As the men made a tight circle around the general, one
brought his face right before Linvin’s and said, “We are the ones who took this
nation from a bunch of farmers and fishermen to the foremost trading nation in
the world. We are the envy of the
world. So don’t think a victory such as
yours gives you the right to come in here and insult us, General. Heroes come and go, but noblemen always
remain.”
Linvin’s first thought was to thrash the fat bureaucrat to
near death, but he showed restraint in his muscles that did not carry over to
his lips.
“You are skilled businessmen, to be sure. However, your ears are so accustomed to
listening for the sound of dropping coins that they do not recognize common
sense. For years I have told you that
the army was too small. For years I have
warned that a serious invasion was on the horizon, yet my warnings and
petitions to raise a larger army were ignored.
We had a tremendous amount of time to prepare over the years, yet the
army actually shrank.”
“No one wanted to join the army!” yelled one of the
men. “Why take time from the monetary
pursuits to become a soldier? There’s
little profit in it.”
“And who would join the army?” asked another. “Between the merchant ships, navy, and farms,
we hardly have enough people to do the work.
We cannot afford to waste manpower in the army.”
“Waste!” Linvin yelled.
“What waste would have befallen this country if I had failed? Every man, woman and child would have been
slaughtered. Homes and fields would be
burned. Any survivors would have become
slaves. Now you call preventing such a
thing a waste of manpower?”
“You argue against yourself,” a nobleman said. “You proved us right. All this time you have asked for more men and
yet you had ample forces to complete your task.
You are an anomaly, my good general.”
“And how many men fell, who would have lived, if there had
been reinforcements?” Linvin asked. “How
many more would have lived if they had not had to fight 3 days without
rest? How many would have lived if we
could have permitted the enemy to withdraw, rather than risking everything to
destroy them utterly. The number is not
known. What is known is that there would
still be an army protecting this country instead of the few who still breathe.”
“Quiet your tongue!” snapped a nobleman. “You say too much! You see everything as black and white when
there is an obvious gray area. Even if
reinforcements were available, you have no idea of the cost associated with
their hire and training. Those are
costs, boy, that you do not see but we must live with. Think about that the next time you forget
your place!”
The king hung his head and covered his eyes. A line had been crossed and the other side
would be ugly.
Linvin was pushed too far.
His eyes caught fire when hearing his new title. In one quick movement, he grabbed the man by
the throat with a single hand and lifted him off his feet. Linvin drew him close with ease.
“Now listen to me, you pompous, arrogant sack of flesh,”
Linvin said in a firm monotone. “Your
life exists under the freedom I provide.
Your words dictate that I remove that freedom.” Linvin’s hand began to squeeze.
“That is enough!” the king ordered. “Linvin, release him at once.”
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