Page 2243

~~((The Totally-Not-Random May 1st Special -- page 7 of 18))~~
Hector supposed he could understand Hanton's wary nature a little better now. At any time, Sparrows could stumble upon someone who could expose them, someone who could threaten their entire way of life.

Someone like Hector.

He didn't know whether to be more worried or less by this information. If nothing else, it certainly provided Hanton with motivation to want Hector out of the picture.

'But in any event,' Hanton went on, 'I feel we have spent long enough dredging up the past. Let us speak on more pressing events now.'

"Very well," said the King. "I can only assume you are referring to this new continental war going on."

'Yes. Thankfully, it does not currently involve Atreya, but I fear that could change if adequate measures are not taken.'

William's posture stiffened. "What measures would that be?"

'Well, first things first. If, for whatever reason, Atreya did somehow end up joining the war, I think it should be clear which side we would wish to be on.'

"The defending side, of course," said the King.

'Yes. Whatever other politics might be at play, we simply cannot work with any of the nations that instigated this conflict. The military invasion of another sovereign land is too great of an obstacle on moral grounds alone. The public would never support it--and rightly so. In the long-term, such an alliance would risk destabilizing Atreya from within, which is to speak nothing of whatever the immediate consequences of winning or losing the war might be.'

"You are getting a bit ahead of yourself, no?"

'I am, but that is also the point. To have forethought regarding our more immediate decisions. A lack of adequate forethought has historically been the great folly of statesmen. They make judgments that seem sound in the short-term, perhaps on the promise of riches, only to later find that things have spun wildly out of their control. I believe this could be one such instance, if we are not careful.'