"Miela," I cried, "tell him--tell them all--their king is dead. It is _I_ who command now. There is no one else--and I have the power. Tell them that. It is I, the man from earth, who commands!" CHAPTER XIX. THE NEW RULER. The solemn bell continued pealing out its knell; the shouts and tumult outside were growing louder. Miela spoke hurriedly to the old man, then turned to leave the room. "Your commands shall be obeyed, my husband," she said quietly. I felt again that sudden sense of helplessness as I saw her leave. "Be careful, Miela. Order every one in the castle to the roof. Here! Tell the queen before you go. Send every one up there with me. The mob may come in. We'll make our stand up there." I understood Baar's plot better now. He had gathered his mob of peons to surround the castle and make a demonstration in his favor. Then, with the king dead and the queen and her little son held by him and his men--their lives as forfeits--he hoped to be able to treat with the men of science who controlled the light-ray, and who, I did not doubt, represented the better element among the people. It seemed a mad plan at best; and now that it had gone wrong, I wondered what Baar would attempt to do. Evidently he and his henchmen had all left the castle, fearing the light-ray, which Miela pretended I held. They were outside now, among the mob, I assumed. Would the mob attempt to enter? Miela hurried away to send every one inside the building to its roof. The queen, following Miela's commands unquestioningly, took the little prince by the hand and, signing to me to follow, led me upstairs. There was only one stairway leading to the roof, I found with satisfaction, and it was narrow--an excellent place for defense. The roof was broad and flat, flanked at the ends by two towers which rose considerably above it. It was a frightened little group who gathered about me--the queen and her son, two of the king's councilors, and perhaps half a dozen young girls whom I took to be the queen's attendants. Others came up each moment. I sat the queen down on a little white stone bench in the center of the garden, and bowed before her respectfully. Then I smiled upon them all. I think they were reassured and trusted me, and I found my commands were obeyed without question. The queen was a woman of perhaps thirty-five--tall and slender, with black hair and eyes. She was dressed in a single garment of heavy white silk, a dress that fell ungathered at the waist from above her breast under the arms to her ankles. It was, I judged, her sleeping robe. Her hair hung in two long braids over her shoulders; her feet were incased in sandals.