5.Death of Chaos
LV
Nylan, Recluce
MARIS BOWS DEEPLY, until his beard almost touches the council table, then hands the dispatch case to Heldra.“My fellow counselor, I bring you tidings of great import.”
Heldra sets the case on the table without extracting the scroll inside. “Such great deference... such courtesy... such hypocrisy...”
“All right. I'll try it another way. What are you two going to do? The price of our wool in Summerdock has continued to drop,” Mans declares. “It's the same way in Southport and in Biehl.”
“Wool? Is that all?” Heldra's response contains mixed tones of laughter and annoyance. “I thought we were meeting on the problem of Hamor.”
“Wool? Is that all? Is that all?” Maris's hand slams the table.
Heldra stands, and her hand is on the hilt of her blade. “You forget yourself, Maris.”
“I think you both have made Maris's point,” rumbles Talryn as he motions Maris away from Heldra and the table.
“What point? Trade isn't exactly the reason for this Council.”
“About wool and woolgathering, and about iron and steam, and care and carelessness.” Talryn pauses. “Maris is ready to risk getting spitted on your blade, Heldra, because wool is important to him, and to Recluce. You find wool far less of a concern than Hamor, but you're both talking about the same problem.”
Heldra and Maris wait.
“The Emperor has dispatched a second squadron of those iron-hulled monsters to Dellash.”
“A second squadron?” Maris's eyebrows lift. “What does that have to do with the price of wool?”
“There was already a squadron there. That was one of the reasons why the price of your wool is falling. The Delaprans are buying Hamorian cloth; it's cheaper.”
“Of course it's cheaper. They've got slaves to grow cotton in those hot deltas, and since that inventor came up with a carding machine...”
“And since they're using steam engines to run their looms,” finishes Talryn, “and steam to power their merchant ships, our wool is more expensive.”
“Ours is better cloth.” Maris rubs his thumb and forefinger together.
“The average peasant or clerk could care less. Cotton is less scratchy, and it's cheaper, and for someone who doesn't have much coin...” Talryn shrugs.
“And I suppose the warships are there as a gesture of good faith?” snaps Heldra. “Or just to drive the price of our wool down?”
Talryn laughs, a short, rumbling bark. “They flattened the old lighthouse off Summerdock with three shells from their new guns.”
“Rignelgio's visit makes more sense in that light,” says Heldra. “It's more than wool or trade.”
“Of course, dear Heldra,” murmurs Maris.
“He was probably surprised that we didn't know, or felt we were insufferably arrogant,” Talryn says quickly.
“Gunnar appears to have been right,” ventures Maris.
“Wool... and Gunnar... Gunnar.” Heldra stands and walks toward the window overlooking the Eastern Ocean, a bright blue-green that foreshadows the coming spring.“Are we never to be free of his heavy hand?”
“I'm more worried about Hamor's heavy hand right now.” Talryn leans forward and puts both hands on the back of the heavy black wooden chair. “It would take us years to match what the Emperor has sent to Candar.”
“I still think the mighty trio could sink most of those squadrons,” points out Heldra.
“Do you want war?” Maris's voice is high, almost squeaky. “Do you know what that will do to Recluce?”
“To your precious traders, you mean?” asks Heldra.
“No,” counters Talryn, “but do you think we really have any choice? I think it's time to have the Brotherhood act.”
“What do you have in mind?” Maris fingers his beard.
“Follow Heldra's suggestion. Have the trio pick off every Hamorian warship that leaves Dellash. If they have to stay there, then that neutralizes them.”
“What about their traders?”
“Leave them alone... for now.”
“And Sammel?” asks Heldra. “I had planned to take-”
“I think Sammel is the least of our problems. Besides, do you want to take one of the trio out of action for three eight-days to transport you and a black squad? Right now, the ships are needed more off Delapra. In any case, if chaos and order focuses attract, Lerris may solve that one for us.” Talryn straightens and takes his hands off the chair.
“I don't know...” muses Heldra.
“I don't either, but I don't think you should be wandering through Sligo at the moment. As for using the trio, what's the alternative? Wait until Candar is run by Hamor with dozens of those steam cruisers?”
“I don't understand,” protests Maris. “How can they build all those machines? I thought the amount of order in the world was limited.”
Talryn laughs. “They're using the other side of the balance. If order is limited, so is chaos. Cassius suggested this could happen. Their machines are made of steel, and they've made so many that they've stretched out the destructive aspects of chaos. If Cassius is right, at some time, there will be a rebound, but it won't happen immediately, and it won't do us much good if Hamor holds Candar before it happens.”
“But how could this happen?”
“How does anything happen? People make it happen, and we let it occur.”
The Eastern Ocean glitters bright blue and green as the three glance to the east, in the direction of Hamor.