“Aye,” said I right earnestly, and immediately turned my thoughts to my new ambition.  And yet the thing Maka had just told me kept coming back to my mind, and so it does to this very day.  I know not why I should mention it at all save that each time I think upon Maka, I also think upon the lightning, whether I will or no.

I slept not at all that night, but sat [Footnote:  It seems to have been the custom among the soldiers never to lie down, but to take their sleep sitting or standing; a habit not hard to form where the gravitation was so slight.  No doubt this also explains their stunted legs.] till the dawn came, thinking out a plan of action.  By that time I was fair convinced that there was naught to be gained by waiting; waiting makes me impatient as well.  I determined to act at once; and since one day is quite as good as the next, I decided that this day was to see the thing begun.

I came before the emperor at noon and received my decorations.  Within the hour I had made myself known to the four and ninety men who were to be my command; a picked company, all of a height and weight, with bodies that lacked little of my own perfection.  Never was there a finer guard about the palace.

My first care was to pick a quarrel with the outgoing commander.  Twere easy enough; he was green with envy, anyhow.  And so it came about that we met about mid afternoon, with seconds, in a well-frequented field in the outskirts.

Before supper was eaten my entire troop knew that their new captain had tossed his ball-slinger away without using it, had taken twenty balls from their former commander’s weapon, and while thus wounded had charged the man and despatched him with bare hands!  Needless to say, this exploit quite won their hearts; none but a blind man could have missed the respect they showed me when, all bandaged and sore, I lined them up next morning.  Afterward I learned that they had all taken a pledge to “follow Strokor through the gates of Hofe itself!”

’Twere but a week later that, fully recovered and in perfect fettle, I called my men together one morn as the sun rose.  By that time I had given them a sample of my brains through ordering a rearrangement of their quarters such as made the same much more comfortable.  Also, I had dealt with one slight infraction of the rules in such a drastic fashion that they knew I would brook no trifling.  All told, ’tis hard to say whether they thought the most of me or of Jon.

“Men,” said I, as bluntly as I knew, “the emperor is an old man.  And, as ye know, he is disposed to be lenient toward the men of Klow; whereas, ye and I well know that the louts are blackguards.

“Now, I will tell ye more.  It has come to me lately that Klow is plotting to attack us with strange weapons.”  I thought best, considering their ignorance, not to give them my own reasons.  “Of course I have told the emperor of it; yet he will not act.  He says to wait till we are attacked.”