e principles of national and
imperial autonomy.'

'Firmin,' said the king, 'I am going to set my brother kings a good
example.'

Firmin intimated a curiosity that veiled a dread.

'By chucking all that nonsense,' said the king.

He quickened his pace as Firmin, who was already a little out of breath,
betrayed a disposition to reply.

'I am going to chuck all that nonsense,' said the king, as Firmin
prepared to speak. 'I am going to fling my royalty and empire on the
table--and declare at once I don't mean to haggle. It's haggling--about
rights--has been the devil in human affairs, for--always. I am going to
stop this nonsense.'

Firmin halted abruptly. 'But, sir!' he cried.

The king stopped six yards ahead of him and looked back at his adviser's
perspiring visage.

'Do you really think, Firmin, that I am here as--as an infernal
politician to put my crown and my flag and my claims and so forth in the
way of peace? That little Frenchman is right. You know he is right
as well as I do. Those things are over. We--we kings and rulers and
representatives have been at the very heart of the mischief. Of course
we imply separation, and of course separation means the threat of war,
and of course the threat of war means the accumulation of more and more
atomic bombs. The old game's up. But, I say, we mustn't stand here, you
know. The world waits. Don't you think the old game's up, Firmin?'

Firmin adjusted a strap, passed a hand over his wet forehead, and
followed earnestly. 'I admit, sir,' he said to a receding back, 'that
there has to be some sort of hegemony, some sort of Amphictyonic
council----'

'There's got to be one simple government for all the world,' said the
king over his shoulder.

'But as for a reckless, unqualified abandonment, sir----'

'BANG!' cried the king.

Firmin made no answer to this interruption. But a faint shadow of
annoyance passed across his heated features.

'Yesterday,' said the king, by way of explanation, 'the Japanese very
nearly got San Francisco.'

'I hadn't heard, sir.'

'The Americans ran the Japanese aeroplane down into the sea and there
the bomb got busted.'

'Under the sea, sir?'

'Yes. Submarine volcano. The steam is in sight of the Californian coast.
It was as near as that. And with things like this happening, you want
me to go up this hill and haggle. Consider the effect of that upon my
imperial cousin--and all the others!'

'HE will haggle, sir.'

'Not a bit