The Mad King

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

  V

  THE TRAITOR KING

  In his castle at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nervously back andforth between his great desk and the window that overlooked theroyal gardens. Upon the opposite side of the desk stood an oldman--a tall, straight, old man with the bearing of a soldier and thehead of a lion. His keen, gray eyes were upon the king, and sorrowwas written upon his face. He was Ludwig von der Tann, chancellor ofthe kingdom of Lutha.

  At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man, though hecould not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he would. It washis inability to do so, possibly, that added to his anger. Weakhimself, he feared this strong man and envied him his strength,which, in a weak nature, is but a step from hatred. There evidentlyhad been a long pause in their conversation, yet the king's nextwords took up the thread of their argument where it had broken.

  "You speak as though I had no right to do it," he snapped. "Onemight think that you were the king from the manner with which youupbraid and reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that Ishall stand it no longer."

  The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its polishedsurface with his fist. The physical act of violence imparted to hima certain substitute for the moral courage which he lacked.

  "I will tell you, sir, that I am king. It was not necessary that Iconsult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and hisassociates. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I amconvinced that they have been taught a sufficient lesson and thathereafter they will be my most loyal subjects."

  He hesitated. "Their presence here," he added, "may prove anantidote to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it uponthemselves to rule Lutha for me."

  There was no mistaking the king's meaning, but Prince Ludwig did notshow by any change of expression that the shot had struck him in avulnerable spot; nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore theinsinuation. There was only sorrow in his voice when he replied.

  "Sire," he said, "for some time I have been aware of the activity ofthose who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned to favor withyour majesty. I have warned you, only to see that my motives werealways misconstrued. There is a greater power at work, your majesty,than any of us--greater than Lutha itself. One that will stop atnothing in order to gain its ends. It cares naught for Peter ofBlentz, naught for me, naught for you. It cares only for Lutha. Forstrategic purposes it must have Lutha. It will trample you underfoot to gain its end, and then it will cast Peter of Blentz aside.You have insinuated, sire, that I am ambitious. I am. I am ambitiousto maintain the integrity and freedom of Lutha.

  "For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and foughtfor the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put the firstRubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha. To the last they were loyalto the former dynasty while that dynasty was loyal to Lutha. Onlywhen the king attempted to sell the freedom of his people to apowerful neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise against him.

  "Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house ofRubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within theirbreasts to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha." Hepaused for an instant before concluding. "And I, sire, am a Von derTann."

  There could be no mistaking the old man's meaning. So long asLeopold was loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von derTann would be loyal to Leopold. The king was cowed. He was very muchafraid of this grim old warrior. He chafed beneath his censure.

  "You are always scolding me," he cried irritably. "I am gettingtired of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that loyalty? Doyou call it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter to keep herplighted troth? If you wish to prove your loyalty command thePrincess Emma to fulfil the promise you made my father--command herto wed me at once."

  Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes.

  "I cannot do that," he said. "She has told me that she will killherself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have left,sire. What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her if youcould not gain her by the act? Win her confidence and love, sire. Itmay be done. Thus only may happiness result to you and to her."

  "You see," exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts to! Ibelieve that you are saving her for the impostor--I have heard asmuch hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladlyconnive with the fellow if she thought there was a chance of hisseizing the throne."

  Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indignation andanger got the better of him. He took a step toward the king.

  "Stop!" he commanded. "No man, not even my king, may speak suchwords to a Von der Tann."

  In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the door thatled into the apartment where the king and his chancellor quarreled.He had been straining his ears to catch the conversation which hecould hear rising and falling in the adjoining chamber, but till nowhe had been unsuccessful. Then came Prince Ludwig's last wordsbooming loudly through the paneled door, and the man smiled. He wasCount Zellerndorf, the Austrian minister to Lutha.

  The king's outraged majesty goaded him to an angry retort.

  "You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann," he cried. "Leave ourpresence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send foryou."

  As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf roseand greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann returned hissalutations with courtesy but with no answering warmth. Then hepassed on out of the palace.

  "The old fox must have heard," he mused as he mounted his horse andturned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest.

  When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold ofLutha he found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed hisrestless pacing between desk and window, and as the Austrian enteredhe scarce paused to receive his salutation. Count Zellerndorf was afrequent visitor at the palace. There were few formalities betweenthis astute diplomat and the young king; those had passed graduallyaway as their acquaintance and friendship ripened.

  "Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through theantechamber," ventured Zellerndorf. "Evidently your majesty foundcause to rebuke him."

  The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. "The Prince vonder Tann insinuated that Austria's only wish in connection withLutha is to seize her," he said.

  Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.

  "Your majesty!" he exclaimed. "It cannot be that the prince hasgone to such lengths to turn you against your best friend, myemperor. If he has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions. Ihave hesitated to speak to you of this matter, your majesty, but nowthat the honor of my own ruler is questioned I must defend him.

  "Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound you. I wellknow the confidence which the house of Von der Tann has enjoyed forcenturies in Lutha; but I must brave your wrath in the interest ofright. I must tell you that it is common gossip in Vienna that Vonder Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha either for himself or forhis daughter through the American impostor who once sat upon yourthrone for a few days. And let me tell you more.

  "The American will never again menace you--he was arrested inBurgova as a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von derTann's ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon thestrain of the Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of theAmerican from his royal mother, the runaway Princess Victoria, therewill remain to him only the other alternative of seizing the thronefor himself. He is a very ambitious man, your majesty. Already hehas caused it to become current gossip that he is the real powerbehind the throne of Lutha--that your majesty is but a figure-head,the puppet of Von der Tann."

  Zellerndorf paused. He saw the flush of shame and anger thatsuffused the king's face, and then he shot the bolt that he had cometo fire, but which he had not dared to hope would find its target sodenuded of defense.

  "Your majesty," he whispered, coming quite close to the king, "allLutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von
der Tann. Onlya few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the sake of yourprestige you must take some step to counteract this belief and stampit out for good and all. I have planned a way--hear it.

  "Von der Tann's hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known. No man inLutha believes that he would permit you to have any intercourse withPeter. I have brought from Blentz an invitation to your majesty tohonor the Blentz prince with your presence as a guest for theensuing week. Accept it, your majesty.

  "Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical thatyou are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, maynot dare to dictate to you. It will be the most splendid stroke ofstatesmanship that you could achieve at the present moment."

  For an instant the king stood in thought. He still feared Peter ofBlentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water, though forconverse reasons. Yet he was very angry with Von der Tann. It wouldindeed be an excellent way to teach the presumptuous chancellor hisplace.

  Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which PrinceLudwig would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz as theguest of Peter. It was the last impetus that was required by hisweak, vindictive nature to press it to a decision.

  "Very well," he said, "I will go tomorrow."

  It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann received inhis castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had crossedthe Luthanian frontier--the neutrality of Lutha had been violated.The old chancellor set out immediately for Lustadt. At the palace hesought an interview with the king only to learn that Leopold haddeparted earlier in the day to visit Peter of Blentz.

  There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king toBlentz. Some action must be taken immediately--it would never do tolet this breach of treaty pass unnoticed.

  The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of theinvasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hourafter his arrival at the palace. It was clear to both these men thatthe hand of Zellerndorf was plainly in evidence in both theimportant moves that had occurred in Lutha within the pasttwenty-four hours--the luring of the king to Blentz and the entranceof Austrian soldiery into Lutha.

  Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann rodetoward Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long pastmidnight when the lights of the town appeared directly ahead of thelittle party. They rode at a trot along the road which passesthrough the village to wind upward again toward the ancient feudalcastle that looks down from its hilltop upon the town.

  At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by achallenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismaylessened when he discovered that the man was an Austrian.

  "What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily. "What are Austriansoldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the chancellor ofLutha?"

  The sentry called an officer. The latter was extremely suave. Heregretted the incident, but his orders were most positive--no onecould be permitted to pass through the lines without an order fromthe general commanding. He would go at once to the general and seeif he could procure the necessary order. Would the prince be so goodas to await his return? Von der Tann turned on the young officer,his face purpling with rage.

  "I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha," he said, "uponthe order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my onlyregret is that I have not with me tonight the necessary force topass through his lines to my king--another time I shall not be sohandicapped," and Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount andspurred away in the direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremelyangry and revengeful staff.