There was a nervous silence. The High Consul cleared his throat. “On what basis, Your Highness?”

“You’ll think of something.”

Loaded glances crossed the table. “But… Sipani has long been considered neutral.”

“The Snake of Talins once captured the city,” grumbled Lorsen, “but even

she did not presume to keep it. We would provoke a furious response

from the Styrians—”

“I’m bloody counting on it,” said Leo.

Glaward and Heugen nodded along, but even Jurand didn’t look convinced. He’d gone from the bloody begging look to the bloody pained look. Next he’d be quoting Stolicus on the virtues of patience.

Savine looked evenly at him down the table. “King Jezal fought three wars against the Styrians. All he achieved was to waste millions, kill thousands and pour the Union’s prestige down the sewer. We must modernise our military, undoubtedly. We must protect our interests, of course. But we have far more to gain through trade with Styria than war. I suggest we invite King Jappo on a state visit to Adua to discuss areas of mutual interest—”

“What mutual interest could we have with that fucking degenerate?” sneered Leo.

“Styria is a growing market,” observed Kort, jowls wobbling.

“Tremendous opportunities,” burbled Curnsbick.

“It could be… a pragmatic solution,” grated Arch Lector Lorsen.

Savine shrugged. “Sometimes there are better ways to get what you want than through force.”

Perhaps there were, but Leo wasn’t interested in them, and he certainly wasn’t interested in wasting more breath on the subject. “Let’s put it to a vote,” he snapped. “Those in favour of laying claim to Sipani?”

He threw up a careless hand and arms shot up along with it. Jurand’s, Glaward’s, Lord Heugen’s… but that was all. Further down the table, no one moved. Leo stared at them, unable to believe it. It was like Stoffenbeck all over again, looking out as the sun came up, sure of victory, and finding to his cold dismay the enemy had been reinforced.

As if to rub it in, Savine let the silence stretch a few more awkward moments before she calmly spoke. “Those in favour of a state visit?”

Hands went up more slowly, but no less decisively, and there were a lot more of them. It was no surprise that Savine’s four stooges might want to vote her way, but it was a shock they had the guts to do it. It was an even bigger one that Flassenbeck and Lorsen might dare to defy him, but Leo supposed you should never trust bureaucrats, especially those who’ve survived purges. It was the final betrayal that truly beggared belief, though. Lord Chancellor Isher, in the seat Leo had just given him, politely raised his braid-heavy arm.

“What do you think you’re doing?” whispered Leo.

Isher cleared his throat. “Agreeing with Her Highness the Lady Regent,” he droned, careful not to meet Leo’s eye. “We have far more to gain through trade with Styria than war.”

Meaning he had more to gain. Leo wanted to call him a backstabbing coward to his face, then demand to know what Savine had bribed him with, but he was so flabbergasted he couldn’t find the breath. He looked across at Jurand, and Jurand stared back, pale with shock. Evidently this was one outflanking that a careful study of Stolicus hadn’t prepared him for.