"Shows we're weak, after which things go poorly," Sinja said. "But if
we're going to assume failure from the start, there's not going to be
anything of use that I can offer."
Otah propped up his feet. The palaces still felt as if they were
swaying: the ghost motion of weeks aboard ship. The feeling was oddly
pleasant.
"On the other hand," he said, "if we plan to decimate the enemy with a
flower and a pillow, it's not going to help us. How strong is our fleet?
Do we have enough men to take the pirates in a fair fight?"
"If we don't have them now, we certainly won't next year when all the
sailors are a year older," Sinja said. "Even if you magically transport
every fertile girl in Galt straight to some poor bastard's bed, it will
be ten years before they can deliver us anyone strong enough to coil
rope, much less fight. If we're going to do anything, it has to be now.
We're going to grow weaker before we're strong."
"If we manage to get strong," Otah said. "And I don't know that we can
spare the ships. We have eleven cities and the gods alone know how many
low towns. We're talking about moving half a million of our men to Galt
and bringing back as many of their women."
"Well, yes, shipping out anyone we have of fighting age now won't help
the matter," Sinja said.
"Galt could do it," Danat said. "They have experience with sea wars.
They have fighting ships and the veterans."
Otah saw the considering expression on Sinja's face. He let the silence
stretch.
"I don't like it," Sinja said at last. "I don't know why I don't like
it, but I don't."
"We're still thinking of our problems as our own," Danat said. "Asking
Galt to fight our battles might seem odd, but they'd be protecting their
own land too. In a generation, Chaburi-Tan is going to be as much their
city as ours."
Otah felt an odd pressure in his chest. It was true, of course. It was
what he had spent years working to accomplish. And still, when Danat put
it in bare terms like that, it was hard for him to hear it.
"It's more than that," Sinja said.
"Is it Balasar?" Otah asked.
Sinja leaned forward, his fingers laced on his knee, his mouth set in a
scowl. At length, he spoke.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, it is."
"He's forgiven me," Otah said. "Perhaps the two of you-"
"All respect, Otah-cha," Sinja said. "You were his enemy. That's a fair
position. I broke my oath, lied to him, and killed his best captain.
He's a man who loves loyalty, and I was one of his men. It's not the same."
"Perhaps it isn't," Otah agreed.
"Balasar-cha doesn't have to be the one to lead it," Danat said. "Or,
all respect, Sinja-cha, for that."
"No, of course we don't," Sinja said. "It's not my head that's
struggling with the thought. It's just ... The boy's right, Otah-cha. A
mixed fleet, their ships and ours, sinking the pirates would be the best