Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 464
you."
Lavin felt the words as blows. He couldn’t respond; all
his strategies had evaporated.
She knew him. The greatest doubt and mystery of his
life had been whether Galas really understood him; had she
really thought deeply about him? Was he real to her, the way
she was to him?
She understood him too well.
"Your choice, dearest friend," she continued, "is simple.
You will either join me, and turn your men against Parliament
now that you have their loyalty; or you will raze my walls, kill
my people, and find me dead of poison in my bedchamber."
Her words were so simply spoken he could never have
doubted her determination. Inwardly, Lavin reeled in panic.
Everything was slipping away. He opened his mouth, almost
to surrender to her, for the sake of a few days of bliss before
they were defeated and killed. Then he remembered the thief
Enneas, and his other option.
He heard himself say, "I come back to where we began.
You have defied either-or choices your entire life. You can
rise above this dilemma too, and regain your kingdom. Maybe
you can pursue your policies in a gentler fashion, and still
salvage some of what you worked for. The alternative is to
lose all of it, and your life as well."
Her expression had hardened. "Very well. There is
another option, but I had hoped not to have to use it. In some
ways it is the worst of all."
"Why worst?" He shook his head, not understanding.
"Because I wanted to avoid defeating you, Lavin. I never
wanted you as my enemy." She rose before he could reply, and
rapped on the chamber’s inner door.
Lavin stood, alarmed. Was she about to order his capture