Some scowled, others uttered deep-throated
oaths. Bombito did both. Before supper, to which they presently sat
down, was over, however, Roland knew a good deal about Paranoya and its
history. The conversation conducted by Maraquita--to a ceaseless _bouche
pleine_ accompaniment from her friends--bore exclusively upon the
subject.
Paranoya had, it appeared, existed fairly peacefully for centuries
under the rule of the Alejandro dynasty. Then, in the reign of
Alejandro the Thirteenth, disaffection had begun to spread, culminating
in the Infamy of 1905, which, Roland had at last discovered, was
nothing less than the abolition of the monarchy and the installation of
a republic.
Since 1905 the one thing for which they had lived, besides the
caoutchouc, was to see the monarchy restored and their beloved
Alejandro the Thirteenth back on his throne. Their efforts toward this
end had been untiring, and were at last showing signs of bearing fruit.
Paranoya, Maraquita assured Roland, was honeycombed with intrigue. The
army was disaffected, the people anxious for a return to the old order
of things.
A more propitious moment for striking the decisive blow was never
likely to arrive.
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