 Why does the bowman shoot a soldier during the Viceroy's procession?
Instantly, and unexpectedly to Crownwall, the threatening crowd dropped back fearfully, so that he walked the last fifty meters alone. A pair of guards, their purple hides smoothly polished and gleaming with oil, crossed their ceremonial pikes in front of him as he approached the entrance. "Just tell him that a man has arrived from Earth to talk to him. An elegant courtier, with elaborately jeweled harness, bustled from inside the palace, obviously trying to present an air of strolling nonchalance. His Effulgence commands you to appear before him at once." The two guards withdrew their pikes and froze into immobility at the sides of the entrance. "It's customary to genuflect when you enter the Viceroy's presence," said the standing one at last. "It's all right, Ggaran," said the Viceroy languidly. "It was only decided yesterday, back on Earth, that I would be the one to make the trip here. What I meant was that I expected someone from Earth to break through our blockade and come here. "If you wanted someone from Earth to come here to see you, why did you put the cordon around Earth? And why did you drop a planet-buster in the Pacific Ocean, and tell us that it was triggered to go off if we tried to use the distorter drive? "I'm Viceroy of one of the hundred Sectors of the Empire. When you showed up in the spaceways, it was decreed that you had to be stopped at once.
 To demonstrate what would happen if someone who was not a guest of the Viceroy viewed the procession.
 To demonstrate what would happen if someone who was not a guest of the Viceroy viewed the procession.  The soldier was attempting to stage a coup against the Viceroy.  The soldier tripped and made the procession look sloppy.  To demonstrate the Vegan's knowledge of antiquated weapons.