" Trask asked, when he returned to report.

"Just about the way you would have. Viktor said his people were
Space Vikings, not Gilgameshers. I told him we weren't Gilgameshers,
either, as he'd find out on Xochitl the next time one of his ships
raided one of our planets. Are you going to back me up? Of course,
you can always send Prince Viktor my head, and an apology--"

"If I have to send him anything, I'll send him a sky full of ships
and a planet full of hellburners. You did perfectly right, Otto;
exactly what I'd have done in your place."

There the matter rested. There were no more raids by Xochitl ships
on any of their trade-planets. No mention of the incident was made
in any of the reports sent back to Gram. The Gram situation was
deteriorating rapidly enough. Finally, there was an audiovisual
message from Angus himself; he was seated on his throne, wearing
his crown, and he began speaking from the screen abruptly:

"We, Angus, King of Gram and Tanith, are highly displeased with our
subject, Lucas, Prince and Viceroy of Tanith; we consider ourselves
very badly served by Prince Trask. We therefore command him to return
to Gram, and render to us account of his administration of our colony
and realm of Tanith."

After some hasty preparations, Trask recorded a reply. He was sitting
on a throne, himself, and he wore a crown just as ornate as King Angus',
and robes of white and black Imhotep furs.

"We, Lucas, Prince of Tanith," he began, "are quite willing to
acknowledge the suzerainty of the King of Gram, formerly Duke of
Wardshaven. It is our earnest desire, if possible, to remain at
peace and friendship with the King of Gram, and to carry on trade
relations with him and with his subjects.

"We must, however, reject absolutely any efforts on his part to
dictate the internal policies of our realm of Tanith. It is our
earnest hope,"--dammit, he'd said "earnest," he should have thought
of some other word--"that no act on the part of his Majesty the King
of Gram will create any breach in the friendship existing between
his realm and ours."

* * * * *

Three months later, the next ship, which had left Gram while King
Angus' summons was still in hyperspace, brought Baron Rathmore.
Shaking hands with him as he left the landing craft, Trask wanted to
know if he'd been sent out as the new Viceroy. Rathmore started to
laugh and ended by cursing vilely.

"No. I've come out to offer my