“I’ve read the reports about the raid and the battle at St. Sidryn’s and talked with Abbot Beynom and Denes Vegga. I’ve also discussed it with some of my other advisors, including Vortig Luwis, my military advisor. A consensus is to wonder why, for God’s mercy, did you suggest letting the Buldorians enter the abbey? Ser Vegga is emphatic they couldn’t have held the walls with the number of men available and is even more forceful in his opinion that trying to trap the raiders inside the abbey courtyard would never have occurred to him. Same with Vortig Luwis. So the question is, why did you think of it? One possibility is that you’ve had more experience and training in such matters than you’ve led anyone to believe.” The hetman paused and looked expectantly at Yozef.
“I understand that suspicion occurring to you, but all I can say is that I’d never been part of anything like that day. In fact, I’ve never seen blood spilled, except for common accidents and certainly not in deadly fights like that. As to why I thought of what I did, it seemed logical at the time. Denes told the abbot there was no way they would hold the walls. In that case, and I accepted Denes’s estimation, my mind struggled for other options. If we couldn’t drive them off from the walls, then wasn’t the only other option to let them in and trap them inside the barricades? Remember, it was Denes who organized the defense, once he got his mind off the walls. I would’ve had no idea what to do next. I’ve thanked the people of Abersford for their gratitude, but I’ve pointed out it was Denes who deserves most of the credit.”
Culich shook his head dismissively. “Even if true, the fact remains the original ideas came from you. I still don’t understand how that happened. Events happened so fast, it’s puzzling that you came up with such a radical idea so quickly.”
“All I can say, Hetman, is it just popped into my head.”
“Popped into your head, you say? This sounds like one of Abbess Diera’s comments about you, that it seems to her sometimes that ideas just ‘pop into your head’ from out of nowhere.”
Yozef was silent. What could he say? Most of Diera’s observations were related to knowledge he was careful about revealing, but the raid situation was different. Culich was also silent, waiting for more from Yozef, who sensed he needed to say something more to assuage the hetman’s suspicions.
“Well, there’s one other possibility. Although I’ve no personal experience with combat or planning for such things, I assume you’re aware I was studying to be a scholastic?”
“Yes, yes. Abbot Beynom told me about your claim that your people have vast amounts of knowledge, more than we on Caedellium, and that your people value longer years at study.”
“Not just studying to older ages than here, but we also believe in breadth of knowledge. I was a problem for my mentors in our scholasticums for reading too widely and not focusing more in my last few years. One interest was history and particularly histories of warfare. Although I have no practical experience, those readings might explain my sudden insight and suggestions to Denes.”
That much was true. Yozef had read a lot of military history and read a few of the classic strategy books. He suddenly wondered whether he should try to recall some of those.
He knew there was no way to tell the hetman he probably had more “military” experience than any Caedelli, if one considered all of the readings and the video and board strategy games he’d played. Granted, they weren’t real-world experience, but he had neither heard nor read evidence that the Caedelli knew anything about real warfare or battle tactics—an enviable situation as long as no one such as the Narthani showed up.
Culich didn’t look convinced but gave the impression of filing away Yozef’s speculations. “In that case, I wonder what your ideas might be as to the purpose of these raids that the Buldorians, and now the Narthani, have been carrying out along our coasts.”
“It’s only been since the raid that I’ve paid attention to the Narthani,” said Yozef. “Coming to Caedellium, adjusting to no expectation of ever seeing my family or homeland again, and then working on a place for myself took all of my focus until the raid. That’s changed, of course. The Narthani definitely have my attention.”
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 Caedell
ium 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.
“More than just being intelligent, he knows he is but doesn’t pretend he knows everything.”
Breda missed her husband’s meaning, though Maera understood. “Yes,” she said emphatically, “he listens to others and doesn’t feel threatened if they disagree or if they have ideas better than his own. He also quotes his people’s sayings that caution humility. I remember him once quoting that ‘A wise man knows what he doesn’t know, while a fool knows what isn’t true.’ Another time he referenced a famous scholastic being lauded for his work, who said, ‘If I’ve seen farther, it’s because I stood on the shoulders of giants.’”
“Well, he’s no fool,” asserted Culich. “Although there’s something else I haven’t mentioned. We talked at some length about the Narthani. New to the island he may be, and he claims he’s only recently learned details about the Narthani from you, Maera, and Sistian. Nevertheless, I suspect he has a better understanding of the threat they represent than most hetmen do, and I might even include myself in that suspicion. He suggested several points to consider, based on his knowledge of the history of his and other peoples. Histories and names of realms and peoples I’ve never heard of, such as the India and Britain. Have you heard of these, Maera?”
The Pen and the Sword (Destiny's Crucible Book 2) Page 15
