"I'm merely exercising my duty to our subjects, Father. You've grown old. You're no longer capable of carrying out the duties of king." "No." He refused to believe. "You ... you have no right. _I_ am king! How can you.... How can you just walk in here and tell me that I'm not? What gives you this right?" "The same source that made you king in the first place," said Kahl. "The Sun God." "Nonsense! There is no Sun God!" The High Priest gasped and covered his eyes. "_Blasphemy!_" "_Guards!_" Obar pried himself up. "_Guards!_ Arrest these maniacs!" Feet clumped outside, then turned into the chamber. Sam relaxed, unaware that he had been holding his breath, knowing that his plans were going through after all. The men who came in were the same who had escorted them from the city, Kahl's own private guards. The captain turned to Kahl and bowed low. "You called, Your Most Graciousness?" "Yes. Take this blithering idiot away." The captain bowed again, and gestured. Two of his men grabbed the former king by the arms and carried him away, screaming. "Ho, southerner!" Kahl sat down on his father's couch and gestured. The manservants had been cowering in the background; they came forward now and touched their foreheads to the ground. Kahl took a fruit and bit into it, letting the juice trickle down his chin. "It worked," said Kahl, swallowing. "By the Sun God, it worked!" He slapped his knee. "I confess, southerner, when first I heard your plans, I thought you daft indeed. But it worked! I'm king!" "I felt certain it would," said Sam, carefully omitting the title of respect. It passed unnoticed. More sure of himself, he continued, "After all, the idea was inherent in the very structure and strictures of your government. Your divine position comes from the Sun God. He should be able to remove it as easily as he grants it." "True," said Kahl. "Howsomever, there shall be some changes made in that respect, once I have consolidated my position. Oh, I delude myself not in thinking that the battle is over, my friend. But the hardest part has been won." "I've been thinking," said Sam, slowly. "Well, keep it not to yourself!" said Kahl. "If any more of your ideas prove as useful to me as the last, then you have a glorious future indeed." "My thoughts are, I'm afraid, roaming rather far afield. But take them for what they might be worth. You are king of this nation now, Kahl; and a very able king you shall be. Why limit the benefits of your rule to this one nation? Why not let the rest of the world know the joys of your rule?" "Ummm?" He squinted, one eye closed. "You think it might work out?" "Why not?" _And the Sun God help us all!_ he added to himself. IV