"I don't doubt that. What particular difficulty are you refusing to turn your back upon at the present moment?"
"The difficulty, Hardin, of persuading the Foundation to co-operate. Your policy of peace, you see, has led you into making several very serious mistakes, simply because you underestimated the boldness of your adversary. Not everyone is as afraid of direct action as you are."
"For instance?" suggested Hardin.
"For instance, you came to Anacreon alone and accompanied me to my chambers alone."
Hardin looked about him. "And what is wrong with that?"
"Nothing," said the regent, "except that outside this room are five police guards, well armed and ready to shoot. I don't think you can leave, Hardin."
The mayor's eyebrows lifted, "I have no immediate desire to leave. Do you then fear me so much?"
"I don't fear you at all. But this may serve to impress you with my determination. Shall we call it a gesture?"
"Call it what you please," said Hardin, indifferently. "I shall not discommode myself over the incident, whatever you choose to call it."
"I'm sure that attitude will change with time. But you have made another error, Hardin, a more serious one. It seems that the planet Terminus is almost wholly undefended."
"Naturally. What have we to fear? We threaten no one's interest and serve all alike."
"And while remaining helpless," Wienis went on, "you kindly helped us to arm ourselves, aiding us particularly in the development of a navy of our own, a great navy. In fact, a navy which, since your donation of the Imperial cruiser, is quite irresistible."
"Your highness, you are wasting time." Hardin made as if to rise from his seat. "If you mean to declare war, and are informing me of the fact, you will allow me to communicate with my government at once."
"Sit down, Hardin. I am not declaring war, and you are not communicating with your government at all. When the war is fought not declared, Hardin, fought the Foundation will be informed of it in due time by the nuclear blasts of the Anacreonian navy under the lead of my own son upon the flagship, Wienis, once a cruiser of the Imperial navy."
Hardin frowned. "When will all this happen?"
"If you're really interested, the ships of the fleet left Anacreon exactly fifty minutes ago, at eleven, and the first shot will be fired as soon as they sight Terminus, which should be at noon tomorrow. You may consider yourself a prisoner of war."
"That's exactly what I do consider myself, your highness," said Hardin, still frowning. "But I'm disappointed."
Wienis chuckled contemptuously. "Is that all?"
"Yes. I had thought that the moment of coronation midnight, you know would be the logical time to set the fleet in motion. Evidently, you wanted to start the war while you were still regent. It would have been more dramatic the other way."
The regent stared. "What in Space are you talking about?"
"Don't you understand?" said Hardin, softly. "I had set my counterstroke for midnight."
Wienis started from his chair. "You are not bluffing me. There is no counterstroke. If you are counting on the support of the other kingdoms, forget it. Their navies, combined, are no match for ours."
"I know that. I don't intend firing a shot. It is simply that the word went out a week ago that at midnight tonight, the planet Anacreon goes under the interdict."
"The interdict?"
"Yes. If you don't understand, I might explain that every priest in Anacreon is going on strike, unless I countermand the order. But I can't while I'm being held incommunicado; nor do I wish to even if I weren't!" He leaned forward and added, with sudden animation, "Do you realize, your highness, that an attack on the Foundation is nothing short of sacrilege of the highest order?"
Wienis was groping visibly for self-control. "Give me none of that, Hardin. Save it for the mob."
"My dear Wienis, whoever do you think I am saving it for? I imagine that for the last half hour every temple on Anacreon has been the center of a mob listening to a priest exhorting them upon that very subject. There's not a man or woman on Anacreon that doesn't know that their government has launched a vicious, unprovoked attack upon the center of their religion. But it lacks only four minutes of midnight now. You'd better go down to the ballroom to watch events. I'll be safe here with five guards outside the door." He leaned back in his chair, helped himself to another glass of Locris wine, and gazed at the ceiling with perfect indifference.
Wienis suddenly furious, rushed out of the room.
A hush had fallen over the elite in the ballroom, as a broad path was cleared for the throne. Lepold sat on it now, hands solidly on its arms, head high, face frozen. The huge chandeliers had dimmed and in the diffused multi-colored light from the tiny nucleo-bulbs that bespangled the vaulted ceiling, the royal aura shone out bravely, lifting high above his head to form a blazing coronet.
Wienis paused on the stairway. No one saw him; all eyes were on the throne. He clenched his fists and remained where he was; Hardin would not bluff him into action.
And then the throne stiffed. Noiselessly, it lifted upward and drifted. Off the dais, slowly down the steps, and then horizontally, five centimetres off the floor, it worked itself toward the huge, open window.
At the sound of the deep-toned bell that signified midnight, it stopped before the window and the king's aura died.
For a frozen split second, the king did not move, face twisted in surprise, without an aura, merely human; and then the throne wobbled and dropped to the floor with a crashing thump, just as every light in the palace went out.