ind you that slavery is specifically prohibited
by the Imperial Constitution; if you do not abolish it immediately, the
Empire will be forced to intervene. I believe, toward the last of those
audio-visuals, you saw some examples of Imperial intervention."

They had. A few looked apprehensively at the ceiling, as though
expecting the hellburners and planet-busters and nega-matter-bombs at
any moment. Then one of the members among the benches rose.

"We don't know how we are going to do it, Prince Trevannion," he said.
"We will do it, since this is the Empire law, but you will have to tell
us how."

"Well, the first thing will have to be an Act of Convocation, outlawing
the ownership of one being by another. Set some definite date on which
the slaves must all be freed; that need not be too immediate. Then, I
would suggest that you set up some agency to handle all the details.
And, as soon as you have enacted the abolition of slavery, which should
be this afternoon, appoint a committee, say a dozen of you, to confer
with Count Erskyll and myself. Say you have your committee aboard the
_Empress Eulalie_ in six hours. We'll have transportation arranged by
then. And let me point out, I hope for the last time, that we discuss
matters directly, without intermediaries. We don't want any more slaves,
pardon, freedmen, coming aboard to talk for you, as happened yesterday."

* * * * *

Obray, Count Erskyll, was unhappy about it. He did not think that the
Lords-Master were to be trusted to abolish slavery; he said so, on the
launch, returning to the ship. Jurgen, Prince Trevannion was inclined to
agree. He doubted if any of the Lords-Master he had seen were to be
trusted, unassisted, to fix a broken mouse-trap.

Line-Commodore Vann Shatrak was also worried. He was wondering how long
it would take for Pyairr Ravney to make useful troops out of the
newly-surrendered slave soldiers, and where he was going to find
contragravity to shift them expeditiously from trouble-spot to
trouble-spot. Erskyll thought he was anticipating resistance on the part
of the Masters, and for once he approved the use of force. Ordinarily,
force was a Bad Thing, but this was a Good Cause, which justified any
means.

They entertained the committee from the Convocation for dinner, that
evening. They came aboard stiffly hostile--most understandably so, under
the circumstances--and Prince Trevannion exerted all his copious ch