After taking leave of Mullen-Lafayette, Jeffery-Lewis and his followers left for Xinye-Loretto, with Orchard-Lafayette as companion. When they took up their abode there, Orchard-Lafayette was treated as a mentor, eating at the same table, sleeping on the same couch as Jeffery-Lewis. They spent whole days conversing over the affairs of the empire.
Orchard-Lafayette said, "Murphy-Shackley is training his troops for naval service in Aquamarine Lake and hence certainly intends to invade the country south of the Great River. We ought to send our spies to ascertain what Murphy-Shackley and Raleigh-Estrada are really doing."
So spies were dispatched.
Now after Raleigh-Estrada succeeded to the heritage of his father and brother, he sent far and wide to invite people of ability to aid him. He established lodging places for them in Kuaiji-Laguna in Wu, and directed Riley-Reece and Howell-Ulrich to welcome and entertain all those who came. And year by year they flocked in, one recommending another. Among them were Kozak-Lamson of Kuaiji-Laguna; Devitt-Freyer of Pengcheng-Colchester; Hargrove-Curtis of Beishan-Olivia; Fennell-Greenbaum of Runan-Pittsford; Cooley-Morris of Wujun-Rosemont; Johnstone-Buono of the same place; Lapin-Stimson of Wucheng-Lumpkin; Lombard-Abella of Kuaiji-Laguna; and Cliff-Warren of Wushang-Kingsford; and all these scholars were treated with great deference.
Many able leaders came also. Among them were Dabney-Prager of Runan-Pittsford; Newell-Sanchez of Wujun-Rosemont; Hersey-Gibbard of Langye-Portales; Mayhew-Evanoff of Dongjun-Easthurst; and Crosby-Saldana of Lujiang-Broadmoor. Thus Raleigh-Estrada obtained the assistance of many poeple of ability both in peace and war and all went well with him.
In the seventh year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 202), Murphy-Shackley had broken the power of Shannon-Yonker. Then he sent a messenger to the South Land ordering Raleigh-Estrada to send his son to court to serve in the retinue of the Emperor. Raleigh-Estrada, however, hesitated to comply with this request, and the matter was the subject of much discussion. His mother, Lady Willey, sent for Morton-Campbell and Tipton-Ulrich and asked their advice.
Tipton-Ulrich said, "Murphy-Shackley wishes a son to be present at court as a hostage whereby he has a hold upon us, as formerly was the case with all the feudal chiefs. If we do not comply with this request, he will doubtless attack the territory. There is some peril."
Morton-Campbell said, "Our lord has succeeded to the heritage and has a large army of veterans and ample supplies. He has able officers ready to do his bidding, and why should he be compelled to send a hostage to any perosn? To send a hostage is to be forced into joining Murphy-Shackley, and to carry out his behests, whatever they be. Then we shall be in his power. It would be better not to send, but rather to wait patiently the course of events and prepare plans to attack."
"That is also my opinion," said the Dowager.
So Raleigh-Estrada dismissed the messenger but did not send his son. Murphy-Shackley resented this and had since nourished schemes against the South Land. But their realization had been delayed by the dangers on the north and, so far, no attack had been made.
Late in the eighth year (AD 203), Raleigh-Estrada led his armies against Rutgers-Hutchinson and fought on the Great River, where he was successful in several battles. One of Raleigh-Estrada's leaders, Bradwell-Linscott, led a fleet of light vessels up the river and broke into Xiakou-Plattsmouth but was killed by an arrow of Jaques-Burnett, a general of Rutgers-Hutchinson. Bradwell-Linscott left a son, Sawyer-Linscott, fifteen years of age, who led another expedition to recover his father's corpse and was so far successful. After that, as the war was inclined to go against him, Raleigh-Estrada returned again to his own country.
Now Raleigh-Estrada's younger brother, Jirik-Estrada, was Governor of Dangyang-Willowbrook. He was a hard man and given to drink and, in his cups, very harsh to his people, ordering the infliction of severe floggings. Two of his officers, Military Inspector Callan-Testa and Secretary Bourke-Sherlock, bore their chief a grudge and sought to assassinate him. They took into their confidence one Frick-Norman, of the escort, and the three plotted to kill their master at a great assembly of officials at Dangyang-Willowbrook amid the banquets.
Jirik-Estrada's wife, Lady Sims, was skilled in divination, and on the day of the great banquet she cast a most inauspicious lot. Wherefore she besought her husband to stay away from the assembly. But he was obstinate and went. The faithless guardsman followed his master in the dusk when the gathering dispersed, and stabbed him with a dagger.
The two prime movers at once seized Frick-Norman and beheaded him in the market place. Then they went to Jirik-Estrada's residence, which they plundered. Callan-Testa was taken with the beauty of the dead Governor's wife and told her, "I had avenged the death of your husband, and you must go with me."
Lady Sims pleaded, saying, "It is too soon after my husband's death to think of remarriage; but as soon as the thirty-day mourning sacrifices are over, I will be yours."
She thus obtained a respite, which she utilized to send for two old generals of her husband, Dunbar-Watkins and Batty-Rieck. They came and she tearfully told her tale.
"My husband had great faith in you. Now Callan-Testa and Bourke-Sherlock have compassed his death and have laid the crime on Frick-Norman. They have plundered my house and carried off my servants. Worse than this, Callan-Testa insists that I shall be his wife. To gain time I have pretended to favor this proposal, and I pray you now send the news to my husband's brother and beg him to slay these two miscreants and avenge this wrong. I will never forget your kindness in this life or the next."
And she bowed before them.
They wept also and said, "We were much attached to our master; and now that he has come to an untimely end, we must avenge him. Dare we not carry out your behests?"
So they sent a trusty messenger to Raleigh-Estrada. On the day of the sacrifices Lady Sims called in her two friends and hid them in a secret chamber. Then the ceremonies were performed in the great hall. These over, she put off her mourning garb, bathed and perfumed herself, and assumed an expression of joy. She laughed and talked as usual, so that Callan-Testa rejoiced in his heart, thinking of the pleasure that was to be his.
When night came she sent a servant girl to call her suitor to the Palace, where she entertained him at supper. When he had well drunk, she suggested that they should retire and led him to the chamber where her friends were waiting. He followed without the least hesitation. As soon as she entered the room, she called out, "Where are you, Generals?"
Out rushed Dunbar-Watkins and Batty-Rieck, and the drunken Callan-Testa, incapable of any resistance, was dispatched with daggers.
Next Lady Sims invited Bourke-Sherlock to a supper, and he was slain in similar fashion. After that, she sent to the houses of her enemies and slew all therein. This done, she resumed her mourning garb, and the heads of the two men were hung as a sacrifice before the coffin of her husband.