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Updated: May 16, 2025
Gun ammunition, ship's missiles, and a lot of ground-defense missiles." "What was he buying them with? Trading machinery?" "No. Gold." "Yes. Lothar Ffayle found out that a lot of gold was transferred to Dunnan from banks in Glaspyth and Didreksburg," Grauffis said. "He got that aboard when he took the ship, evidently." "All right," Trask said.
"Crazy men who pretend to thrones are bombs that ought to be deactivated, before they blow things up." "We couldn't do that," Grauffis said. "After all, he's Duke Angus' nephew " "I could do it," Harkaman said. "He only has three hundred men in this company of his. Why you people ever let him recruit them Satan only knows," he parenthesized. "I have eight hundred; five hundred ground-fighters.
And here's this loan-shark of a Ffayle, trying to claw my lands away from me, and Rovard Grauffis, the fetchdog of my uncle who won't lift a finger to save his kinsman from ruin, and this foreigner Harkaman who's swindled me out of command of the Enterprise. You're all plotting against me " "Sir Nevil," Grauffis said, "you can see that Lord Dunnan's not himself.
Nikkolay's wife, Dame Cecelia; Rovard Grauffis; Lady Lavina Karvall he must have slept a long time, for she was so much older than he remembered and her brother, Burt Sandrasan. And a woman with dark hair, in a white smock with a gold caduceus on her breast. Once, Duchess Flavia, and once Duke Angus himself. He asked where he was, not much caring. They told him, at the Ducal Palace.
He had known Rovard Grauffis all his life; until this moment, he had never seen Duke Angus' henchman show surprise. "You mean, you'll trade Traskon for that ship?" he demanded. "Finished, equipped and ready for space, yes." "The Duke will agree to that," Grauffis said promptly. "But, Lucas; Traskon is all you own." "If I have a ship, I won't need them. I am turning Space Viking."
Grauffis excused himself to make a screen call and then returned to excuse himself again. Evidently Duke Angus had dropped whatever he was doing as soon as he heard what his henchman had to tell him. Harkaman was silent until after he was out of the room, then said: "Lord Trask, this is a wonderful thing for me. It's not been pleasant to be a shipless captain living on strangers' bounty.
This was accompanied by a rather apologetic personal message from Grauffis now Prime Minister to the effect that His Majesty felt compelled to stand on his royal dignity at all times, and that, after all, there was a difference between the position and dignity of the Duke of Wardshaven and that of the Planetary King of Gram. Prince Trask of Tanith couldn't quite see it.
With an effort, he leaned forward to crush it out. "Rovard, how soon will that second ship be finished?" Grauffis laughed bitterly. "Building the Enterprise took everything we had. The duchy's on the edge of bankruptcy now. We stopped work on the second ship six months ago because we didn't have enough money to keep on with her and still get the Enterprise finished.
The King was simply the first nobleman of the planet. Even kings like Rodolf of Excalibur or Napolyon of Flamberge didn't try to be anything more. Thereafter, he addressed his greetings and reports to the Prime Minister, always with a personal message, to which Grauffis replied in kind. Not only the form but also the content of the messages from Gram underwent change.
But till you can command your own ship, I'll command her for you. That's a promise." Some note of ceremony seemed indicated. Summoning a robot, he had it pour wine for them, and they pledged each other. Rovard Grauffis had recovered his aplomb by the time he returned accompanied by the Duke. If Angus had ever lost his, he gave no indication of it.
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