I agreed to this proposition, being anxious to bring the king to justice, and thereupon relieved General Charka of his command of the 21,000 bockhockids, giving him a guard of 100 wayleals, and requested him to proceed at once to the fortress of Calnogor, and, demanding the body of Lyone, bear it to Egyplosis for honorable sepulture.
The grand sorcerer, who had anticipated the refusal of Lyone to accept liberty at the price demanded, but did not apprehend her sudden death, had, during my absence, assisted at completing the organization of the army. I gave his command of the right wing of the army to Sir John Forbes, Captain Adams accepting a subordinate command.
Supreme General Hushnoly had fully armed the various battalions with mitrailleuses and electric spears, and had furnished all with electric wings.
I instructed Hushnoly to mobilize the army at once and order an immediate advance on Calnogor. All Kioram was alive with warlike preparations. The various generals and captains, accompanied by their aides-de-camp, flew over the city, calling their troops to arms. Both wayleals and bockhockids, soaring into the air, formed themselves into immense living globes, and in the hollow centre of each flew the commanding general and his subordinate officers. In less than an hour the entire army lay marshalled in the air, and Supreme General Hushnoly called me to review our forces.
It was a magnificent sight. High over Kioram stretched a line of enormous spheres composed of wayleals and bockhockids arranged in the following order:
THE ARMY OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN LYONE.
His Excellency Lexington White, Commander-in-Chief.
General Sir John Forbes, commanding the right wing of 21,000 bockhockids, as follows:
| The Legion of Art, commanded by General Yermoul. | |||
| Phalanx of Poetry | Vice-Gen. | Ahornus | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Music | " | Arnondar | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Painting | " | Rhemegron | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Dancing | " | Osornon | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Architecture | " | Vanablis | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Drama | " | Clamavappy | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Sculpture | " | Hitturkey | 2,000 |
| Phalanx of Decoration | " | Drapasius | 2,000 |
| The Kioram Legion | General | Nototherboc | 5,000 |
Supreme General Hushnoly, commanding the centre of the army, comprising 175,000 wayleals.