Kast succeeded in quick order.
"Why did you hesitate, if it's so easy?" demanded the War Lord.
"With Your Majesty's permission, I was wondering whether it was your pleasure to have a cross placed against all the 'k's' on the map."
The War Lord looked at von Bülow, who dismissed Kast by a look.
"Out of the mouths of fools and sucklings," misquoted Wilhelm under his breath, while a cruel sneer played about his lips. Then, to the Chancellor, aloud: "Inborn stupidity or low cunning?"—referring to Kast.
"The first, Your Majesty, the first. Your Majesty will agree, when I say that I myself do not see the significance of the cross."
"You will—in time," said the War Lord brusquely. "But to continue."
He took a German flag and placed it on the spot marked Rome. "The Holy Roman Empire of German nationality," he said.
"Which Voltaire designated as neither holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," remarked von Bülow drily.
"Time's passed, time was, time is," quoted the War Lord, "or rather will be." For awhile he remained in silent reverie, then turned upon the Chancellor suddenly. "You asked the other day how to mark the English Channel. Gott! it's worth five million men to Edward. No, don't mark it at all; for if the distance between Calais and Dover can be bridged only half-way by our guns—no impossibility, you know—that strip of water won't amount to more than a few army corps."