“Madam Pahrsahn?” Stohnar invited.
“Our agents report that the Dohlaran Council—or at least its two most important members, Fern and Salthar—are being … less than totally subservient to the Group of Four’s demands,” Aivah said. “There’s nothing overt we can point to, and they certainly aren’t defying the Temple. But Clyntahn, at least, would clearly like to see Rychtyr removed from the Army of the Seridahn in favor of a more aggressive commander, and Fern and Salthar have declined to do anything of the sort. Not only that, they appear to be sitting on Thorast in that regard, despite the fact that Earl Hanth is well into Thorast’s duchy.”
“I suppose I’m happy to hear Fern and the others may finally be growing big enough balls—you should pardon the expression, please, Aivah—to stop licking Clyntahn’s hand like obedient little puppies,” Stohnar said. “On the other hand, I’d love for them to put someone ‘more aggressive’ in command of Rychtyr’s army! Earl Hanth would eat him for breakfast!”
“True,” Aivah agree with a smile.”But that’s only one straw in the wind. A significant one, perhaps, but not as significant as some of our other reports. There are indications—and I stress that at this point they’re only indications—that Earl Thirsk and General Ahlverez may be thinking in terms of … a Dohlaran exit strategy completely independent of anything Fern may have in mind.”
Stohnar came upright in his chair and Parkair’s eyes widened abruptly.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” the Lord Protector said after a moment. Aivah nodded, and Stohnar frowned. “I realize you said you had only indications, but how strong are they?”
“We can confirm that they’ve held several meetings now,” she said. “Given the enmity between them prior to the Shiloh Campaign, that would be informative enough in its own right, I think. Anything that could bring the two of them together—my destiny, especially with Ahlverez still under such a cloud in the Church’s eyes and what just happened to Thirsk’s family, would have to be pretty important. In this case, however, the individual who’s brokered those meetings may be even more significant.”
“Really?” Maidyn leaned forward with an intent expression. “And who would that individual be?”
“Staiphan Maik,” she said simply, and Parkair muttered an incredulous oath.
“Thirsk’s intendant is … facilitating secret meetings between him and Ahlverez?” Stohnar said in the tone of a man who wanted to be very sure he’d understood correctly.
“That’s exactly what he’s doing.” Aivah nodded. “It appears that what happened to Thirsk’s family was something of a tipping point for Maik, as well.” Her tone was somber. “The man may be a Schuelerite, but evidently his order hasn’t managed to amputate his conscience the way it’s done for so many of Clyntahn’s other hand-picked representatives.”
“And on top of what happened to Thirsk’s family,” Merlin put in, “Maik has what certainly looks like a genuine sense of pastoral responsibility. Not just for the Dohlaran Navy, either. I think he’s worried about what will happen to the entire Kingdom if this goes down to the bitter end.”
“And he damned well should be,” Parkair said in a considerably harsher tone. The Charisian side of the table looked at him, and the seneschal shrugged, his earlier amusement vanished. “Let’s not forget where a goodly chunk—the most effective chunk!—of the Army of Shiloh came from. Or, for that matter, what Rychtair did in South March and Ahlverez did at Alyksberg. That was a pretty sharp dagger they planted in our back. As your lady wife said in that splendid speech that’s appeared in all the newspapers, Your Majesty, there’s a price for actions like that.”
“I can’t deny that,” Cayleb said, after a moment. “But I also think we’d all have to admit that whatever their other faults, the Dohlaran Army—and its Navy, for that matter, despite what happened to Gwyllym and the others—have fought a hell of a lot ‘cleaner’ war than the Army of God or Desnair.”
He ended on a slightly rising note and quirked an eyebrow at the seneschal.
“There’s a difference between ‘cleaner’ and clean,” Parkair growled. But then his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. “Still, you have a point. And as you said a few minutes ago, I don’t want to lose a single man we don’t have to lose. If there’s an acceptable … arrangement that takes Dohlar out of the war, then I suppose we probably have to be reasonable about accepting it.”
“It’s not a decision we’ll need to make tomorrow, whatever happens,” Aivah pointed out pragmatically. “But it is something to consider. And I think it’s especially important to consider the broader impact a Dohlaran exit would have.”
“Broader impact?” Gahdarhd’s tone suggested he already saw where she was headed, and she nodded to him.
“Precisely. After Baron Sarmouth’s victory at Shipworm Shoal—and especially after Gwylym Manthyr reinforces Earl Sharpfield and Baron Sarmouth’s squadron shifts farther east—Dohlar will be as effectively neutralized as Desnair. From a practical viewpoint, Earl Hanth could stop at Shandyr and adopt a defensive stance and Dohlar—and South Harchong, for that matter—couldn’t do a single thing to affect what happens in Tarikah or Cliff Peak this summer. That may not be all that apparent to anyone else if Dohlar’s still formally in the jihad, but what happens if Dohlar withdraws from the jihad? I think we’re all in agreement that our minimum requirement would be a formal withdrawal, one which is officially acknowledged and not just another unilateral ‘we’re not going to fight anymore’ informal arrangement like Desnair’s.”
She looked around the table, saw agreement on every other face, and shrugged.
“That sort of formal withdrawal—a surrender, really, whatever it’s called—by a Mainland realm would have an enormous impact on morale in the Border States, North Harchong, and even the Temple Lands. We all know Clyntahn will rant, rave, and thunder anathemas, and I don’t doubt he’ll make ‘examples’ of any Dohlaran he can possibly accuse of ‘complicity’ in the ‘betrayal of Mother Church.’” Her beautiful face twisted in an expression of distaste. “I’m sure the certainty he’d do exactly that would be a hard pill for Thirsk and Ahlverez to swallow, too. But no matter how he tries to spin it, he won’t be able to hide the fact that the Church’s most effective ally—a Mainland ally, not just another of those barbarian Out Island realms, and the one whose navy the Group of Four’s own propaganda’s held up as their counterweight for the ICN—has abandoned them. And if, as I’m sure would happen, Thirsk, Ahlverez and, possibly even Maik, denounce Clyntahn and the Group of Four as the corrupters of Mother Church they actually are.…”
Her voice trailed off, and Stohnar nodded firmly.
“You’re right,” he said. “I’m with Daryus where the price for Dohlar’s earlier actions is concerned, but we’re hardly alone in that. And if they’re willing to formally and officially denounce Clyntahn and his friends, that would be a pretty hefty installment on the debt, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I know that’s not an easy thing to accept,” Cayleb said quietly. “Truth to tell, it won’t be an easy choice for me and Sharleyan, either. And it’s not one we’ll have to make until and unless Thirsk and Ahlverez decide they have to act, come up with a plan, and actually make it work. Trust me,” his tone turned grim, “if they try and fail, the price Clyntahn will exact from the entire Kingdom’s likely to be a lot higher than either of us would ever have asked for.”