Page:Karel Čapek - The Absolute at Large (1927).djvu/213

 Bobinet's plan was the following:—

1. To occupy Spain, and by taking Gibraltar secure the key to the Mediterranean Sea.

2. To occupy the Danube valley as far as Budapest as the key to the interior of Europe.

3. To occupy Denmark as the key to the North Sea area.

And since territorial keys have usually to be smeared with blood, France fitted out three armies which won for her tremendous glory.

The fourth army occupied Asia Minor as the key to the East.

The fifth army made itself master of the mouth of the St. Lawrence as the key to America.

The sixth army went down in the naval battle off the English coast.

The seventh army laid seige to Sebastopol.

By New Year's Eve, 1944, the Emperor Bobinet had all his keys in the pocket of his artillery breeches.