"I don't believe in interfering with my local commanders, Martinus. Liuderis is an excellent man. Eh? What were you saying. Something about the solar system? What's that got to do with Liuderis?"
"Nothing, my lord." Padway repeated what he had said.
"Well, maybe I'd consider it. What is this theory of yours?"
Little by little Padway wormed from Thiudahad a promise of a free hand for the telegraph company, in return for bits of information about the Copernican hypothesis, instructions for the use of the telescope to see the moons of Jupiter, and a promise to publish a treatise on astronomy in Thiudahad's name.
At the end of an hour he grinned and said, "Well, my lord, we seem to be in agreement. There's just one more thing. This telescope would be a valuable instrument of warfare. If you wanted to equip your officers with them—"
"Eh? Warfare? You'll have to see Wittigis about that. He's my head general."
"Where's he?"
"Where? Oh, dear me, I don't know. Somewhere up north, I think. There's been a little invasion by the Allemans or somebody."
"When will he be back?"
"How should I know, my good Martinus? When he's driven out these Allemans or Burgunds or whoever they are."