Page 139 of The Queens and the Kings
“Could be sky.”
“But that’s Himmel.”
“Who is Himmel?”
Einar growled, “The Arcanist of Sky! But . . . I don’t know anything about her power. I’m guessing.”
Henrik muttered, “We need to talk to Pedr. This revelation on the arcane completely changes everything.”
“His Glory has been pretending like the arcane doesn’t work on Stenberg,” Einar spat. “I’ll string that bastid up with his own whip.”
After several moments of silence, Arvid spoke up from behind. “You said that Pedr’s rowboat is arcane?”
Over his shoulder, Einar called, “Yes.”
“It doesn’t require a certain proximity or presence to Pedr?”
“Don’t think so.”
Another pause, then, “I have an idea.”
Einar and Henrik stopped in the middle of the road. Arvid shoved his hands into their backs to propel them forward.
“Keep moving. I’ll explain on the water, then we’ll take it to Nils.”
Nils stared at Arvid.
Arvid stared at Nils.
Two hours had passed since they rowed out to the navy ship, climbed aboard, and explained Arvid’s plan. While Einar and Henrik waited for Nils to pass judgment, the world passed by.
One tick at a time.
A familiar chorus of sailor shouts, clattering bells, and long-lost waves filled the background. The soundscape rang like aslow and easy swell, the seascape accented by the smell of pitch and sulfur. Unwashed bodies spirited around, filling the air with their gut-churning smell.
Nils studied the plan Arvid had detailed with a hand over his mouth, gaze tapered as he considered the shoddy drawings. Triangles represented various ships belonging to the mainland armada. Mostly galleons, and a few ships of the line tossed in, just for cannon power. Arvid’s plan forwent the lighter, faster frigates, accommodating the space and depth of the larger vessels.
The plan was clear enough: stay out of sight, surround Stenberg, use rowboats and canoes to empty the island and remove as many innocent citizens as they could. Several thousand, at least. Old Man started sending women and children out with merchant ships when he could sneak them in, sending them to Kapurnick. Sometimes Narpurra. Mostly, the barrier islands just outside of Stenberg.
With half of Stenberg covered in jungle and rock on the eastern side, they stood a fair chance to empty a good chunk of the population. Stenberg’s population was bigger than most, but not the biggest.
When they mitigated risk on citizens as much as possible, attack.
Utterly.
If the soldats couldn’t destroy His Glory, the mainland had full permission to make sure His Glory didn’t survive.
No matter what.
Nils had a wild amount of unknowns to consider. The number of Stenberg citizens to expect, the state of the water. Bad weather could turn this plan into a slaughter, so they might have to abort before arrival.
But it did have a prayer of eliminating His Glory amidst whatever protective arcane elements he might be using.
A slim one.
Nils readjusted his lips several times, as if his teeth made him uncomfortable. Thus far, he’d offered no ideas. No counter plans. This plan might not be comprehensive or easy, but it was something. War requiredsomethingmore often than it required perfection.
“We’ll do it,” he said. Over his shoulder, he barked, “Outfit the rowboat. Fresh water, hardtack, three blankets, and a compass. Enough food for three days. Now!”
