The second year of Venni went down in the annals of the Trigan Empire as the year of revolutions. It began with a terrible riot in the City. Give us food! Down with the tyrant! The Imperial Palace was burnt to the ground by the mob, and Trigo and his family barely escaped with their lives. Shortly after came the great naval mutiny. The men of the great ocean fleet eliminated their officers . . . . . . And then bombarded Trigan City itself. . . . Till the mighty ships were silenced by the loyal Air Fleet. The Emperor’s own nephew Janno took part in the punitive raid. I never thought I would ever be called upon to wage war upon my fellow-Trigans!While the fighting still raged, the Emperor called an emergency meeting of the Imperial Council. Gentlemen! The Empire is falling apart! Why? Why? What has happened to cause this? What is wrong with us? Peric, the wisest man on Elekton, answered his Emperor. Majesty! I should have foreseen these events, for I have observed a gradual deterioration in our national life during the last few lunar months . . . Food production has gone down by thirty per-cent—hence the food riots. Exports have fallen by sixty per-cent and industrial output by twenty-five per-cent. I have come to the conclusion that a large proportion of our population have ceased to do any real work! Peric had a solution. I suggest the appointment of Yarri Zemph as Minister of Finance and Trade. He is the finest economist in the Empire. With his guiding hand, we will return to prosperity and peace. Yarri Zemph was given the job. In the days that followed, he worked long hours at his Ministry. Good evening, Minister. Good evening, driver. Take me straight home, please. Hidden eyes watched his progress. Subject leaving the Ministry now . . . proceeding in the direction of his residence . . . Yarri Zemph arrived home. I have work to do in my study. See that I am not disturbed. And there . . . it happened! Uuuuugh . . .
This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 541 on 27 May 1972.
