The Pen and the Sword (Destiny's Crucible Book 2) (16 page)

Culich
noted the last sentence. It was as if Kolsko had stated a threat—a threat to
the Narthani, now that they had this strange man’s attention.

“And
what does your attention say?”

Yozef’s
expression was solemn. “That the Narthani are an ‘existential’ threat to the clans.”

“Existential?
A word I’m not familiar with.” Yozef had used the English word.

“Pardon,
Hetman. I couldn’t think of a Caedelli word, so I used one from my own
language.
Existential
relates to something’s existence. For Caedellium,
the Narthani are a literal threat not just to the lives of every single
Caedelli, but to the very existence of your people and their history.”

Culich’s
expression was more attentive than before, as for the first time he became more
interested in what was being said in than who was saying it.

“I’ll
admit I share your worry that the Narthani are an ‘existential’ threat, as you
say. Something I’m afraid few other hetmen and not all my boyermen share with
me. How is it you came to this conclusion?”

“Remember,
I’ve only recently learned details of the Narthani and so may be wrong, but
when I take what I learned from Brother Sistian and Maera and combine that with
previous examples from my people’s histories, the obvious conclusion is that
the Narthani intend to subjugate the entire island and turn it into a piece of
the Narthon Empire. Consequences for all of the clans can be seen in what’s
happened so far. The Preddi resisted and were destroyed. The Selfcellese and the
Eywellese are fooling themselves that they’re allies of the Narthani. Once the
Narthani control all of the island, the individual clans will disappear, and
the Narthani will absorb the clans so completely that within two or three
generations, there’ll be only a memory of Caedellium as it is now, and the name
Keelan will vanish.”

Culich’s
face got grimmer with Yozef’s words, which gave substance to his deepest fears.
Fears so deep he hadn’t given them full credence even to himself until now. He
passed a hand over his face to rest on his chin, elbow on the tabletop.

“If
this grim scenario comes to play, what would you predict to be the Narthani’s
next act?”

Yozef
starred into space for several minutes. Finally, he refocused on Culich. “Obviously,
the Narthani will move out from the three provinces they now control. There’s
no other possibility. The questions are when and how. I see two issues. One is
their next target. They might simply invade a neighboring province with their
army. You don’t seem to know the exact number of Narthani troops on Caedellium,
but there are undoubtedly more than any clan, or several clans, can hope to
repel. Your best chance is if all the clans unite.”

“An
unlikely possibility, given the intransigence of too many of the hetmen in
recognizing the Narthani as a threat to
them,
especially those clans farthest
away from Preddi. If they attacked Keelan and Gwillamer, our Tri-Clan Alliance
would respond together, plus I believe two or three of the other clans would
join.”

“Then
it’s hard to predict whether they’ll go after one clan at a time or alliances.
One argument would be that five or six clans joining to resist might make them go
elsewhere first, but it could also be an argument to break the most dangerous
coalition of clans, feeling that the others would be easy once Keelan and
allies are defeated.

“They
might go after one clan at a time. Stent, for example. I’ve studied maps of
Caedellium in the abbey library. Sen Maera told me Stent is a strong clan but
without reliable allied neighboring clans. The Narthani navy could be used to
control the coasts and jump troops behind Stent forces. However, taking Stent
doesn’t help subdue the other clans.

“Yet
Moreland would also be an attractive target, since it’s more centrally located.
In fact, an invasion with Orosz as the real goal would be more likely. It would
have the advantages of taking control of a major portion of the center of the
island and cutting Caedellium in half, thus making clan cooperation more
difficult. Then there would be the psychological effect of taking the Conclave
site.”

Culich
let the additional new word,
psychological
, pass without comment. He
suspected he would learn what it meant soon enough and didn’t want to interrupt
what was apparently the free-flow thinking of Kolsko. Culich had learned from
his lifelong friend Sistian Beynom that it was sometimes best to wait for scholastics
to finish their thinking without interruptions and delve into meaning later. What
he
was
interested in was Kolsko’s recitation of Narthani options.

“Of
course, they can always use their navy to land troops anywhere on Caedellium,”
Yozef continued.

 “So
you’re saying the Narthani could do just about anything,” Culich said gruffly.

Yozef
mentally shook himself. “Sorry. I was just listing options.”

“There
are always options. What are they most likely to do, in
your
opinion?”

“Moreland,
and on to Orosz,” said Yozef, with overstated confidence.

“Why
that option over the others?”

“It
may be the quickest. If Moreland and Orosz fell, other clans may feel forced to
seek accommodation with the Narthani, as did the Selfcellese and the Eywellese.
Of course, that would be an illusion, as I said before. But it brings up a
second thing you need to worry about in addition to an invasion.”

“More
to worry about?” Culich said dryly. “An invasion isn’t enough?”

“Oh . . .
it is, but this other thing may already be happening. Let me tell you a bit of
history. There was a realm called Britain and the people, Britains. They wanted
to conquer a wealthy and much larger land, one named India and made up of many
separate realms. This India was far away, and Britain didn’t want to expend too
much coin and too many men. In the end, Britain conquered India with little
effort, though it took many years.”

Culich
scrunched his forehead. “How did they do that?”

“The
Britains bribed some rulers and others they helped against traditional local enemies.
Each part of India was weakened, as the Britains grew stronger. The Indians failed
to realize the real conflict was between all of them and the Britains. Almost until
the end, the remaining independent Indians could have joined and thrown out the
Britains, but they never agreed to cooperate.”

“And
you’re suggesting the Narthani might do the same here?”

“I
would if I was them. Why waste resources in conquering a people, if you can get
them to help?”

“Hmmm
. . . I’ve assumed the Narthani controlling Selfcell and Eywell was a consequence
of their taking Preddi, but you say it might be an example of the Narthani
instigating such a strategy: to use clans against one another. I need to
consider this and make the other clans aware the Narthani might implement such
a strategy.”

“What
if they’ve already implemented it?” Yozef asked softly.

Culich’s
eyes widened. Even when Yozef told his anecdote, Culich still had not connected
it directly to ongoing events on Caedellium. “They might already be doing it!” he
blurted. “We know there’re rumors of Narthani influence among the clans, but I
hadn’t considered it part of a coordinated plan.”

“Again,
I’d have been doing it right from the start, if I was them. You know the other
clans and their leaders, I don’t. Are there cases where clans you thought would
be willing to join against the Narthani have been strangely reluctant to do so?
Or cases where clans who got along well enough are becoming more hostile to
each other? Such cases might be just coincidences, but they deserve a closer
look for Narthani influence.”

A
somber Hetman Keelan shook his head. “The Farkesh and Skouks clans have had
serious skirmishes the last few months, as had the Nyvacks and the Pawell. I’ve
been dismayed that they could revert to old patterns of behavior at a time like
this, but now I wonder if the Narthani are behind it, as you theorize.”

Their
conversation went on for another hour until just before mid-day meal, when
Norlin came to retrieve Yozef.

“I’m
glad I met with you myself, Ser Kolsko. You’ve certainly had a difficult time,
but I can see you’re adjusting to your circumstances and contributing to Clan
Keelan. You’ve also given me much to ponder, much of it not possibilities I
like
to hear, but that I
need
to hear. We’ll talk again while you’re here.”

Culich
Keelan Evaluates Yozef

The
hetman’s eyes followed Kolsko, as Norlin led him out of the office. He studied
his physique, as the man walked away, confirming last night’s impressions: average
height and girth, brown hair with odd lighter streaks. Then there were the
eyes. That light blue, sometimes seeming to change to gray as light changed, very
unusual and unsettling.

Kolsko
gave the impression of being . . .
gentle
was the closest word. Culich
had met such men. Rhaedri Brison came to mind, a theophist from Orosz and a man
many believed closest to God of any Caedelli. Culich failed to imagine Brison
holding a spear and stabbing a Buldorian.

When
the meeting was over, they had clasped hands, a traditional acknowledgment
gesture among Keelan men, though forearms were also used in Keelan and more
often in other clans. Culich had found the man’s grip firm. He had read with
curiosity the report from Denes Vegga about this Kolsko’s regular running and
use of weights to gain strength. Vegga had passed on Kolsko’s reasons for these
activities, and, while it sounded odd, there was rationality to it. Still,
odd
seemed to be a common word when thinking about Kolsko.

As
for the man himself, Culich wasn’t sure. He considered himself gifted by God for
his quick ability to evaluate men and formed a reliable opinion within minutes
of meeting someone. But this Kolsko . . .?

He
still mulled over the meeting while at midday meal with Breda and Maera. His
wife had suggested they arrange their individual plans to eat together that day
and let Culich give his fresh first impressions of Kolsko.

They
were nearly finished eating, having made only light and intermittent
conversation, when Breda asked, “Now that you’ve met with Sen Kolsko, my dear,
any thoughts or impressions of him?”

“Impressions.
Thoughts. Yes, many of both. What it comes down to is, I don’t know what to
think.”

“The
meeting didn’t go well?” asked Maera.

Culich
missed the edge of concern in her voice. “No, in fact, it went quite well. Ser
Kolsko answered any question I asked.” Culich laid down the fork stirring the
food on his plate as he spoke and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “Yes, he
answered the questions, but I don’t believe he’s telling all of the truth when
he answers.”

Breda
stiffened. “You believe he’s lying about who he is and where he comes from or
about something else?”

“There’s
a difference between lying and not telling everything. The answers he gave to
many of the questions were often so similar to answers he gave last night and that
he’s given to others, as reported to me by Sistian and Vegga, that it makes me
suspect he’s rehearsed them.”

“Father,”
countered Maera, “some of those questions he must have been asked so many times,
it wouldn’t be surprising that the answers became automatic and only
seemed
rehearsed. After all, how many different ways can you say, ‘I come from a realm
called America’?”

Culich
nodded. “I know, and I try to take that into consideration, but the impression
remains that it’s more than giving the same answers to the same questions so
many times. I’m not saying he’s lying, only that there could be more to the
answers than we realize. The problem is we don’t know what more there is, so we
can’t be sure what other questions to ask. Be that as it may, I don’t perceive
him as particularly duplicitous, simply careful about what he tells about himself.
I should ask Diera and Sistian whether they have any similar feelings about the
medicant knowledge he’s given them.

“No,
he’s not naturally deceitful. In fact, if anything, he possesses a strange naiveté.
I know he’s not from Caedellium, and there are so many aspects of language and
culture he wouldn’t be familiar with, but it’s somehow more than that.”

Culich
paused, stroking his beard alternately with each hand, a well-known habit he
was unaware of. Whenever he was gathering his thoughts, leading up to saying
something, the hands signaled to all who knew him to be patient. This
particular episode stretched into several minutes. Breda started to prompt him
when whatever was being formulated came together.

“All
of that is only part of what I’m trying to fit together into a more complete
picture. He’s beyond doubt
very
smart, an obvious assumption, based on
his successful enterprises, his story of still being a scholastic in training, and
the reports on him. It’s better to sense it in person. Yes, he’s intelligent.
So much so that I wonder, if he wanted to deceive us, could I detect it? However,
I hope I’m correct that he’s not deceiving us in any way harmful to Keelan. If
he is, it may be to protect himself, though why, I have no idea.