Spear of Destiny by James Baldwin (room on the broom read aloud txt) 📗

He bowed again. “I thank you for this mossst benevolent offer, my lord.”

[You have gained +350 Renown: The Orphans Company.]

“My pleasure.” I gave him a short nod. “Once we have more money, I’ll loop you in on my plans for Myszno’s military. There might be a role for you moving forward.”

“Your plansss?” Taethawn stood up, blinking. “A role?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m only just starting to put the ideas together, but I think this province has the potential to train the best army this world has ever seen. With what’s coming, we’re going to need it. I want to modernize the structure of Myszno’s military. A defined Army and Airforce, a code of military law, and a structured system of merit-based command.”

Vash, who had said nothing throughout the entire exchange, coughed a cloud of smoke around the stem of his pipe.

The Meewfolk laughed, a nearly-silent hissing peal of mirth. “My lord... with all ressspect, if you do such a thing, you will need to hire me for the rest of your daysss—as your bodyguard.” He paused to grin at me, bearing two-inch long fangs. “You propose nothing ssshort of a revolution. War is naught but politicsss by a different name, and were you to remove military command from your fellow noblesss, they would become but pompous landlordsss. They would seek to kill you, or maneuver to have you disssgraced and exiled. You would make many enemiesss very quickly. Perhaps even your king, the Volod.”

“Too bad,” I said. “I don’t think the Volod will be a problem: Ignas knows as well as I do that the Drachan are coming, and they’re going to make what happened here with the Demon look like a kindergarten slap-fight. We need to unify, we need to modernize, and if the nobility doesn’t understand that, the nobility can suck my dick.”

Taethawn began to laugh again, harder. He held up a hand, shaking his head, and bent down to rest his palms on his knees.

“I like you, Your Grace,” he gasped. “You are a breath of fresh air in thisss stuffy backwater. Should you do thisss, I shhhall support you on principle. But you will do well to watch your neck in the aftermath. There shall be many eager to lay their blade upon your throat, should you try and place the power of the military into common handsss.”

“I’m basically immortal. So like I said: they can blow me.” I queried the KMS with a thought: ‘Pay The Orphans Company 25,730 olbia.’

[You have paid 25,730 olbia to the Orphans Company.]

[You have gained +150 Renown: The Orphans Company.]

“There’s your pay for the last period, and the next two weeks,” I continued. “I’ll call you back once the scouts return from Bas.”

“A thousand thanks, Your Grace.” The Meewfolk pressed his palms together and bowed deeply from the waist. “While my troops ressst, by all means feel free to call on this one’s services as an officer and ssstrategist. Your Vlachian troopsss are disinclined to obey a ‘cat-man’, but I can both see and smell your personal sincerity. For you, our fee is inclussssive of my experience, mrah?”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” I smiled back at him and tried the slow happy cat squint he’d given me earlier in the meeting. He squinted back, tail lashing. “Let’s call it here. I’d like a written report on Vyeshniki. They’re not far from the border of Bas; it might be useful for review to plan the mission there.”

“A report?” He cocked his hip and played with his whiskers, stroking them thoughtfully. “Another new concept. Very well. I shhhall do this thing.”

“Thanks. That’ll be all, Commander.”

“By your leave, my lord.” Taethawn had a noticeable bounce in his step as he sauntered off, slipping through a crack in the door.

“What do you think?” I asked Vash. “Is he right? About my idea?”

“Absolutely. You’re crazier than I thought if you think the satraps will accept a word of what you just proposed. Or the Volod, for that matter.” Vash replied. He leaned back against one of the pillars behind the throne, arms crossed. “With the exception of Lord Soma, the nobility of Myszno, no matter how well-padded their bottoms may be, are the descendants of conquerors. The entire system of rule here is based on might: the might of lords at every level to defend their holdings. If you take that privilege away from them, you might as well piss in their mouths, too.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way. Frowning, I rubbed a hand over my chin. “But the system of vassalage is so fucking inefficient. Once the Dragon Gates are open, we’re looking at fighting the Drachan and their minions on a global scale. How the fuck am I supposed to ‘unite the peoples of Archemi’ if the lords of one nation can’t commit to forming a standardized military? Maybe I could win them over? If we have high enough Renown-”

“Renown works differently for nobility,” Vash said, cutting me off. “Your popularity with your soldiers and the people is one thing. Your peers have to be wooed as individuals, otherwise, Lord Soma would be simpering after both of us based on your popularity with the people you rescued from the Demon’s rampage.”

Damn. I’d forgotten that.

“Politics is a rotten game, Hector. You may gain Renown with one Lord, and alienate another as your enemy in the process,” he continued. “Let us say you restore Lady Hussar to her seat, and she declares she shall support you. The Hussar family is loathed by House Vargan, in the county next door. The Vargans, however, are fond of the Turok family of Boros, with whom they have intermarried several times. Do you see what I am saying?”

“Yeah.” I tapped the arm of my chair. “But the lords can vote on things. All I need is a majority of lords