'I admit, sir,' he said to a receding back, 'that
there has to be some sort of hegemony, some sort of Amphictyonic
council----'
'There's got to be one simple government for all the world,' said the
king over his shoulder.
'But as for a reckless, unqualified abandonment, sir----'
'BANG!' cried the king.
Firmin made no answer to this interruption. But a faint shadow of
annoyance passed across his heated features.
'Yesterday,' said the king, by way of explanation, 'the Japanese very
nearly got San Francisco.'
'I hadn't heard, sir.'
'The Americans ran the Japanese aeroplane down into the sea and there
the bomb got busted.'
'Under the sea, sir?'
'Yes. Submarine volcano. The steam is in sight of the Californian coast.
It was as near as that. And with things like this happening, you want
me to go up this hill and haggle. Consider the effect of that upon my
imperial cousin--and all the others!'
'HE will haggle, sir.'
'Not a bit of it,' said the king.
'But, sir.'
'Leblanc won't let him.'
Firmin halted abruptly and gave a vicious pull at the offending strap.
'Sir, he will listen to his advisers,' he said, in a tone that in
some subtle way seemed to implicate his master with the trouble of the
knapsack.
The king considered him.
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