"Your lips do not move, but your thoughts are so loud that I would be able to hear them even if I was sitting on the Mainland! You're trying to think of ways in which this can backfire on me, aren't you?"
Jonah blinked, and that was enough to give him away.
"Ha! Typical. Well, out with it. What have you thought of so far?"
She asked this in an extremely relaxed manner, but Jonah wasn't buying it. Ten minutes had passed since the conversation with the families had ended, and in all that time, the Bishop had not moved an inch. He didn't even know when she had turned toward him to study him enough to know about what he was thinking, and of course, she was right about what she had guessed.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, unsure whether he should make the choice to answer her. He cursed himself after that, though, as this was nothing compared to all the things he had done so far.
"Two things occurred to me. First, my disciple has the TriCobra sect on his side. He can decide to use them to directly contact the families you have just spoken to and offer them their sons and daughters back, unharmed, in return for not helping you. The TriCobra sect even has experience in brokering such matters, so it can go through them to appear valid. This way, you will remain in an extremely weakened state."
He paused as he saw her smile, but instead of saying anything, she just nodded and waved her hand, signaling him to continue.
"The second is bolder. After the reinforcements set out, he can have the TriCobra sect attack them while they're on their way. The sect may not even be the ones who do it-there are many enemies of the Church who are searching for vulnerable points that they can exploit to weaken their enemy, so if the information is made public, I don't think there would be any dearth of warriors. This will also accomplish the task of weakening the lofty pride that comes with being at the top that the Church enjoys, which I expect is being targeted by the TriCobra sect anyway as they have stepped in to attack one of the Saints. There are a few other ways that I can think of… but these are the best ones that I would pursue if I were in my disciple's shoes."
For a few moments, it almost seemed as if he had hit the brief. The Bishop just stared at him, her eyes shining with an emotion that he could not perceive. Yet, after a few seconds passed… she burst out laughing and made the hope that had come on Jonah's face without him even realizing it disappear in a flash.
"I couldn't resist… giving hope and then taking it away is so much fun! That's exactly what I did in the case of your continent, so I wish I could see your disciple's face, right now. Your first method is absurd, as the ancillary families would never dare to openly go against the Church. The Church is the crux they use to keep control of the area they are in charge of. If there is even a hint of them betraying their benefactor… there are many countermeasures in place that can massacre them before they even draw another breath. The same can be said about all the talented members of the Church, which include the commanders, so there is no way that they can go against me in any manner without dying first. As for your second method… it has promise, definitely, but you know nothing about the affairs of Saints and Paragons. There is a gentle balance that exists between all of those in that realm. In its absence, only widespread death and destruction would be present, and no Saint would ever have the peace of mind to train or do what they wish. The Paragons of the TriCobra sect broke this balance when they attacked. They might have gained a lot by doing so… but they have opened themselves up for retaliation. Any of their forces are ripe for being targeted by the Saints of the Church right now…and that applies for anyone who takes up their contracts, too. I've heard that they prepared for this, so they've all holed up in their safe houses. None of them will dare to step out for even minor missions, and what you speak of would be a major undertaking. If they are foolish enough to still try a stunt like that… only death awaits them. Did you really expect that I didn't think of all these things before making my move? Fool."
Like cannonballs being shot in his direction, each of the words hit him and almost made him stagger as he quickly saw the hope for Angaria dwindle away. The trust that he had in his disciple still held strong, though, so he clung to the belief that Daneel would find a way where he hadn't.
She seemed to have heard this, too, as she said, "You don't get it. And I expect that it should be the same in the case of your disciple, too. You see… there is a certain protocol that exists for these situations. The Church is constantly at war, so sons and daughters being taken as hostages is nothing new. Most of the time, they do not return, but still, support is always given… do you know why? It's because the measly amount of resources they pledge mean nothing to them, and in return, they ensure the confidence of all the others roaming on the Mainland! Besides, you are wrong about how the help would arrive, too. In these cases, the families replenish the resources of the war effort directly, which means that I could ask for anything I wished. After careful consideration, I decided on another regiment of the Chameleon corps. That has successfully quenched the rebellious thoughts of those outside. Didn't you realize that they've fallen silent? Everything is falling into place. I don't see any purpose behind waiting further, so we attack as soon as they arrive. Now, shut up for a while."
He felt the spell that closed his mouth activate again, but this time, Jonah welcomed it as he really had nothing to say.
She disappeared soon after, but as he hadn't been given permission to follow her, he could only sit in his chair, surrounded by the viscera of the analysts who all seemed to be enjoying his disappointment. His mind kept plodding along, trying to think of even more ways that might not have occurred to the Bishop, but he failed as he kept being distracted by sounds from the outside that he could not explain. He heard heavy doors being opened, heavy objects thudding down on solid ground, and heavy carts being transported to different parts of the headquarters. At one point, he heard a loud cheer go up which meant that she hadn't been wrong: the reinforcements had arrived successfully, and it seemed that they would have no difficulty in merging with the leftovers of the third wave. A few minutes after that, he almost swore that he heard the sound of countless people screaming, but he put this up to his imagination as it was so faint that he had difficulty deciding whether it had been the desolation in his own mind playing tricks on him.
Two hours after her departure, the Bishop appeared back in the room. By then, Jonah had grown so anxious that he was standing near the door, straining his ears to see whether he could figure out what was happening outside by standing closer to the source of all the sounds echoing all over the headquarters. She did not laugh, this time, but she did raise a hand in his direction and made him teleport along with her.
They arrived in the open air, below the sky that had been tamed once again by an Artefact that he did not see. At first, he only looked in front of him, so all he saw was the broad expanse of the Sea. Far away, in the distance, he could tell that there was the invisible barrier that separated the rest of the world from his secluded home, and right now, it seemed that they were ready to set off toward it.
He dreaded the notion of turning around, but he did so anyway without too much hesitation. Even though he had expected the sight that would be waiting for him, it still took his breath away.
2000 men and women of various sizes and colors stood in disorderly ranks, their silver cassocks fluttering in the waves of wind that buffeted all those who stood above the Sea. Behind them, four massive, shapeless masses of darkness were present, each the size of a mountain on Angaria.
He had feared that she still had a few last cards up her sleeve, and he had been right. The Bishop was truly pulling out all stops, and standing beside him, she gave voice to this thought as he looked on with his heart in his throat.
"It's all or nothing, now. Either I return with victory… or I better not return, at all. Get excited, dear master. The last battle that has been coming my way for so long is finally here. Who will live, and who will die? Only one way to find out. Move out!"
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