IntheRoyalPalaceBumpoandIhadabeautifulsuiteofroomsofourveryown—whichPolynesia,JipandChee-Cheesharedwithus. OfficiallyBumpowasMinisteroftheInterior;whileIwasFirstLordoftheTreasury.LongArrowalsohadquartersthere;butatpresenthewasabsent,travelingabroad. OnenightaftersupperwhentheDoctorwasawayinthetownsomewherevisitinganew-bornbaby,wewereallsittingroundthebigtableinBumpo'sreception-room. Thiswedideveryevening,totalkovertheplansforthefollowingdayandvariousaffairsofstate.ItwasakindofCabinetMeeting. To-nighthoweverweweretalkingaboutEngland—andalsoaboutthingstoeat. WehadgotalittletiredofIndianfood. Yousee,noneofthenativesknewhowtocook;andwehadthemostdiscouragingtimetrainingacheffortheRoyalKitchen. Mostofthemwerechampionsatspoilinggoodfood. OftenwegotsohungrythattheDoctorwouldsneakdownstairswithusintothepalacebasement,afterallthecooksweresafeinbed,andfrypancakessecretlyoverthedyingembersofthefire. TheDoctorhimselfwasthefinestcookthateverlived. Butheusedtomakeaterriblemessofthekitchen;andofcoursewehadtobeawfullycarefulthatwedidn'tgetcaught. Well,asIwassaying,to-nightfoodwasthesubjectofdiscussionattheCabinetMeeting;andIhadjustbeenremindingBumpoofthenicedisheswehadhadatthebed-maker'shouseinMonteverde. "ItellyouwhatIwouldlikenow,"saidBumpo:"alargecupofcocoawithwhippedcreamonthetopofit. InOxfordweusedtobeabletogetthemostwonderfulcocoa. Itisreallytoobadtheyhaven'tanycocoa-treesinthisisland,orcowstogivecream." "Whendoyousuppose,"askedJip,"theDoctorintendstomoveonfromhere?" "Iwastalkingtohimaboutthatonlyyesterday,"saidPolynesia."ButIcouldn'tgetanysatisfactoryansweroutofhim.Hedidn'tseemtowanttospeakaboutit." Therewasapauseintheconversation. "DoyouknowwhatIbelieve?"sheaddedpresently."IbelievetheDoctorhasgivenupeventhinkingofgoinghome." "GoodLord!"criedBumpo."Youdon'tsay!" "Sh!"saidPolynesia."What'sthatnoise?" Welistened;andawayoffinthedistantcorridorsofthepalaceweheardthesentriescrying, "TheKing!—Makeway!—TheKing!" "It'she—atlast,"whisperedPolynesia—"late,asusual.Poorman,howhedoeswork!—Chee-Chee,getthepipeandtobaccooutofthecupboardandlaythedressing-gownreadyonhischair." WhentheDoctorcameintotheroomhelookedseriousandthoughtful. Wearilyhetookoffhiscrownandhungitonapegbehindthedoor. Thenheexchangedtheroyalcloakforthedressing-gown,droppedintohischairattheheadofthetablewithadeepsighandstartedtofillhispipe. "Well,"askedPolynesiaquietly,"howdidyoufindthebaby?" "Thebaby?"hemurmured—histhoughtsstillseemedtobeveryfaraway—"Ahyes.Thebabywasmuchbetter,thankyou—Ithascutitssecondtooth." Thenhewassilentagain,staringdreamilyattheceilingthroughacloudoftobacco-smoke;whileweallsatroundquitestill,waiting. "Wewerewondering,Doctor,"saidIatlast,—"justbeforeyoucamein—whenyouwouldbestartinghomeagain.Wewillhavebeenonthisislandsevenmonthsto-morrow." TheDoctorsatforwardinhischairlookingratheruncomfortable. "Well,asamatteroffact,"saidheafteramoment,"Imeanttospeaktoyoumyselfthiseveningonthatverysubject. Butit's—er—alittlehardtomakeanyoneexactlyunderstandthesituation. IamafraidthatitwouldbeimpossibleformetoleavetheworkIamnowengagedon....Youremember,whentheyfirstinsistedonmakingmeking,Itoldyouitwasnoteasytoshakeoffresponsibilities,onceyouhadtakenthemup. Thesepeoplehavecometorelyonmeforagreatnumberofthings. Wefoundthemignorantofmuchthatwhitepeopleenjoy. Andwehave,onemightsay,changedthecurrentoftheirlivesconsiderably. Nowitisaveryticklishbusiness,tochangethelivesofotherpeople. Andwhetherthechangeswehavemadewillbe,intheend,forgoodorforbad,isourlookout." Hethoughtamoment—thenwentoninaquieter,saddervoice: "Iwouldliketocontinuemyvoyagesandmynaturalhistorywork;andIwouldliketogobacktoPuddleby—asmuchasanyofyou. ThisisMarch,andthecrocuseswillbeshowinginthelawn.... ButthatwhichIfearedhascometrue:IcannotclosemyeyestowhatmighthappenifIshouldleavethesepeopleandrunaway. Theywouldprobablygobacktotheiroldhabitsandcustoms:wars,superstitions,devil-worshipandwhatnot;andmanyofthenewthingswehavetaughtthemmightbeputtoimproperuseandmaketheircondition,then,worsebyfarthanthatinwhichwefoundthem....Theylikeme;theytrustme;theyhavecometolooktomeforhelpinalltheirproblemsandtroubles. Andnomanwantstodounfairthingstothemwhotrusthim....Andthenagain,IlikeTHEM. Theyare,asitwere,mychildren—Ineverhadanychildrenofmyown—andIamterriblyinterestedinhowtheywillgrowup.Don'tyouseewhatImean? —HowcanIpossiblyrunawayandleavetheminthelurch?...No. Ihavethoughtitoveragooddealandtriedtodecidewhatwasbest. AndIamafraidthattheworkItookupwhenIassumedthecrownImuststickto.I'mafraid—I'vegottostay." "Forgood—foryourwholelife?"askedBumpoinalowvoice. ForsomemomentstheDoctor,frowning,madenoanswer. "Idon'tknow,"hesaidatlast—"Anyhowforthepresentthereiscertainlynohopeofmyleaving.Itwouldn'tberight." Thesadsilencethatfollowedwasbrokenfinallybyaknockuponthedoor. WithapatientsightheDoctorgotupandputonhiscrownandcloakagain. "Comein,"hecalled,sittingdowninhischaironcemore. Thedooropenedandafootman—oneofthehundredandforty-threewhowerealwaysonnightduty—stoodbowingintheentrance. "Oh,KindlyOne,"saidhe,"thereisatraveleratthepalace-gatewhowouldhavespeechwithYourMajesty." "Anotherbaby'sbeenborn,I'llbetashilling,"mutteredPolynesia. "Didyouaskthetraveler'sname?"enquiredtheDoctor. "Yes,YourMajesty,"saidthefootman."ItisLongArrow,thesonofGoldenArrow." 
