Elminster in Myth Drannor - Ed Greenwood [106]
"These lords question the strength of human warfare, and doubt my testimony as being bent to the support of my proposal. Unfold to them what you have seen in the lands of men."
Alais bowed and turned. When she was facing the three lords, she caught the eye of each in turn, and said crisply, "I am no puppet of the throne, lords, nor weak-willed because I am young, or a she. I have seen more of the doings of men than all three of you together."
There was another ripple of alarm in the Court as the lords once again pulled aside their robes to reveal stormswords; Alais shrugged. Seven swords faded into view in the air in front of her, hovering with their points toward the elven lords, and then vanished again. She paid them no attention, and went on, "From what I have seen, the humans have their own feuds, and are much disorganized, as well as being what we might call undisciplined and untutored in the ways of the forest. Yet they outnumber us already twenty to one and more. Far more humans have swung swords in earnest than have our People. They swarm, and fight with more ruthlessness, speed, and ability to adapt and change in battle than we have ever known. If they invade, lords, we shall probably manage two or four victories, perhaps even a decisive slaughter. They will manage the rest, and be hunting us through the streets before two seasons are past. Please believe me now; I don't want the realm to feel the pain of your believing me only as you die, later."
She continued, "To those who, hearing me, then say: Then let us fare forth now, and smite all human realms, that they can never raise armies against us,' I say only: no. Humans invaded will unite to slay a common foe; we shall be slain outside our realm, only to leave it undefended when the counterstrike comes. Moreover, anyone who goes to war with humans makes lasting enemies: they remember grudges, lords, as well as we do. To strike at a land now, even to humble it, is to await its next generation, or the one after that, to come riding back at us for revenge-and humans have a score or more generations for each one of ours."
"Will you accept, lords," the Coronal asked mildly, "the testimony of our Lady Herald? Do you grant that she is probably right?"
The three lords shifted uneasily, until Urddusk snapped, "And if we do?"
"If you do, lords," Alais replied, startling everyone save the Coronal by her interjection, "than you and our Coronal stand agreed, both fighting to save Cormanthor. Your shared dispute is only over the means to do so."
She turned again to face the throne, and the Coronal thanked her with a smile and gestured her dismissal. As she floated past the three lords, he spoke again, saying, "Hear my will, lords. The Opening shall proceed-but only after one thing is in place."
The silence, as everyone waited for his next words, was a tense, straining thing.
"My lords, you have all raised just and grave concerns over the safety of our People in an 'open' Cormanthor. Inviting other races in without the elves of Cormanthor having some sort of overarching, pervasive protection is unthinkable. Yet this cannot be a protection of mere law, for we can be swamped and unable to muster blades enough to enforce our law, precisely as if we made war. We do, however, still outstrip humans in one area, for a few more seasons at least: the magic we weave."
The Coronal made a gesture, and suddenly several of the courtiers glowed with golden auras, up and down the hall. They glanced down at themselves in surprise, as their fellows drew back from them. The Coronal pointed at them with a smile, and said, "Elves who have the means to do so, or the skill, have always crafted, or hired others to craft for them, personal mantles of defensive magic. We need a mantle that will encloak all of Cormanthor. We shall have such a mantle before the city is laid open to those not of pure elven blood."
Lord Urddusk sputtered, "But such a thing is impossible!"
The Coronal laughed. "That's not a word I ever like to use in