ers without
delay, as we might take the field any moment.

General Rackiron informed us that he was hard at work on a portable
terrorite gun for aerial warfare. He hoped to have a battery of these
guns ready in time to decide the war in our favor. I thanked the
general for his extraordinary exertions, and informed him I felt sure
of his success. With terrorite guns we would be invincible.

Our spies, who had been despatched in all directions, informed us that
the royal army was in a state of activity not inferior to our own. A
daily review was being held in the air above Calnogor, and it was
discovered that Coltonobory was about to make a descent on our ships,
particularly to seize the _Polar King_, and by thus silencing her
guns, have Kioram and the army of the queen at his mercy. The plan was
approved of by the king, and might be put in operation at any moment.

This was most important news, and we decided to take the initiative at
once.

"We will attack the enemy even if he is a million strong," I said.

"Everything calls for an immediate advance," said Hushnoly.

We also learned from trusty couriers that Lyone had been brought
before the Borodemy, and the legislative assembly in full conclave,
after hearing the evidence, had found her guilty of treason, impiety
and sacrilege to her faith, of treason to the king, and had, by
encouraging insurrection, caused her adherents to take up arms against
both king and law, thereby endangering the lives and property of the
inhabitants of the kingdom. There was no one to recommend Lyone to
mercy, and she was condemned to death. The king had already signed her
death-warrant.

She might be executed any moment!

It was a dreadful crisis to contemplate. Our first duty was to save
the life of our queen at any sacrifice. I at once called a council of
war to consider this all-important question. We had only assembled
when a royal courier arrived at the fortress with an important
despatch addressed, "To His Excellency Lexington White,
Commander-in-Chief of the Insurrectionary Army at Kioram."

CHAPTER L.

I VISIT LYONE IN CALNOGOR.

I hastily opened the despatch, which read as follows:

"His Majesty King Aldemegry Bhoolmakar of Atvatabar wishes
to inform His Excellency Lexington White, commander-in-chief
of the insurrectionary army mobilized in Kioram, that Her
Holiness Lyone, late Goddess of Atvatabar, has been tried
before a full concla