Jackal Among Snakes

If Argrave were to return Therapont’s slander with insults of his own, he expected a singular outcome. The dwarves present would view his words not just as an attack against his opponent, but all dwarves. Even if their offense was subconscious rather than conscious, that route was doomed from the beginning, and he would be seen as the malignant attacker that Therapont painted him as.

This was the senator’s trap, and Melanie’s spying had confirmed that. Therapont desperately hoped for Argrave to return slander with slander—whether to attack him, or to attack their government, or to attack their people. It was an infuriatingly effective method, too. Therapont stated facts but left them incomplete and twisted, encouraging Argrave to correct the record and confirm all he’d said.

But then, this was not a rebuttal. This was an opening argument. And Argrave intended to keep it as such.

“I believe a certain level of context is in order, people of the senate. I have a rather singular goal. I’ve been working toward it for some time. It’s not making Vasquer great, nor defeating Gerechtigkeit. I believe many of you today here have already achieved my goal, in fact. My biggest desire is to get very rich, leave a legacy I can be proud of, and then spend the rest of my long days being happy with my family. Because if there’s one thing I hate, that’s worrying.”

Argrave stepped around the central platform. “I didn’t like worrying about how the kingdom would turn out if I didn’t get involved, so I got involved. I didn’t like worrying if the tribals from the Burnt Desert would invade and ruin countless lives I cared for, so I allied with their king at great personal expense. My whole life, shamefully enough, is driven by fear of what might be. I have been terrified every step of the way, but I kept going. The alternative for all of my choices was death. I’m not a victor. I’m just alive. That’s how I ought to be remembered, if the chroniclers are honest.

“The reason I came to you, one retainer at my side, has once again been because of my abject worry. The simple fact is, my generation has been given the burden of deciding whether or not the world is fit to continue existing. Every single day, I question whether my work has been good enough, if my efforts have been sufficient. Because the cost of failure is far bigger than myself. It is all. It is everything.”

Argrave placed his hands to his chest. “What I’m saying, senators, is that I understand your reservations. You have built a life for yourself that I frankly envy, and what I ask may jeopardize that if I am indeed the velvet glove concealing the iron fist. But I fear I alone am not enough for the task. Whether that task is abolishing our centuries-old monarchy, or defeating Gerechtigkeit, I desperately need help.”

He finally looked at Therapont. “If you trust in my generation’s ability to stand against Gerechtigkeit as we are… I’m flattered. I lack your certainty. And with his malignant energy brewing in the magma of the planet core, I am utterly without options to save my people without your assistance. It may be the end of us. And I fear that it will be the end of you, too.”

Argrave’s attack was not a vicious ribbing. It was a stark reminder of the consequences of their action or inaction. It was an utterly disarming conclusion that left them with only one option—to trust Argrave. Either they trusted him to fight Gerechtigkeit as he was, or they trusted Argrave enough to be his ally. Regardless, he felt he had suitably reminded them that they, too, still lived on this planet, even buried in it as they were.

“Does that conclude your opening, Argrave?” Alexius asked.

“It does.”

your debate begin,” Alexius gestured

beard. “I notice you did not refute any of what

Argrave retorted calmly. “You neglected to mention my father blinded and crippled my sister, for instance. You neglected to mention that the Burnt Desert joined with Vasquer by an

himself denies none of what I said—he accepts that his parliament has never refused him, and that its ranks are

a revolt among free dwarven miners and landowners, killing tens of thousands in the process. If I nullified my kingdom, do you think my people, which have lived like this for seven hundred years, would so peaceably accept it? No—Vasquer would fragment into petty kingdoms as a thousand lords vied to retain tradition. It would

rebuild—that the transition to another form of governance in untenable in wake of the chaos wrought. And how long will that take? Ten years? Twenty? Who is to say if the parliament will even exist, in so many years? It is a young institution, with no

think coming here, largely unguarded, should aptly demonstrate what I think of my status, of my value as so-called ‘nobility.’ I am a bastard born out of wedlock—by Vasquer law, not royalty. I consider myself nothing more than a soldier fighting an invader—Gerechtigkeit. I think my earnestness is in plain display as I stand here, today, among people

other nations using your blood.” Therapont pointed. “Your wife is daughter to the patriarch of the snow elves. Your sister is wed to the King of the Scorched Sands—my own son bore witness to their union. I ask you—do these seem like the actions of one ready and willing to dismantle the monarchy?! And even if you were, would your allies stand idly by and let it happen? No, I say. Your bloodline has

so cogently that Argrave felt doubt creep in. He did not believe he could convince this crowd

fealty to me.” Argrave dipped as head. “Still, I share your concern, and that is why I seek dwarven aid. I admire the government that Alexander established here in Mundi, and if I could be half so lucky

smiled. “In simpler terms, you have no retort. Your blood is tied with your nation inexorably, sealing alliances and

seconds, then continued, “But I will admit, it’s not an alliance made in the manner I had hoped. There are far more preferable methods to tie nations together—methods I hope to employ here, calling upon new ideas. Better ideas. Diplomacy should not be a one-time exchange to establish a treaty. Instead, I intend for it to be more. I intend to

so deftly diverted away from the matter of bloodlines, and he stroked his beard a little fiercely before asking,

in an autonomous zone in the capital—an embassy. There, your diplomats may bear witness to and advise the parliament

threw back his head and laughed. “And you would expect the same privilege for your people as well, I presume?

head. “Though I would give you access to our government, I would not expect it in kind. Trust is to be earned—this I understand. I am prepared to show you the very heart of my state. In time, it is my hope that the trust

ask for dwarven hostages,