The Price of Power

"M'sieur Colin Trewinnard?" "That is my name, Captain Stoyanovitch," I replied in surprise. "You know it quite well." "The usual formality, mon cher ami " And the tall, handsome equerry in the white uniform of the Imperial Guard laughed lightly, clicked his heels together, and handed me a letter which I saw bore the Imperial cipher upon its black seal. "From His Imperial Majesty the Emperor," he added in Russian. I held my breath. Had the blow fallen?