nd it. About his throat was a
necklace of emerald-green gems, and his clothing was studded with more
of them. Gold gleamed everywhere. He was borne on an ornate, gilded
palanquin, carried high above the crowd on the shoulders of a dozen
stalwart nobles, only slightly less gorgeously-dressed than the Greatest
Noble. The nobility that followed was scarcely less showy in its finery.

When they came into the plaza, however, the members of the procession
came to a halt. The singing and music died away.

The plaza was absolutely empty.

No one had come out to greet the Emperor.

There were six thousand natives in the plaza, and not a sign of the
invaders.

The commander, hiding well back in the shadows in one of the rooms of
the central building, watched through the window and noted the evident
consternation of the royal entourage with satisfaction. Frater Vincent,
standing beside him, whispered, "Well?"

"All right," the commander said softly, "they've had a taste of what we
got when we came in. I suppose they've had enough. Let's go out and act
like hosts."

The commander and a squad of ten men, along with Frater Vincent, strode
majestically out of the door of the building and walked toward the
Greatest Noble. They had all polished their armor until it shone, which
was about all they could do in the way of finery, but they evidently
looked quite impressive in the eyes of the natives.

"Greetings, Your Effulgence," said the commander, giving the Greatest
Noble a bow that was hardly five degrees from the perpendicular. "I
trust we find you well."

* * * * *

In the buildings surrounding the square, hardly daring to move for fear
the clank of metal on metal might give the whole plan away, the
remaining members of the company watched the conversation between their
commander and the Greatest Noble. They couldn't hear what was being
said, but that didn't matter; they knew what to do as soon as the
commander gave the signal. Every eye was riveted on the commander's
right hand.

It seemed an eternity before the commander casually reached up to his
helmet and brushed a hand across it--once--twice--three times.

Then all hell broke loose. The air was split by the sound of power
weapons throwing their lances of flame into the massed ranks of the
native warriors. The gunners, safe behind the walls of the buildings,
poured a steady stream of accurately directed fire into the packed mob,
whi