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"Moreover, h old inhonour, a young nation as to our place ay of a young nationThe Empire of theAir is not yet wonWhy should not we make a bid for it?As ourmountains are lofty, so shall we have initial power of attack or defenceWe can have, in chosen spots ast the clouds, depots of waraeroplanes, hich we can descend and smite our enemies quickly onland or seaWe shall hope to live for Peace; but woe to those who driveus to War!"

There is no doubt that the Vissarions are a warlike raceAs I spoke,Teuta took one of , rose and stood beside -men of the land and the sea stood up and saluted

This was the beginning of what ultimately became "The National Committeeof Defence and Development"

I had other, and perhaps greater, plans for the future in my mind; butthe time had not come for their utterance

To me it seems not only advisable, but necessary, that the utroup, at all events for thepresentThere seems to be some new uneasiness in the Blue MountainsThere are constantof the Council, as such, since the last one at which I waspresentThere is constant coroups, seTeuta and I, who have been about verymuch on the aeroplane, have both noticed itBut somehoe--that is,the Voivode and ; but we have not saidas yet a word on the subject to any of the othersThe Voivode notices,but he says nothing; so I am silent, and Teuta does whatever I askSirColin does not notice anything except the work he is engaged on--theplanning the defences of the Blue MouthHis old scientific training asan engineer, and his enores--for he wasfor nearly fifty years sent as m

ilitary representative to all the greatwars--seem to have beco it all out in a wonderful wayHe consults Rooke alh Admiral has been awatcher all his life, and very few ireatly to the wisdom of the defensiveconstructionHe notices, I think, that so on outsideourselves; but he keeps a resolute silence

What the uessIt is not like theuneasiness that went before the abduction of Teuta and the Voivode, butit is even more pronouncedThat was an uneasiness founded on so, and has definite --of soood tio on with our workHappily the whole Blue Mouth and themountains round it are on er, exclusive of the Vissarion estateI asked the Voivodeto allow me to transfer it to him, but he sternly refused and forbade ain"You havedone enough already," he said"Were I to allow you to go further, Ishould feel meanAnd I do not think you would like your wife's fatherto suffer that feeling after a long life, which he has tried to live inhonour"

I bowed, and said no moreSo there the matter rests, and I have to takemy own courseI have had a survey un

BOOK VIII: THE FLASHING OF THE HANDJAR

PRIVATE MEMORANDUM OF THE MEETING OF VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE NATIONALCOUNCIL, HELD AT THE STATE HOUSE OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AT PLAZAC ONMONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1907

(_Written by Cristoferos_, _Scribe of the Council_, _by instruction ofthose present_)

When the privateof various Members of the National Council hadassembled in the Council Hall of the State House at Plazac, it was as apreliminary decided unanimously that now or hereafter no names of thosepresent were to be mentioned, and that officials appointed for thepurposes of this nated by office only, the na withheld

The proceedings assueneral conversation, quiteinformal, and therefore not to be recordedThe nett outcome was theunani contehout the nation, had now come when theConstitution and ed; that thepresent forular Council was not sufficient, andthat a method more in accord with the spirit of the times should beadoptedTo this end Constitutional Monarchy, such as that holding inGreat Britain, seemed best adaptedFinally, it was decided that eachMember of the Council should make a personal canvass of his district,talk over the --or, rather, as it was a postponed for aweek, until Septe, the individual to be appointed King, in case the new ideashould prove grateful to the nation, was discussedThe consensus ofopinion was entirely to the effect that the Voivode Peter Vissarionshould, if he would accept the high office, be appointedIt was urgedthat, as his daughter, the Voivodin Teuta, was now enerally by the mountaineers "theGospodar Rupert"--a successor to follow the Voivode when God should callhim would be at hand--a successor worthy in every way to succeed to soillustrious a postIt was urged by several speakers, with generalacquiescence, that already Mr Sent Leger's services to the State weresuch that he would be in hiin the newDynasty; but that, as he was now allied to the Voivode Peter Vissarion,it was beco that the elder, born of the nation, should receive thefirst honour

THE SAME--_Continued_

The adjournedof certain members of the National Council wasresumed in the Hall of the State House at Plazac on Monday, September2nd, 1907Bythe record renewed