ased. They'll go to Mekin,
and we _couldn't_ go there!"

Bors groaned again. Then he said savagely, "Wait here for me. I'll
arrange something as soon as I've seen the king."

He strode down the corridor to King Humphrey's cabin. A sentry came to
attention. Bors passed through a door. The king and half a dozen of the
top-ranking officers of the fleet were listening apathetically to
Morgan, at once vexed and positive and uncertain.

"But you can't ignore it!" protested Morgan. "I don't understand it
either, but you'll agree that since my precognizer said no ship but
Bors's is coming here--and he precognized every one of the prizes before
they arrived--you'll concede that the Mekinese aren't coming here. So
you're going out to meet them."

He saw Bors, and breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Bors!" he said in a changed tone. "I'm glad you're back!"

Bors said grimly, "Majesty, I've very bad news."

King Humphrey shrugged. He spoke in a listless voice.

"I doubt it differs from ours. You captured a passenger-liner off Mekin,
you will remember. You sent it here. When it arrived we found that all
its passengers knew that Kandar was not occupied and that the fleet sent
to capture it had not reported back."

"My news is worse," said Bors. "The continued existence of our fleet,
and the fact that it defeated a Mekinese force, is common knowledge on
at least five planets--all of them now in revolt against Mekin."

The king's expression had reached the limit of reaction to disaster. It
did not change. He looked almost apathetic.

"Mekin," he said dully, "sent a second squadron to Kandar to investigate
the rumors of defeat. We have a very tiny force there--three ships. Of
course our ships won't attack the Mekinese, but they might as well.
Knowing that we destroyed their first fleet and that we still live,
Mekin will assuredly retaliate."

"And not only on Kandar," said Bors. "On Tralee and Garen and Cassis and
Meriden--"

Morgan interrupted.

"Majesty! All this is more reason to listen to me! I've been telling you
that all my Talents agree--"

King Humphrey interrupted tonelessly, "We've made our final
arrangements, Bors. We are going to release the cargo-ships and the
passenger-ship you sent us. We will use them as messengers. We are
going to send a message of surrender, to Mekin."

Bors swallowed. His most dismal forebodings had produced nothing more
hopeless than this moment.

"Majesty--"

"We have to sa