genuine?"

"The evidence? Yes. The Federalists had the goods on you, all right." He
grinned. "As you said, everything but brainwashing."

"I'll take care of it," said the Emperor. "Prince Jaimie's been going
through the family files, and I rather want him to see this batch of
stuff, too. Meantime, get the Senesin boy out of that cell; I want to
see him. He's got guts, if nothing else."

"He has sense, too, Sire; he's just a little too young yet." He almost
added "and romantic," but he stopped himself in time.

"How long will it take to get him out?" His Majesty asked.

"I can have him here in half an hour. The editor of the _Globe_ will
drop the charges. I can put a little pressure on in the right places."

The Emperor nodded. After a moment, he thumbed a button on his chair
arm. "Inform Lord Senesin that he is requested to appear for a Royal
Audience in forty-five minutes," he said firmly.

"Yes, Sire," said a voice from a hidden speaker.

The Emperor looked at the colonel. "Get the boy."

* * * * *

Jon Senesin sat in a soft chair, his hands gripping at the arms as
though it might at any time fall from under him. He looked at the three
other men in the room. His father, Lord Senesin, looking rather tired,
but with a slight smile on his lantern-jawed face, sat on his son's
left. One hand ran nervously through his gray hair.

On Jon's right sat the colonel, looking cool, unperturbed, and very
gentle.

Between them sat the Emperor.

Jon's face looked pale, and there was a slight nervous tic at the corner
of his mouth. "I ... I don't understand," he said. "I--" He swallowed
hard as his voice failed him.

"Nothing hard to understand, son," said the colonel mildly. "We've been
looking for evidence to break up the Federalists for several years. Some
of them are honest men who are simply against any kind of hereditary
monarchy--we'll let them go eventually. Some of them are fanatics--the
kind that is against any form of government that happens to be in power;
they'll get psychiatric treatment. But the leaders of the group are
agents of the Gehan Federation. My men are picking them up now. The man
that contacted you and me last night was arrested within two minutes
after we left."

"But--the _evidence_! Those tapes. The documents. They all seemed
genuine. They seemed so convincing."

"They should be convincing, Jon," said Lord Senesin in his smooth
oratorical baritone. "You s