"Thankyou generals." Lawrence said dryly. "All of you are free to continue your missions, except for General Blubbard and General Gaunt. I wish to converse with you two further."

The other generals bowed in obedience and their faces disappeared from the giant conference view screen.

"General Gaunt?" The sombre lord asked. "What is your fleets status?"

"We are approaching Sterilia as you commanded, my lord. We will attain orbit within the hour."

"Excellent! You are ahead of schedule, well done."

"Thank you, my lord. Are you now going to tell me what my mission is?"

"Impertinence!" Lawrence screamed outrageously. "I will tell you when I am ready!"

"I'm sorry, my lord, but my fleet is desperate to know what they are about to do."

"Just wait!" Lawrence bellowed, louder that ever.

"Yes, my lord."

"Now go. Do not question me again or I'll have you boned and left as a living, conscious blob within the bogs of Quagmir."

"Thank you, my lord."

General Gaunt's pale face disappeared from the viewscreen.

"General Blubbard, tell me about your progress. How near are you to finding the Palace of Amino?"

"Err…We have narrowed the search down to the Substantia Zone."

"The Substantia Zone!" Lawrence roared. "That zone is over five thousand light years across! You call that narrowing down the search!"

"Well err… Compared to the size of the galaxy it is quite small!"

"Shut up!" The deadly lord bellowed. "You are lucky that you are not here in my chambers. I would have siphoned blood from your neck into your stomach and forced you to drain yourself to death for saying such a thing!"

"Sorry, my lord."

"How do you intend to search such a large area of space?" Lawrence asked in calmer tones.

"I have already launched more than a thousand probes to most of the systems within that zone. The first ones should start reporting back within a few hours."

"Good. You may go about your business."

General Blubbard bowed and his chubby features faded from view.

Lawrence started to skip gaily around his secret chambers, chanting a poem that he had just composed;

Soon the palace will be located

The Superior Beings will be decimated

All bounty hunters will be mutilated

I'll have the place re-decorated!

He continued to repeat the inane recital for more than four hours.