Chastise the Cleric!

The following day, Fecklenburg and the prince are again in the vicinity of Schrote. Fecklenburg points. 'Well, sire, it is time. See, our troops are beginning their march to the frontier'.

'Hmmm. Is there anyone in command?' asks Rupprecht slowly. 'I think that there should be someone in command. Probably. It's usual'.

'Indeed sire - the Nabstrian officer of jager, a Colonel Zeigler, will command the combined force'.

Rupprecht scowls. 'But that means that Nabstria will take most of the glory!'
'But also, my lord, if it goes wrong, most of the blame'.
'Ah, yes - sometimes I remember why I have you as my chancellor'.

'You are too kind, my prince'.

'Probably. Anyway, shouldn't I meet this Zeigler - shake his hand perhaps?'  
'Shake his hand? No sir - he’s a light infantry officer: you can’t be sure where it’s been. More to the point, you are, of course, supposed to be completely in the dark regarding this enterprise. So it is best if we limit your contact with the advancing troops'.

'But you've dragged me out here on another damnably cold morning, Fecklenburg. I think that I should go and see the troops once they're in position. So that they could give me a loud "huzzah!". It would inspire them, perhaps? Maybe I could give them a speech?'

Fecklenburg pauses before continuing carefully.

'Talk to the troops, sir? Are you sure? And by that I mean really, really sure?'

Rupprecht nods. 'Yes: I think that it would be a wise move'.
'Define "wise", sir. Are you using it in the meaning of "sagacious", "sapient", or "perspicacious"?'
'I don't know: am I?'
'Because it sounds to me that by the word "wise", you actually mean "injudicious" or "imprudent". Which I think that learned men would define as being "unwise"'.
'So you think that I shouldn't do it?'
'Sir, you are my prince, and a lowly man such as I would not deign to instruct you. So I should say that you should certainly do it: but that by "it", I mean that you should definitely not talk to them'.
Rupprecht tries to work this through, but then gives up. 'We should definitely give Emperor George a good shouting at once we catch him', he says instead.

'When we receive him, we shall certainly do that, my lord'

'Unless, of course, Fecklenburg, he has an accident', says the prince, wiggling his fingers in the air.

'I think that those are asterisks, sir' replies the chamberlain. 'But anyway - soon, no doubt, we shall receive a message from the bishop indicating where the supine emperor has been sequestered, and then we shall have him'.

'We've put him in some soup?' says Rupprecht, seemingly both intrigued and impressed. 'The bishop certainly has style, I'll give him that'. The prince pauses, and then continues. 'And there's no way that the bishop could mess things up?'

'Oh no', replies Fecklenburg. 'No - his task is perfectly simple: only an idiot could make a mistake. No - I'm certain that, for once, we will avoid making an extended stay booking at the Hotel Cockup'.