"But the uprising must be beaten down. The Council is still loyal. They must see that I am alive."
Rex said, "I think you'll find—"
Fanton waved him to silence. "We must hurry."
As the group left the Place of Eternal Strength, Maxis said, "Perhaps they will have to be assembled. If they are not in session—"
"They must be in session!"
On the trip to the Amphitheater of the Gods, two rebels were killed and one loyal Martian added to the cavalcade. As they moved into the great hall, Fanton said, "They are here!"
This appeared to be true. The seats flanking the central throne were still occupied. The throne itself was vacant. Immediately upon entering the great hall, Rex ran forward and climbed to the tier of benches. The council members sat silent, unmoving. Rex pushed the body of the nearest one. It tumbled off the bench like a sack of grain and fell to the floor.
Fanton paled. "What does this mean?"
"They're all dead," Rex replied. "When we were here before I noticed that none of them moved nor spoke. This is the work of a mad-man—Pandek. This is his joke. He rules all alone."