Olan Thorensen - Cast Under an Alien Sun

This comment brought nods of agreement, though no less unhappiness with what was necessary.

Discussion. Objections. Digressions. On and on, it continued for three hours until every person was finished with his input, and all agreed to the general plan. It took two hours more than Culich thought necessary. He would have preferred to cut off the discussion and just tell the boyermen, “This is the way it will be,” but part of their loyalty to his family was due to believing the hetman valued their input.

Finally, it was the Shamir boyerman who restated the paramount question: “Is this or is it not part of a Narthani move on other provinces?”

“Some of the other hetmen believe Moreland the likeliest target, though there’s no way to be sure. I suspect Moreland myself, since this is where most incursions are happening and has involved the largest numbers of men.”

Culich rose and walked to the Caedellium map on the wall. “Look at the map. Taking Moreland would be a dagger into the heart of the island, and all other provinces would be in danger.”

“That could be a feint,” argued the worried Yorm District boyerman. “With their navy, they could attack anywhere.”

“True,” Culich allowed, “but we can only do what we can do. We all realize that if there’s a major Narthani move on other provinces, we’ll need all the clans involved. However, as you know, getting clans to work together is problematic at best.”

“More like trying to scale an unclimbable mountain,” said a disgusted Yorm.

There was general laughter, though not of humor—rather, laughter at a task with little probability of success.

“Keelan is in better shape than many other clans,” said Culich, “thanks to our alliance with Mittack and Gwillamer. I’ve kept you aware of our discussions with the Hewell and Andris clans about joining the alliance. Hewell will join, though they were in no hurry, since there was no urgency, until now. Andris would like to join, but there’s no direct land connection, so it isn’t clear how their joining the Alliance would work. Still, I believe it worth pursuing.

“Orosz is sympathetic to our views of the Narthani danger, but since the clan Conclave site is within Orosz, Hetman Orosz believes they need to maintain the appearance of neutrality in inter-clan conflicts. Similarly, the Stent and Bultecki clans are aware of the danger, though the problem there is distance and coordination.”

“What about Moreland?” asked the Wycoff boyerman. The sour look on his face made it obvious he already knew the answer.

“Hetman Moreland has assured all that Moreland will repulse any Eywellese or Narthani attack on his clan and province.” Culich managed the words with a straight face. The antipathy between the two hetmen was well-known.

Luwis spat a curse. “That ass is living proof of the dangers of primogeniture. God’s pity on the people of Moreland Clan.”

“Now, now,” snarled the Nylamir boyerman, “let’s instead pray God has mercy and arranges a tragic accident.”

Culich grimaced. “I keep hoping Hetman Moreland isn’t as stupid as he seems, and at some point he’ll realize the dangerous position of his clan. If our worse fears are realized, and Moreland is attacked, we and other clans will need to come to Moreland’s aid, no matter our opinion of Hetman Moreland.”

Though the thought of doing anything to help Moreland didn’t sit well with the boyermen or Culich, they all recognized the necessity.

“What about Stent Province?” asked Longnor Vorwich, boyerman of the Caedell district where Abersford and St. Sidryn’s were located. Hetman Welman Stent was highly regarded, and his clan was thought by Keelanders to be one of the better functioning on Caedellium. It was commonly believed that if the Stent Province wasn’t on the opposite side of Caedellium, they’d be part of the Tri-Clan Alliance.

Culich shook his head. “Stent’s a possible target. We think Moreland is more likely, but Stent would be the next probable victim. Unfortunately for Stent, they don’t have close cooperative relations with their neighboring clans. Bultecki and Vardinki might help, but so far Pewell and Swavebroke assume that since they’re far enough away from the Narthani, it’s not their problem.”

“Assholes!” was one of the milder comments from several boyermen.

“I’ll be going to Orosz City for a hetmen meeting next sixday,” Culich continued. “We’ll continue working to convince more hetmen about the seriousness of the Narthani situation at every opportunity. Though more of the hetmen are coming around, we can only pray the Narthani give us enough time for all the clans to wake up.”

With that comment, Culich moved on to more mundane matters that in other circumstances would have occupied the entire meeting.

After the boyermen left, Culich sat alone at the table until Maera changed seats to sit beside him.

“Any questions for your notes, Maera?” She would write a detailed account of the meeting, including actions each of the boyerman had committed to.

“No, Father. I have it all. I’ll write it up for your review by this evening.”

“How do you think they’re all dealing with worries about the Narthani?”

Most of the boyermen would have been surprised, if not angry, to have their performance reviewed by a woman, even if she was the hetman’s daughter.

“All will do their duties.” She paused and then, with a noticeable lightness to her voice, said, “Even Arwin.”

Belman Kulvin was boyerman of the Arwin district of Southeast Keelan and chafed at having his people helping other districts and out from under his view. Culich considered Kulvin the least among the Keelan boyermen.

“If a crisis develops, as I fear, I may have to find a new Arwin boyerman,” Culich said. “So far, he hasn’t given me enough excuse. Maybe he’ll surprise me someday.”

Culich laughed in spite of himself. It wasn’t appropriate for him to be critical of one of his boyerman with another person, but Maera was not “another person.”

He changed the subject. “You’ve seen all the reports coming out of Moreland. What do you think?”

She was blunt as always. “They’ll try to take Moreland. Besides being in a central location, the Narthani aren’t going to find a stupider hetman bordering the land they already control. When is uncertain, but most of their attention is pointed that way. It’s just a matter of time. If I had to guess, I’d say within a year, two at most.”

He grunted in disappointment, having hoped she would argue with his same assessment. He also knew she worried about Anarynd Moreland.

“Which makes all the more important the outcome of the next conclave I called at Orosz City,” Culich said. “There has to be a way to make more of the other clans understand what’s happening.”

“Do you really expect such recognition at this meeting, Father?”

“This is more a meeting out of duty and hope, rather than one with optimism. I’m obliged to try, though.” Culich’s face drew down into discouragement. “Since it’s not an All-Clan Conclave, it’s up to each clan whether it comes at all, and even if it does, who will represent it. The best I hope for is for two-thirds of the clans to be there and as many as half of the hetmen. My expectation is somewhat lower.”

“A great Caedellium philosopher once said that all a man can do is his best,” said Maera.

Culich smiled. It was something he himself was fond of saying. “Obviously, a great thinker.”

“Obviously,” replied Maera innocently.

General Akuyun scanned the new report he had just received and laid it on his desk. “Well, Morfred, everything seems to have gone well on the Buldorians’ first mainland raid.”