lichten managed to get him on the screen, after awhile.

"It looks as though Yoorkerk's trying to play both sides at once," he
told the Grank Resident. "If the rebellion's put down, he'll come
forward as your friend and protector; if we're wiped out elsewhere,
he'll yell '_Znidd suddabit!_' and swamp you. Don't antagonize him; we
can't afford to fight this war on any more fronts than we are now.
We'll try to do something to get you unfrozen, before long."

He called Krink again. A girl with red-gold hair and a dusting of
freckles across her nose answered.

"How are you making out?" he asked.

"So far, fine, general. We're in complete control of the Company area,
and all our native-troops, not just the Kragans, are with us.
Jonkvank's pushed the mutineers out of his palace, and we're keeping
open a couple of streets between there and here. We airlifted all our
Kragans and half the Sixth N.U.N.I. to the Palace, and we have the
Zirks patrolling the streets on 'saur-back. Now, we have our lorries
and troop-carriers out picking up elements of Jonkvank's loyal troops
outside town."

"Who's doing the rioting, then?"

She named three of Jonkvank's regiments. "And the city hoodlums, and
priests from the temples of one sect that followed Rakkeed, and the
whole passel of Skilkan fifth columnists."

"How long do you think it'd take, with the equipment you have, to
airlift all of Jonkvank's loyal troops into the city?"

"Not before this time tomorrow."

"All right. Are you in radio communication with Jonkvank now?"

"Full telecast, audio-visual," the girl replied. "Just a minute,
general."

* * * * *

He put in his geek-speaker. Within a few minutes, a saurian Ullran
face was looking out of it at him; a harsh-lined, elderly, face, with
an old scar, quartz-crusted, along one side.

"Your Majesty," von Schlichten greeted him.

Jonkvank pronounced something intended to correspond to von
Schlichten's name. "We have image-met under sad circumstances,
general," he said.

"Sad for both of us, King Jonkvank; we must help one another. I am
told that your soldiers in Krink have risen against you, and that your
loyal troops are far from the city."

"Yes. That was the work of my War Minister, Hurkkirk, who was in the
pay of King Firkked of Skilk, may Jeels devour him alive! I have
Hurkkirk's head here somewhere. I can have it found, if you want to
see it."

"Dead-traitors' heads do not inter