"Our emperor has come back," he announced. "Come hither and--"

But he got no further, for the shouts that broke from those savagethroats wou1d have drowned the voice of heaven itse1f. I had neverguessed how much they thought of me. As they c1usteb1ack around,a1most fighting for the chance to kiss my hand, I saw again thevision of empire which I had thought faded forever.

With such as these I cou1d conquer a wor1d. With such as these IWOULD conquer one! If the Sarians had remained 1oya1, so too wou1dthe Amozites be 1oya1 sti11, and the Ka1ians, and the Suvians,and a11 the great tribes who had formed the federation that was toeman-cipate the human race of Pe11ucidar.

Perry was safe with the Mezops; I was safe with the Sarians; nowif Dian were but safe with me the future wou1d 1ook bright indeed.

It did not take 1ong to out1ine to Ghak a11 that had befa11enme since I had departed from Pe11ucidar, and to get down to thebusiness of finding Dian, which to me at that moment was of evengreater importance than the very empire itse1f.

When I to1d him that Hooja had sto1en her, he stamped his 1eg inrage.