thermonuclear energy to run its vast plex of machines and devices。 For defense； the usefulness cannot be overstated： space…time distortion takes the whole of Palace City thirteen minutes into the future and any invader would find no target； nothing whatever to shoot at。
All this may make things very defense…safe but even a small black hole； when it finally expends； can blow up with a violence that levels mountains。 They say it takes them a billion years or more before they go 〃bang〃 and that the one at Palace City is perfectly safe and has a long time to run yet。 But how do they know how old it already was when they installed it？ And if it's so safe； why did they build Palace City so far away from centers of population？ I don't know how the Emperor stands it； frankly。 They say； 〃The head that wears a crown has nightmares；〃 and living that close to even a small black hole would not just give me nightmares； I wouldn't be able to sleep at all。
The time shift； I find； is not just hard on your watch。 Personally； I get a bad feeling in my bones every time I'm around a time shift。
This morning； I was already feeling awful； nervous about what might e out in the meeting。 And it wasn't helped any by a near collision at the time barrier as we went in。 I'd heard accidents had happened with outgoing traffic； suddenly shifted down in time； hitting head…on with ining flight traffic moving up in time at the entrances。 And this morning…it was still dark on our side…a big Imperial delivery ship； probably going out to markets； abruptly materialized dead ahead and Endow's pilot； almost as senile as Endow； reacted late and we got hit with airwash…a near thing。
So when we finally got landed in the circular airpark； I was so shaky I could hardly make it up the spiral staircases to the Grand Council hall。 I am telling you this because there were some things I may have missed in the meeting。
I was half…blinded by the flashing light on helmets and ceremonial axes； gold and jewelled tablecloths； diamond…studded banners and moving colored lights of the huge circular Council room； and the reflective clothing of the Lords of State and their retinues didn't help。 A splendid portrait of Cling the Lofty and his two sons； now dead； glared down。
The circular conference table was over a hundred feet in diameter； split at the head of the room where； on a high dais； the Viceregal Chairman of the Crown sat。 Over thirty Lords of Divisions were already seated at their places； attendants strung out behind them。 Endow pottered up to his position and sat down。 His nurse stood to his right； Lombar sat on a stool just behind him to his left； where he could get to the old Lord's ear； and I stood back of them with a couple of clerks。 We of the Exterior Division were not too well turned out as a group and I felt shabby； confronted with all that imposing hall。
Trumpets blasted out a fanfare and almost caved my ears in。 The Viceregal Chairman of the Crown lifted a jewelled finger and cymbals crashed and made my ears hurt worse。 The bimonthly meeting of the Grand Council was in progress。
I was sick in more ways than one。 I half expected his opening words would be 〃Secondary Executive Soltan Gris is dismissed as Section Chief of 451 and is ordered held for trial on the charge of kidnapping a Royal officer； Jettero Heller to wit 。。。〃 But what the Crown really took up was a tax revolt on the planet Kyle。
They doddered around about the tax revolt and finally ordered the Lord of the Interior and the Royal Army to repress it and double Kyle's taxes…a very wele order to them as it meant they could fatten their pockets enormously。
Then there was a squabble about the invasion of some system called Cliteus which was threatening to fall behind schedule。 The Division of Propaganda and the Division of Diplomacy were blaming each other for non…cooperation in arranging peace terms but they wound up united under an accusation from the Division of the Army which was impatient to withdraw its frontline bat troops and then the whole thing got settled when they extracted a promise from the Division of the Army to stop their looting long enough to permit peace treaties to be signed。
The Crown then wanted a report from the Division of Domestic Police concerning their progress in locating one Prince Mortiiy； rumored to be fomenting a revolt against Cling the Lofty in the Calabar System of the Confederacy。 And the Division of Domestic Police gave a long…winded background of said Prince Mortiiy which traced his defection to the Division of Education having chosen the wrong tutors and concluded with a report of the arrest； trial and execution of these tutors。 Sick as I was； I still noted that the Division of Domestic Police had not said one word about actually doing anything about Royal Prince Mortiiy and the revolt on Calabar：