He and Mantas had a brief eye-rapier fencing battle. Mantas broke contact, glanced away. The younger dragon rolled his eyes, indicating that he ended the confrontation merely to save time, not because he was in any way intimidated. Draconas gave an inward sigh and plunged ahead.

“Our first order of business is to elect a new minister.”

“There is no need. “We have a Minister,” Reyal, one of the female dragons, stated in colors of ice-blue. “Anora is our Minister.”

“She has betrayed us!” Nionan, a female who had always liked humans, struck in. “Anora has forfeited her right to rule over us.”

“She did not betray us,” Litard retorted. “She is trying to save us. Draconas is the traitor. He has betrayed his own kind to side with the humans who would destroy us—”

Nionan’s colors flared orange. Litard snarled and a brawl of minds broke out in the Hall. Colors swirled and clashed in the center of the cavern. Dragons shifted positions, leaving their accustomed places to form factions. Lysira and Nionan hastened to Draconas’s side. So did the elderly Malfiesto, who, unfortunately, took this opportunity to start lecturing the young hot-heads on their sins.

Into this miasma, Draconas dropped the image of the human city of New Bramfells. He showed the dragons the flames, the destruction, the dying humans. He held up before them the image of the dragon warriors, and he displayed their power. The dragons watched, some grieved and shocked, some impassive, and at least one grimly pleased.

“It is not ordinary humans who will destroy us,” Draconas told them. “These humans are the enemy, these with dragon-blood in their veins and dragon-magic in that blood. Not long ago, all of you were appalled at the very suggestion that such a terrible crossbreeding might occur. Now some of you promote it.”

“Such humans can be easily controlled by us,” said Mantas, who had become the leader of the opposition. “We have let humans go their own way too long. It was all well and good when they were killing each other, but now they threaten us. Maristara is right. They need to be controlled. Brought under our wise ruler-ship. Told what to do.”

“No human has ever done what he was told,” said Draconas dryly. “I see no reason why they should start now. Even those with the dragon-blood will go their own way soon enough, and then how will you bring them to heel? For they will fight you with your own weapons!”

Arguments broke out again, and the colors blazed hotter and led nowhere.

“Listen to me!” Draconas thundered and, though many cast him baleful glances, they subsided to hear what he had to say. “Another human city is going to be attacked and destroyed as was New Bramfells. Thousands more humans will die.”

“Those with the cannons,” said Mantas coolly.