“It’s Alai who made them powerful,” said Peter. “The only trouble is, Alai doesn’t like the things he has to do in order to rule a totalitarian system like Islam. He’s already killed a lot more people than he wanted to. Alai’s not a killer, but he’s become one, and he likes it less and less.”

“You think he’s not going to follow Virlomi into war.”

“It’s a race,” said Peter. “Between followers of Alai who plan to kill Virlomi in order to free Alai from her influence, and fanatical Muslims who plan to kill Alai because he betrayed Islam by marrying Virlomi in the first place.”

“Do you know who the conspirators are?”

“I don’t have to,” said Peter. “If there weren’t any conspirators planning murder, it wouldn’t be a Muslim empire. And there’s another race. Can they kill Alai or Virlomi before China or Russia attacks? And even if they do kill one or both of them, will that stop China or Russia from attacking, or simply encourage them to think that victory will be more likely?”

“And is there any scenario where you’ll go to war?”

“Yes,” said Peter. “If they get rid of Virlomi, and Russia and China don’t attack, then Alai—or his successor, if they kill him, too—will be pushed into attacking Armenia and Nubia. And that’s a war I’m ready to fight. We’ll destroy them. We’ll be the rock against which Islam crashes and breaks into pieces.”

“And if Russia or China does attack them before they can turn to you, then you still profit from the war as frightened nations unite with you against either Russia or China—whichever country is seen as the aggressive, dangerous one.”

“It’s like I said,” Peter answered. “I have no idea how things will turn out. I just know that I’m ready to take advantage of every situation I can think of. And I’m watching very closely so that if something happens that I haven’t foreseen, I can take advantage of it.”

“So here’s the key question,” said Rackham. “It’s the information I came here to get.”

“I’m dying to hear.”

“How long are you going to need Bean?”

Peter thought about that one for a while. “I’ve had to make my plans knowing that he was going to die. Or, once you made your offer, leave. So the answer is, as long as I have him, of course I’ll use him, either to intimidate would-be enemies, or to command my forces when we go to war. But if he dies or leaves, I can make do. My plans don’t depend on having Bean.”

“So if he left in three months.”

“Rackham, have you already found his other children? Is that what you’re saying? Have you found them and you aren’t telling him and Petra because you think I need Bean?”

“Not all of them.”

“You’re cold. You’re such bastards,” said Peter. “You’re still using children as your tools.”

“Yes,” said Rackham. “We’re bastards. But we mean well. Just like you.”