A shout of approval roared throughout the room, each man thinking of what could happen to his clan, his family, his children, his wife. Culich noted that not all clans cheered. The Vandinke, Nyvaks, and Seaborn delegations remained silent.
The Morelander abbot finished his brief statement. “Moreland supports the proposal of Keelan. We put every living creature in Moreland at the disposal of a united Caedellium front against the Narthani.”
Murmuring slowly rose as members within delegations talked among themselves and carried on exchanges between clans. Orosz let this continue for a minute, then drew their attention by striking the small gong that functioned as his symbol and tool when chairing conclaves.
In a formal tone of voice, he said, “Leaders of all the Caedellium clans, there have been two proposals placed before the conclave. Are there any other proposals?”
Some hetmen looked around, others simply straight ahead.
“Two proposals have been submitted. One is to unite all the clans under a centralized command where decisions on fighting the Narthani are made by a group of four hetmen, with Yozef Kolsko serving to advise and break tied decisions. The second proposal is to try to negotiate with the Narthani. I submit that there is a third alternative, which is that each clan be free to resist or negotiate as they see fit. Are there any comments before we vote?”
Orosz looked around. Most delegate leaders nodded or voiced agreement.
“Let us vote on the second proposal, that our main effort will be to negotiate with the Narthani. All hetmen in agreement raise an arm.”
Four men at the table raised their hands: Nyvaks, Pawell, Seaborn, and Bevans.
“All opposed to the main effort being to negotiate, raise an arm.”
Ten hands were raised.
“There being four clans who did not vote, by custom they have indicated they do not have a strong opinion either way and will support the majority. The vote being ten to five, the proposal to negotiate with the Narthani is rejected.
“Another proposal is that the Narthani are to be resisted by force or negotiated with and that each clan is free to do what they believe is necessary, either alone or with other clans they have allied with. All those in favor, raise an arm.”
Three hands were raised.
“All those opposed to each clan being free to resist the Narthani independent of the clans, raise an arm.”
Twelve hands were raised.
“The three clans not voting are assumed to have no strong opinion and will abide by majority. The vote being three for and twelve against, the proposal for each clan to resist the Narthani as they see fit is rejected.”
Orosz didn’t comment on clans casting contradictory votes.
“The third and final proposal is that the Narthani will be resisted by all means and that the resistance will be coordinated by a central command where decisions are made by a group of four, selected by this conclave, with Yozef Kolsko as adviser. All those in favor, raise a hand.”
Fourteen hands were raised.
“All those opposed to a central command and decision making to resist the Narthani, raise a hand.”
Two hands were raised: Nyvaks and Vandinke. Pawell and Seaborn had abstained.
“The two clans not voting are assumed to have no strong opinion and will abide by the majority. The vote being fourteen to two, the proposal to resist the Narthani by creating a central command and control to which all clans are required to obey is accepted.”
The air in the room had been heavy and quiet during the voting. Now, with the voting finished and the path decided, the room exploded in sound. Cheers and support from the supporters, curses and worse from the dissenters. Orosz let this continue for several minutes to allow them to exhaust their initial spleen or enthusiasm, then used the gong to override the noise.
“Hetmen and representatives . . . Quiet. Quiet!!”
The noise gradually subsided.
“The decision now is how to select the four men to serve on the decision-making committee.”
The Nyvaks hetman was red-faced, but Vandinke spoke first. “The fourteen votes are not enough to mandate compliance. From a recent conclave, the number was agreed to be sixteen.”
“That is correct, Hetman Vandinke. No clan is under compulsion. However, I can assure you that the fourteen clans approving Hetman Keelan’s proposal will carry on without those who voted against. Or abstained,” Orosz said, with a pointed look at the Seaborn and Pawell delegations.
The Pawell hetman rose. “After seeing that most of the clans support the proposal, Pawell does not see how it can stand aside. No matter my preference, my clan will be impacted. Therefore, reluctantly, I change my vote and now support the Keelan proposal.”
Turmoil broke out again. Yozef had kept his eye on the Seaborn and Vandinke delegations. He agreed with Culich and Maera that Nyvaks was probably hopeless. Seaborn had the smallest delegation—only five men, because they had to run the waters between their islands and Caedellium in a small craft to avoid the Narthani patrols. The five Seaborners had their heads touching in a circle. After several minutes, the heads drew apart, and the Seaborn hetman rose to be recognized. Orosz struck the gong several times before the hubbub died enough that he could formally recognize Hetman Seaborn.
“Hetman Orosz, after consulting with the rest of the Seaborn delegation, and after seeing the commitment of other clans, Seaborn has reconsidered its position. Although we do not see clearly how we can contribute to fighting the Narthani, because of the waters separating us and the need to protect our own people, Seaborn does not want to be known for having blocked the will of most clans. Therefore, Seaborn now votes to support the Keelan proposal for a unified command.”
The Nyvaks hetman jumped to his feet. “You can decide whatever you want, but Nyvaks will never be ordered by anyone outside our clan!” he exclaimed and made a move to leave the room. He was stopped by the Orosz hetman, whose voice took on a more authoritative and menacing tone.
“You are free the leave the conclave. But the vote is now sixteen in favor and two opposed, and the unified command against the Narthani is approved. This decision is binding on Nyvaks, as are any related decisions made after you leave. Nyvaks will accept the decision of the conclave or be considered outcast.”
Many of the hetman were stunned by the intensity and content of Orosz’s words. By the Conclave of Nordwyn more than a hundred years previous, all of the clans had sworn to follow the agreed-on customs and rules of the conclave. The most important feature was that no clan be allowed to flaunt the will of the conclave on pain of not just being outcast, but being without protection of the conclave. The clan would then be subject to compulsion by any means possible, which all knew meant facing the potential of fighting all other clans together—something no clan, no matter how strong, could survive. This condition had been invoked only once, soon after the conclave system was established—until now.
Culich could see that invoking the threat of being outcast had not gone well with all other clan leaders. Perhaps two-thirds seemed to approve or at least accept, but the others showed different degrees of discomfort. Yet he could see that all the major clans agreed.
The Nyvaks hetman glared at Orosz for some moments, then sat back down, still glaring. Finally, he said in a grating tone, “And how long would this committee exist?”
Culich answered. “Only until the Narthani are defeated. After that, another conclave can decide to dissolve the committee and make any other needed decisions.”
That seemed to mollify Nyvaks and some of the other hetmen—including several who had shown support for the unified command but were not pleased by the outcast threat.
Orosz continued to the next decision—membership of the committee of four. By prearranged agreement, the new Skouks hetman nominated Feren Bakalacs of Farkesh and indicated the support of Bultecki. There were no dissenters. Likewise, Gwillamer spoke up for Culich to represent the Five-Clan Alliance. Again, there were no arguments aga
inst. It was then that Culich nominated Welman Stent, to no objections. The fourth was not as preordained. Nyvaks tried to nominate himself, which went nowhere and only deepened his resentment—not that any other clan leader cared. Orosz was mentioned but declined, based on his feeling that Orosz’s existing role as neutral conclave moderator meant another clan should complete the committee. His feeling was beaten back by the lack of other obvious candidates and support by Bultecki and Moreland. In addition, it was pointed out that he could serve to ensure that no more intrusion into internal clan affairs would occur than necessary—an argument that even Nyvaks grudgingly accepted. Thus, the committee of four was set to oversee the fight against the expected Narthani: the hetmen of Farkesh, Keelan, Orosz, and Stent. It was also agreed that Orosz would serve as the head of the committee only so far as organization and meeting operations.
Hetman Orosz had one more detail to cover. “Hetmen, before we move on, I want us all to understand what we have committed to. Until the Narthani threat is over, all decisions will come from the council. There will be no more All-Clan Conclaves until the Narthani are gone from Caedellium.”
Orosz’s statement was expected by most hetmen, and the few who were surprised by his statement accepted the necessity after moments of reflection.
With the main decision made, Culich addressed what to call the commanding committee. “I suggest that to show that the committee exists only to fight the Narthani, and to give it an appropriate name, we call the committee the Caedellium War Council—or, simply, War Council.”
There were no objections, and thus was born the Caedellium War Council—the first entity to exercise overall control of anything in the island’s history.
With no objections to his proposal to name the council, Culich continued. “I think it wise that we take as much advantage as we can that all clans are here represented. I suggest that the War Council meet separately today and the entire conclave reconvene tomorrow. I know some of us would like to return to our provinces, but several more days of discussions and planning seem justified, given the seriousness of what we are about to undertake.”
There were no objections, and Orosz asked if people had any more questions or statements before the general conclave adjourned until the next day. A single arm was raised by the Swavebroke hetman—who had not spoken yet that day.
“This Yozef Kolsko. We have all heard the tales about him. He is going to advise the council and have a tie-breaking vote, yet what exactly is known about him? This is an important position for someone not even of Caedellium.”
Bevens voiced another question in many minds. “Rumors spread that he is a Septarsh—one to whom God whispers. Is this merely fantastic chatter, or is there some truth to it?”
Orosz looked to Culich to answer. “This being a sensitive subject, at least for some of us, I’ll ask Ser Kolsko to leave the conclave for the moment, so the rest of us can discuss Hetman Swavebroke’s question more openly.” Culich looked at Yozef. “If you don’t mind, Ser Kolsko?”
Yozef had been startled by the question. He’d come to accept the rumors but had not expected a full-blown open discussion of his Septarshhood. “Of course, Hetman Keelan. I’ll be outside.”
He rose and walked out of the room, conscious of stares and whispers.
Once Yozef was gone, Culich continued. “First, let me say that however Yozef Kolsko came to Caedellium, he now is of Caedellium. He is formally a member of the Keelan Clan and is married to my eldest daughter and now father of my first grandson. I assume you all know of his influences since arriving so mysteriously to our shore. The ether and the kerosene alone have changed our peoples’ lives for the better. Whatever accounts you may have heard about his role in defending St. Sidryn’s Abbey from the Buldorian sea raiders, it needs to be made clear he played a major role in repulsing the raid. There is also no question of his critical role in the Battle of Moreland City. Only God can know if we would have been victorious without his advice. I, for one, have serious doubts we would have driven the Narthani back, and even if we had, our losses would have been far greater. I also have experience with him during the last year and some of you also. Is he a Septarsh? I don’t know. However, we have placed that very question to another and have asked him to address the conclave.”
Culich nodded to Denes by the side door. Denes opened the door, said something to unseen persons outside, and a moment later a short old man walked in. The response of people in the room was palpable, as if the level of tension physically lowered. It was Rhaedri Brison. Though not everyone at the conclave had met him, many had, and all knew with what reverence he was held.
The elderly theophist used a walking stick, and his physical appearance suggested frailness. Yet there was no weakness evident when he faced the conclave and spoke. “Although I have no place at this conclave, hetmen Keelan and Orosz have asked me to speak to you about this Yozef Kolsko. I assume it is because of the rumors that he is a Septarsh—one to whom God whispers. I have spent a very delightful afternoon with Yozef. We spoke of many things. Of God, of the dangers of the Narthani, of the nature of things, of good and evil—it was quite interesting.
“He and I did not always agree. He does not worship God as I do or as I suspect most of you do. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that he is a good man. God’s grace does not only fall to those who openly recognize and worship him. One can even deny the existence of God but by one’s actions prove worthy of God’s grace. This is something that many people do not understand, but I say to you that it is true.
“Yet even if he is good . . . is he a Septarsh? The Word does not mention the existence of any such being or person as a Septarsh. Understand that this is part of our mythology—something that the history and lore of our people have come to include in our mysteries and that appears several times in the Commentaries on the Word. Is this incompatible with the Word? Not at all. Septarsh can also simply be viewed as a word we use to describe someone who does good and great deeds. There is no restriction on what kind of deeds. Yes, it can be those of a great warrior who leads a struggle against evil. It can be a theophist or another holy man who has insights into how we can approach God. It can be a peacemaker. In our histories, Kelvin Orlyn is considered a Septarsh because he pulled the clans together in the Treaty of Nordwyn and ended the internecine fighting among clans. A scholastic might also be considered a Septarsh, if we honor him in how we think about the nature of our world.
“So . . . what about Yozef? He is clearly not a warrior. Not that he cannot fight, because he has shown that he can. But he hates violence and considers it in most cases a failure to settle disputes by peaceful methods. He is certainly not a religious person, not in the formal sense as we think of it. Although I must say that I suspect he is closer to God than some theophists. Then we come to peacemakers. It may seem strange to consider the topic of making peace when you are discussing a great war. But are you not here uniting your efforts against a common foe? If you manage to drive out the Narthani, I would predict that the cooperation and mutual help among clans in the future will be greater than ever before, and Yozef has already had a hand in this by his past deeds.
“Still, he brings to us two other important aspects. First is that he comes to us from a different culture—wherever that may be—from a people who share many of our basic values but come from a different origin. It cannot be too greatly emphasized that we have difficulty understanding ourselves if we have nothing to compare our people to. He gives us such a comparison.
“Then we come to the last and, I believe, most important aspect of Yozef. His knowledge. Knowledge that he freely shares with us and that can bring him enormous wealth and power, should he choose. But he doesn’t. Yes, he is wealthy by any standards, but he spreads the wealth out among his workers, friends, and everyone in general. Much of what he knows can seem like magic, although our scholastics believe it is simply a deeper understanding of processes we already have some familiarity with. Though not always.
“Many who have interacted with Yozef say there are times when a problem arises and he comes up with a piece of knowledge to solve the problem. When this happens, he often stops and is quiet for a few moments and then says something about a solution. Not always, of course, but often enough to feed the expectation that he always has an answer—something he himself would strongly advise us against assuming. It is in these moments that rumors develop into legends. Is he going through his memory to find a piece of knowledge he already has in his mind? Is he just taking those moments to gather his thoughts? Or is he listening to a whisper in his mind or ear? Could it be a whisper from God? My brothers . . . I must tell you that I do not have the answers to those questions. Yozef himself would vigorously deny hearing from God. But his belief is not relevant. If God wants to whisper to someone, whether or not that person recognizes the source of the inspiration is not important. All that is important is that God’s message is received and given to others.”
The old theophist paused, looked around at the most powerful men on Caedellium, and concluded, “Is he a Septarsh? I do not know. By his deeds, can a reasonable man have a reasonable suspicion that God is whispering to him? Yes.”
With that simple word, Brison delivered his message and, without acknowledging questions that started coming, simply walked back toward the door. By the time he was halfway to the door, the questions had ceased, and everyone stood as he exited.
When Brison was gone, Orosz asked, “Are there any more questions or reservations about Yozef advising the War Council?”
Silence. Even Nyvaks appeared unsure for the first time. He had been perched on the front of the seat, as if to launch himself somewhere or at someone. A man sitting behind him—probably a son, given the resemblance—said something quietly in his ear. Nyvaks said nothing in return but sat back in his chair for the first time.
Forged in Fire (Destiny's Crucible Book 4) Page 18