"Which doesn't make a lot of sense," Lauzoril said. "He withdrew because the disaster at the Keep of Sorrows weakened him even more than us. Granted, with Springhill's aid, he's managed to stall and hurt us since, but not so severely as to shift the balance back in his favor."
"I wouldn't think so," Nevron said. "However…" he turned his gaze on Nymia Focar.
The tharchion of Pyarados looked uncomfortable at becoming the center of attention, and that was as it should be. Her withdrawal from Delhumide had been one of the more damaging missteps of the past several tendays.
She cleared her throat. "My flying scouts confirm that Szass Tam is massing troops in and around Thralgard Keep."
"Perhaps," Lauzoril said, "the necromancers are simply protecting the route we'd need to use if we tried to climb up after them."
"I doubt it," Dmitra said. "The original garrison at Thralgard was already adequate for that purpose."
The zulkir of Enchantment frowned and made a tent of his long, pale fingers. "Let's say you're correct. What's Szass Tam's objective?"
"Eltabbar, most likely," Dmitra said, plainly referring to the capital city of her tharch. "He's tried to take it repeatedly, because it hinders him moving troops in and out of High Thay, and because it poses a constant threat to any enemy host fighting in the lands to the south of it."
"Can Eltabbar withstand another siege?" Nevron asked. A demon, a spirit of war caged in an amulet dangling on his chest, stirred restlessly at the thought of such battle. Its agitation made the bronze medallion grow warm, and sent a sort of shiver across the psychic link that it shared with Nevron.
"A short one, perhaps," Dmitra said. "Last year's harvests were so meager that we don't have a great deal of food stored away, and, going by past experience, the necromancers will seed the lake with lacedons to make fishing hazardous. But in any case, I don't want to defend against a siege. I want to meet Szass Tam's legions as they descend from the heights."
"Because the road down is narrow," said Thessaloni Canos, "and they can come only a few at a time." Tall even for a Mulan woman, the governor of the island tharch known as the Alaor and Thay's most capable admiral, she had a pleasant face, hooded green eyes, and weather-beaten skin. She wore scale armor and ornaments of coral, pearl, and scrimshaw, and her tattooing followed the same aquatic motif.
Dmitra gave Thessaloni a smile and a nod. "Exactly so. Obviously, it would be even better if the necromancers were clambering uphill, but we should still enjoy a tactical advantage."
Samas Kul grunted. It made his jowls quiver. "What happened to isolating High Thay and its legions? I liked that plan."
Lauzoril pursed his lips. "I don't suppose you can isolate them if they're absolutely resolved to come down. Not until you push them back up again."
"We could if we destroyed the roads that connect the Plateau of Ruthammar with the lands below," Samas said. "I've been pondering the problem. The evokers could send a vibration through the cliffs to break them apart, or the conjurors could summon a host of earth elementals."
"But we won't," Nevron said. "We won't attempt anything that ambitious and accordingly hazardous while sorcery is unreliable. If you think it's a good idea, then you transmuters give it a try. Turn the slopes under the roads into air. Just don't whine to me when the magic rebounds on you and obliterates your followers instead."
Samas pouted. "All right. If you think it's impractical, I withdraw the suggestion."
"The question we need to answer," Nevron said, "is why would Szass Tam make this particular move now? Why does he imagine it will work? Does he believe he can march his army down the Third Escarpment without us noticing?"
Aoth Fezim lifted his hand.
The griffon rider had botched the attempt to apprehend Malark Springhill, but he was also the man who'd discovered the spymaster's treason in the first place. Nevron supposed that on the whole, he was less useless than many of the weaklings and imbeciles assembled in the council chamber. "Yes, Captain?"
"I guarantee you, Your Omnipotence, the necromancers see our scouts in the air. They realize they can't head down without us knowing. What they hope is that they can bring up troops from the Keep of Sorrows to secure the base of the descent, or, if we get there first, to attack our flank while we're trying to kill the warriors coming down from the heights."
"I see that," Lauzoril said. "Still, why attempt such a risky ploy now? Szass Tam can't possibly have rebuilt his strength already."
"Desperation?" Dmitra said. "He is weaker now than at any time since the war began, and Eltabbar is a big city. If he takes it, he can slaughter the populace and turn them into walking dead to replace the troops he's lost."
Lallara laughed a nasty laugh. "Didn't we already sing this song earlier this year? Oh joy, oh joy, through impatience, desperation, or whatever, the lich has miscalculated at last. Let's commit our strength and crush him. Except that it didn't turn out that way. We walked into a snare, and only the coming of the blue fire saved us from utter defeat."
"No one respects Szass Tam's brilliance more than I," Dmitra said. "But we can't be afraid to try to outthink him, nor to act decisively when we see an opportunity."
"I'm not afraid," Lallara snapped. "But we lost plenty of men at the Keep of Sorrows, and more when your servant wrecked the subsequent campaign. Perhaps it's time to assume a defensive posture and rebuild our own strength."
"It's already summer," Dmitra said. "In essence, you're talking about finishing out the year with another series of inconsequential moves and countermoves. While Thay starves and the necromancers rebuild their own legions with warriors who have no need to eat. While the realm burns and shakes to pieces, and we do nothing to arrest the destruction because we're too busy prosecuting a war we're unable to end."
"We don't know," Samas said, "how much longer the blue fires will burn and the earth will shudder. It could all stop tomorrow."
"And it might not."
"I think," Nevron said, "that we should allow Szass Tam to squander resources he can ill afford in what will surely prove a futile attempt to take Eltabbar." And if by chance the lich did overwhelm it, at least the loss would injure Dmitra more than the rest of them. "Meanwhile, we'll retake the rest of the tharch, lay waste to Delhumide, and relieve the city if necessary."
"I concur," Lauzoril said.
"So do I," Lallara said. "For once, let's not do the stupid thing."
Samas Kul nodded. "Once we pacify the far north, we can bring all our strength to bear to deal with the armies of High Thay and the Keep of Sorrows."
As Nevron had assumed they would, Zola Sethrakt and Kumed Hahpret chimed in to support the majority point of view. With luck, it meant that henceforth, he would exert the greatest influence over the council, and he gave Dmitra a gloating smile. She responded with a slight and somehow condescending shake of her head, as if to convey that he was a fool to worry about precedence when it was essential that they make the right decision.
For a moment, he felt a pang of foreboding, but the feeling faded quickly. He and the others were making the right decision. She was the one who was misguided, and even if she weren't, a man's own position and power were never irrelevant to any deliberation.
"It seems we have a plan," he said. "It only remains-"
A shimmer of yellow flame crawling on his crown and shoulders, Iphegor Nath rose from his seat. "I've already explained," he said, "that the Firelord wishes us to assail the necromancers relentlessly."
"As we will," Nevron said, "but guided by a prudent strategy."
"If you mean to pass up an opportunity to smash the legions of High Thay-"