in had read,
but he didn't ask. "All right," he said, "now tie your examples up with
His Majesty."

"It's very simple. By controlling the mind of the Prime Portfolio, the
Emperor can plunge the Empire into war with the Gehan Federation. Once
that has been done, he can begin to ask for extraordinary powers from
the File. If he has a few key men under his thumb, he can swing the
majority of the File any way he wants to. Don't you see that?"

The colonel said: "It does make a certain amount of sense." He paused,
looking at the young man speculatively. "Tell me, son: why did you pick
me to tell this tale to?"

Senesin's sensitive face betrayed his anxiety. "Because you have been my
father's best and oldest friend. If he's really being made a puppet of,
I should think you'd want to help him. Do you like to see him being
destroyed this way?"

"No," said the colonel honestly. "And if he is actually being controlled
illegally, if he is actually being blamed for things he did not do of
his own free will, I'll do everything in my power to expose the
plot--that I promise you."

Jon Senesin's eyes lit up; his face broke into a smile. "I _knew_ I
could depend on you, my lord! I _knew_ it!"

"Just how do you propose to go about this?" asked Colonel Lord Sorban.

* * * * *

There was fire in young Senesin's eyes now. "I'll turn the whole case
over to the people! I have some evidence, of course; the queer changes
in behavior that Dad has exhibited during the past few years, and such
things as that. The things that made me suspect in the first place. But
that isn't acceptable evidence." He finished his brandy and got up
excitedly to walk over and pour himself another. He glanced at the
colonel's goblet, but the colonel had three-quarters of his own drink
left.

Senesin talked as he poured. "Did you ever hear of a group called the
Federalist Party?"

"Yes," said Colonel Sorban. "They want to federalize the Empire and get
rid of the Imperial Family. Not a very popular group."

"No, but they're right! They're right! Don't you see that? And nobody
pays any attention to them!"

"Calm down, son. What have the Federalists got to do with this?"

"They have sympathizers in the Palace," Senesin explained. "They've been
able to get proof that the Emperor is illegally tampering with the
Government, that he's been brainwashing my father. And they're going to
turn that proof over to me."

"I don't qui