ese. The aggressors had a
nasty habit of imposing special humiliations upon citizens who'd been
prominent before they were conquered.

He went unannounced into King Humphrey's study, where the monarch
conferred dispiritedly with Captain Bors's uncle, the exiled Pretender
of Tralee, who listened with interest. The king was talking doggedly to
his old friend.

"No. You're mistaken. You'll have my written order to distribute the
bullion in the Treasury to all the cities, to be shared as evenly as
possible by all the people. The Mekinese can't blame you for obeying an
order of your lawful king before they unlawfully seize the kingdom!"

Captain Bors said curtly, "Majesty, the first of the four liners is in.
Two more will arrive tomorrow and the last at sunrise the day after. The
Mekinese will be here two days later."

King Humphrey and Captain Bors's uncle stared at him.

"And," said Bors, "the same source of information says there's a
Mekinese cruiser waiting underwater off Cape Farnell to lob a fusion
bomb at the fleet as it's ready to lift."

King Humphrey said, "But nobody can possibly know that two liners will
come tomorrow! One hopes so, of course. But one can't know! As for a
cruiser, submerged, there's been no report of it."

"The information," said Captain Bors, "came from Talents, Incorporated.
It's sample information, given free. The first item has checked. He came
with a letter from a cabinet minister on Norden."

Bors handed it to the Pretender of Tralee.

"Mmmm," he said thoughtfully. "I've heard of this Talents, Incorporated.
And on Norden, too! Phillip of Norden mentioned it to me. A man named
Morgan had told him that Talents, Incorporated had secured information
that an atom bomb--a fission bomb as I remember, and quite small--had
been set to assassinate him as he laid a cornerstone. The information
turned out to be correct. Phillip of Norden and some thousands of his
subjects would have been killed. The assassins were really going to
extremes. As I remember, Morgan wouldn't accept money for the warning.
He _did_ accept a medal."

"I think," said Bors, "I think I shall investigate what he said about a
Mekinese ship in hiding. You've no objection, Majesty?"

King Humphrey the Eighth looked at the Pretender. One was remarkably
unlike the other. The King was short and stocky and resolute, as if to
overcome his own shortcomings. The pretender was lean and gray, with the
mild look of a man who has s