"It might be a good idea to wait for some confirmation," said the other imperturbably. Rayth paced the chamber, restlessly, eyes smoldering, and the guests muttered to each other. Rikard and Leda paid no attention; they were holding close, and his hands and lips caressed her with a new and desperate tenderness. Someone else entered, a strong young acolyte who saluted and said between gasps for air: "He's dead, sirs, he's been killed, and it's Mars down there! The commons are running wild!" There was a knife-slash across his face; blood dripped slowly to the red of his gown. "What did you see?" snapped Rayth. He sprang over and grabbed the acolyte by the shoulders and shook him, "What did you see?" "I--I heard a great uproar in the audience chamber, through the closed doors. That must have been something else, though, for his Wis--old Laon came out and went into a laboratory. Then some hours later he returned to the chamber, and--and presently there was another noise, louder and lasting longer--then I saw this man here burst out, knock down a guard in his way, and go down the hall, I looked in--they were lying heaped in blood, and an Engineer came in and lifted the old man and shrieked that he was dead. Then there was panic, everyone running, guards fighting to get out after the killer--I slipped away and came here as you told me, sir--" * * * * * "Dead!" Rayth's shout echoed between the walls. "Dead, d'you hear? After five years I've killed the old swine, and Temple and commons alike are rioting--What more excuse do we need?" "Excuse?" whispered a noble. "Certainly!" Rayth grinned. "As a public-spirited gesture, we assemble our personal guards and march them down there to restore order. With the Temple occupied by us, your election to the slide rule becomes a certainty, Jastur." "There'll be fighting," said the Engineer nervously. "The young Engineers are--were--almost all on his side, you know; they won't receive you kindly--and then there are the commons--" "Bah! Engineers and mobs against trained blades? Certainly there'll be bloodletting, but it won't be our blood--at least, if we can get down there before they have time to organize." Rayth lifted his voice to a shout, and a guards officer stepped in and saluted. There was something like terror under his hard-held mask. Rayth snapped swift orders and he ran off. "We'll unite all our personal forces," said the prince, biting the words out as he paced from wall to wall. "The Mayor's men and the regular city guards aren't to be relied on; I wouldn't be surprised if half of them swung to the Temple's side if they get a chance. Most of the regular army is out of the city, on garrison or combat duty, and it wouldn't be too safe either. But between us we've got three hundred trained bold men ready to follow us down there." "_Us?_" squeaked a noble.