m and Tobbin of Nergal and the Everrards
of Hoth get nervous around unpredictable dangers, and when they get
nervous they get trigger-happy." He puffed slowly on his pipe and
then said: "Then you'll be going back to Gram."

"That doesn't follow; just because Valkanhayn and Ravallo and that
crowd are wrong doesn't make Valpry and Rathmore and Ffayle right.
You heard what I was telling those very people at Karvall House, the
day I met you. And you've seen what's been happening on Gram since
we came out here. Otto, the Sword-Worlds are finished; they're half
decivilized now. Civilization is alive and growing here on Tanith.
I want to stay here and help it grow."

"Look, Lucas," Harkaman said. "You're Prince of Tanith, and I'm only
the Admiral. But I'm telling you; you'll have to do something, or
this whole setup of yours will fall apart. As it stands, you can
attack Xochitl and the Back-To-Gram party would go along, or you
can decide on this crusade against Omfray of Glaspyth and the
Raid-Xochitl-Now party would go along. But if you let this go on
much longer, you won't have any influence over either party."

"And then I will be finished. And in a few years, Tanith will be
finished." He rose and paced across the room and back. "Well, I
won't raid Xochitl; I told you why, and you agreed. And I won't
spend the men and ships and wealth of Tanith in any Sword-World
dynastic squabble. Great Satan, Otto; you were in the Durendal War.
This is the same thing, and it'll go on for another half a century."

"Then what will you do?"

"I came out here after Andray Dunnan, didn't I?" he asked.

"I'm afraid Ravallo and Valpry, or even Valkanhayn and Morland,
won't be as interested in Dunnan as you are."

"Then I will interest them in him. Remember, I was reading up on
Hitler, coming in from Marduk? I will tell them all a big lie.
Such a big lie that nobody will dare to disbelieve it."

XXV

"Do you think I was afraid of Viktor of Xochitl?" he demanded. "Half
a dozen ships; we could make a new Van Allen belt around Tanith of
them, with what we have here. Our real enemy is on Marduk, not
Xochitl; his name's Zaspar Makann. Zaspar Makann, and Andray Dunnan,
the man I came out from Gram to hunt; they're in alliance, and
I believe Dunnan is on Marduk, himself, now."

The delegation who had come out from Gram in the yacht of the
Duke of Bigglersport were unimpressed. Marduk was only a name to
them, one of the fabulous civil