roblem of populat ing the new colony with the Throne The Comno emperors, being eminently practical in such matters would spread the ZENSUNNI HISTORY 512 ZENSUNN! fflSTORY costs in lost manpower throughout their realm by demanding levees of "volunteers ' to settle the colony, die methods used in persuading their own subjects to come forward were left to die rulers of the affected fiefs In 2800, then having graciously accepted Pontnn (the third planet of Epsilon Alangue) from House Maros Emperor Elrood V turned a covetous eye on the population of Old Terra, hitherto left undisturbed due to its revered position as the cradle of human life Elrood, in a precedent-shattering move, demanded a levy of two imllton men, women, and children from Sindar Baron Charles Mikarrol, planetary governor of Old Terra Baron Mikarrol was thrown into a quandary His subjects, so accustomed to their exemption from Imperial draft, were certain to rebel at the news that two million of their number were to be sent off-planet The Baron had nearly despaired of choosing whom to send when one of his advisers-records do not indicate which one, but there are suggestions that it might have been An Manoud, Mikarrofs right hand man and an outspoken Maomcth Saan--reminded him of the existence of the Zensunm nomads The Baron seized the idea gratefully Who, after all, could object to his sending off a group of self-disenfranchised religious fanatics? And surely after the passing of so many centuries, it would be possible to round up the necessary number from among them By the end of their planet-wide search and seizure, the Mikarrol troops had uncovered more than two and one-half million Zensunm, all of whom were herded aboard Imperial transports and, over their most outraged protests, whisked off to Pontnn It was a most expedient solution for Baron Mikarrol, and one that reaped him a number of benefits First, there was the satisfaction of knowing that his fief had been cleared of a group which did not consider itself bound to his rule, second, he was well rewarded by his emperor for having produced a larger levy than demanded, and that in record time, and third, his action was unexpectedly recognized by the highest levels of authority within the Maometh Saan PORTTRIN Rom the moment of their arrival on Pontnn, the Zensunm acted not like a terrified group of exiles, but like a people who were accustomed to challenges and fully capable of facing those of a new world The vanous tribes, each obedient to the commands of its naib or leader worked in concert to divide the machinery and other resources the transport ships had left, decide on the planetary areas each tnbe would settle and disperse accordingly There is a Zensunm chant (recorded in Daiwid Kuuan's Monuments of the Zensunm Migrations) thought to be from this period which contains the following and though our enemies scatter us far even throughout the Universe they shall never destroy us