"And the nation," said Margaret, "tearing itself to pieces. See there--all that--look; those are my people murdering each other like mad beasts! What would my fathers, the Kings, have done with them? Do I love my people less than those old kings who called with the bale fires and the trumpets--To arms! To arms! Bring your swords and save England! To-night, Sir Myles, all over the length and breadth of the Kingdom, my trumpets and bugles are sounding the call to arms. The old, old patriotism--the dear love never fails. There will be no factions to-morrow, but England, Britain, the Empire, ready to fight for the flag!" "And you a woman! Madam!" "And I, a woman, Sir Myles. I am something come down through many centuries--flesh and bone, blood and nerves, soul, spirit, made that I may suffer for my people. I am not a statesman, not a man, but a weak, miserable woman--and I am England. I know you may think it madness to declare war with the League, having neither Fleet nor troops--I know! Come, put it to the proof. No fleet, you say? The ports are jammed with deep-sea shipping, the arsenals crowded with good aerial ships of the Fleet reserve, the country teems with yachts of the royal yacht squadrons." "But, madam, the very Formula of the Fleets was betrayed." "We can change the Formula now." "But the power station is gone." "We'll use the mercantile stations." "But the Fleets of the League! Madam, this is sheer madness." "Sir Myles; call it madness. You will remember that Brand's ships in every part of the Kingdom were seized by Ulster's orders." "I remember, madam." "I never forgot. Brand is my servant, and do you think I have let his sailors starve to death in my prisons? No. The General Superintendent of Prisons, by my direct commands, had loads of provisions supplied to feed those men. I have saved them alive. You remember that Ulster seized one ship--the _Golden Hind_?" "And became invincible!" "God is invincible," said Margaret. "Madam, how many ships?" "I have eleven--the crews are released to-night; the ships will assemble here at sunrise. How are the Fleets of the League to fight etheric rams?" XIX THE TALE OF THE DUN HORSE Now for the tale of the Dun Horse, and Lancaster's great ride from Lyonesse. There was no electric power for travel either by airship, road, or rail. It was hard without money to buy petrol for a car, or drive one over the broken roads, of districts where there was fighting. A big bay mare brought Lancaster through Cornwall, and fell dead at his farm near Tiverton in Devon, the place where the dun horse lived.