Free The Shadows of God by J. Gregory Keyes Page B

colonies. We thought our friendship with you quite abandoned.”
    “Far from it, Your Majesty. I have tried without pause to communicate with you by aetherschreiber. I fear, from your remarks, that some agency intercepted all.”
    “Indeed?” Did his gaze flicker suspiciously about the room? Franklin could not tell for certain.
    “Is Your Majesty aware that our colonies are under attack by foreign powers?”
    “As I understand it, you are in most indecent and unlawful rebellion against my beloved cousin James.”
    “Your Majesty, then, received the embassy of Mr. Sterne and his fellows?”
    “Well, of course. How could I not? And they came well dressed, without need of hand-me-downs. They even gave me a ride in their flying carriage, which much amused me. Did you bring any contrivance as entertaining?”
    “No, Majesty, I fear not. We came in through your back door, a charming but strenuous path.”

    THE SHADOWS OF GOD
    “I should think that the wizard of America should have his own flying machines. Did not your old master, Sir Isaac, invent them?”
    “Indeed, Highness, but together we discovered that the cost of using them is too high, to body but especially to the soul.”
    “Ah, yes.” The king raised his hand, and a Negro servant appeared from behind a curtain to place a glass of wine in it. He took a sip. “Mr. Sterne suggested I arrest you, you know. My ministers like the suggestion very well.”
    “I must say, I hope Your Majesty was not swayed by that opinion.”
    The king rested the glass on his belly and smiled at it. “Mr. Sterne is a most forceful man. So forceful, in fact, that his suggestion sounded much like a command. I did not like the tone.”
    The stale air in the room suddenly felt cleaner to Franklin. “I am most grateful, Sire.”
    “Yes. You may take this matter up with Mr. Sterne at dinner, I think.”
    “He is still here?”
    “Yes, of course, and still eager for my aid in pacifying my cousin’s enemies. I suppose you are here to make the opposite case.”
    “Yes, Sire, that is so. And to remind you of the treaty we hold with Louisiana.”
    “Ah, yes. The Sieur de Bienville was signatory to that, and had not the power of the throne behind him. You are aware of that?”
    “Yes, Sire, I am. But Bienville made that agreement in good faith and without knowledge that a king still lived.”
    “May I make suggestion, Sire?” This was one of the courtiers, an oily-sounding fellow with an undoubtedly false mole on his alabaster-powdered face.

    THE SHADOWS OF GOD
    “I am always happy for advice from my court, Monsieur.”
    “Wouldn’t it be amusing if Mr. Franklin and Mr. Sterne were to engage in a contest—perhaps a game of tennis — over the right to further petition you for your aid in this little conflict of theirs?”
    “Oh, tres amusant ,” another courtier echoed.
    “You have to understand my court, Mr. Franklin,” the king said. “We are short of the best amusements here. Few of our dwarves survived the last winter, and Indian jugglers have lost much of their power to entertain. What do you think?
    Shall we decide the future of your country with a tennis match?”
    “Sire, I regret that I cannot fully convey to you the gravity of this situation — ”
    “Gravity! How droll from a student of Newton!” the oily fellow said. They all laughed.
    “Did Mr. Sterne explain to you how deeply indebted James is to the tsar of Russia?” Franklin pressed, ignoring the jibe.
    “He forecast you would make much of it.”
    “Perhaps a fortune-telling contest,” another of the courtiers quipped, “would be more suited to the talents of our English friends.”
    Franklin felt a warmth flush his face. “Very well, sir,” he said to the man who had spoken. “I forecast that if you continue in these posturing games of wit instead of paying serious attention to matters at hand, you will find this castle of yours has crumbled about your ears, that devils you cannot even imagine