The matter to be set out being not very much, this meeting very soon came to an end.
Upon the spot no demon whatever declared himself outright; for this business is exceedingly important, and they would not come to a determination in a little while.
They must go back and discuss it.
"Do you think they will be willing?" Lilith, following at Zhao Chen's side, inquired.
Zhao Chen called to mind the several burning looks he had seen when he spoke out those benefits; he said with a smile, "They will. At the outset there may be a few only.
"But as the case those few stir up spreads, more and more will join hereafter.
"For if it truly succeeds.
"These men may restore their own clans' glory of former days, and may themselves become lords holding a star system, or several star systems.
"And within this branch of the demon race-line there are no few like Chitong, who cannot rest content in the common way; they want only a chance.
"And now I am setting that chance before them.
"And with their being of themselves high men of the demon race-line — for though they have been some tens of years away from the Demon Race's homeland, they have their own connections there still.
"Let us but furnish them resources of every kind, and with this mess the Demon King has now made besides, their rate of success will be very great."
Lilith seemed already to see that scene: the Demon King leading his host in fierce battle at the front, and never knowing that his own back courtyard was afire.
"Then will you truly hand those star systems over to those people?" Lilith asked with some misgiving.
Zhao Chen said with a light smile, "I am a man who keeps his word; since they are willing to sell me their lives, I shall naturally make good what I have promised.
"But understand this: they will have become lords of those star systems by leaning upon our Owl Dragon, and in those star systems most of them have no native power. Lose our upholding, and do you think these so-called lords could govern a star system?
"And when the time comes and we set out certain rules and frames — will these demon lords refuse?"
Lilith's eyes lit. "By then they will likely wish for nothing better than to be bound fast to the Owl Dragon!
"The fox borrowing the tiger's dread!"
Zhao Chen smiled and said nothing.
This is his plan, and it may kill several birds with one stone besides.
Not only can it check the Demon King's assault upon the front-line field, it can digest those demon territories besides without ghost or god knowing of it; and when hereafter the Demon Race under the Demon King is beaten.
Those demon territories must be properly disposed of as well.
And by that time these demon territories will pass, as a thing following its own course, into the Owl Dragon's map.
Zhao Chen looks far.
"As to the funding to be furnished these people, do not be pinching and scraping over it; though no few of them will fail, yet once one succeeds the gain will be vast," Zhao Chen reminded Lilith.
As for that funding by stages, it must of course be reckoned and worked out by Lilith, that housekeeper of his.
"Understood," Lilith answered.
Zhao Chen gave a yawn. "When the first body of those willing to carry out this plan of ours appears, bring them to see me.
"The bearing we ought to show, we must show for all that."
Zhao Chen smiled a little.
……
At this moment, for this meeting of Zhao Chen's, the high men of Chitong's branch of the demon race-line were quarreling in utter confusion.
"It will not do! I do not agree to our taking part in it.[1]
"Our race-line fled out for the very sake of keeping the clan whole; and to go back now and meddle in it — is that not to run clean counter to our first purpose!" a demon elder said.
"Flee? Where in the end can we flee to?
"And besides, look what life we have lived these tens of years upon that planet.
"Our clan was once so glorious, and upon that planet we live with not enough food to fill the belly.
"Had Chitong not joined the Owl Dragon and changed the case we live in.
"A few generations more and this branch of ours might have turned into primitives!
"This is a rare chance for us; let us but grasp it, and our race-line may show forth again the glory of the past!"
"But be careless in the least degree and it may bring us a calamity to sink us utterly!"
"A calamity to sink us utterly?
"Have you not seen what the Demon King is now? At that rate, if he be truly let to win, his host will sweep over the whole universe.
"Do you think that when they find us it will not be a calamity to sink us utterly?
"Or would you rather go on leading our kinsfolk to wander!"
"But… can we truly trust this Owl Dragon's lord?"
"Trust goes both ways. Chitong is a legion commander within the Owl Dragon now, and has even got us Owl Dragon household standing and a habitable planet.
"You have never left our planet; out in the world now, I have only to bring out an Owl Dragon household paper and men look at us with other eyes!
"To serve the Owl Dragon's lord — there is no question of it whatever!"
"I… I hold that we ought to discuss it further."
At this time a young man took out a dagger outright and cut open his own palm, and the blood ran out.
He drew swiftly several times upon the table-top, and very soon a device appeared.
Seeing that device, every one of them fell silent.
It was two daggers crossed, and within the four gaps of the crossing, four horns.
"Do you remember when it was that our blazon last went abroad among the stars!" the young man demanded of them all.
Just so — this is the crest of this branch of the demon race-line.
"We fled our homeland because we could not agree with the Demon King's ideas then, and because our military strength could not resist.
"And so at the last we chose to go far away to a strange country.
"Now we have a chance — why should we not resist!
"I care not how you choose; I am going back!
"I am going back to take again everything of our house, I am going back to my homeland, and I will make this clan-crest shine once more!" Having said it, the young man walked straight out of the room.
Within the room there was silence a while, and then it fell to quarreling again.
But now and again someone would walk out of the room for all that.
Chitong's father sighed, and he too walked out of the room.
Outside the room Chitong stood waiting not far off.
Chitong's father came over; he looked at his own daughter before him, in Owl Dragon uniform, gallant and full of spirit, with nothing left of the rebellious girl who had run from home and become an interstellar pirate.
"Chitong… what… what do you make of this business the Owl Dragon's lord spoke of?" Chitong's father inquired, his look complicated.
Chitong looked at her own father, and said slowly, "Because my standing now is commander of the Owl Dragon Second Legion, I have said not one word until this moment.
"Now I speak as your daughter.
"This is perhaps the last chance our house will have to rise.
"Though of course I respect your choice.
"With me in the Owl Dragon, our house may at the least live here with dignity."
Chitong gave no advice outright, but her father's eyes grew clear.