“No, no; I will tell you——” but she could not go on.
“I must guess, then. Well, am I to be shot to-morrow?”
“Oh no, no! How can you?”
“To be shot, then, but not to-morrow?”
“Oh, don’t! I’ll tell you. Admiral Essiter and the Neustrian and Magnagrecian Admirals have got into dreadful trouble for the action they took, especially for stopping the massacre. Oh, I don’t suppose it’s called that, but that’s what it means,—the Roumis have complained, and ranged the other three Powers against them. Scythia and Pannonia and Hercynia are threatening to withdraw from the Concert,—I should think it would get on much better without them, but at this moment England and Neustria and Magnagrecia are on their knees to them to stay. Hercynia has even recalled its old ship already. Admiral Essiter says it is only to get a relief crew really, but they pretend that it is a token of haughty displeasure, of course.”
“And where do I come in?”
“Why, the line the Roumis take is that as the Admirals stepped in and prevented their massacre—their policy of unconditional surrender, I mean—the Admirals must see that they get what they demanded at first.”
“Ah, the leaders of the insurgents are to be given up, you mean?”
“Yes, that’s what they want; and at present all are safe, you see—you, and Maurice, and Lord Armitage, who is a prisoner on board the Pannonian flagship, and Prince Romanos——”
“Do they insist on the Admirals bringing him back from the dead?”