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."And now?" Jhoqo responded."I don't.you were right, you know, when you said that I live for the camaraderie of this life.More than anything, I long for that sense of community, of knowing that the man next to me on that battle line is living as much for me as for himself," she said."I thought I had that.Maybe I did, even, but when I saw your men, I knew there was more," she said."I'm not going to pretend that I agreed with all of your decisions as their leader, but they followed you without question, and they really seemed to enjoy working side by side.They know one another, and they care about one another.""Your soldiers don't?" he asked."They do.We do," she said, sighing."But part of me always wonders.""What?" he asked."They're mercenaries, more or less.Are they here solely for the coin?" she said, locking eyes with the man.Jhoqo smiled and said, "And what's wrong with profiting from the work you do? A soldier works harder than any other person alive.My troops and I all benefit from our work."She shook her head."But you didn't join an outfit like the Maquar for that.You joined because you wanted to dedicate yourself to something bigger.""But the two can go together," the Maquar said."In fact, they must.That's what most people miss.That's what Taennen misses."Jeradeem Seltarir, father of the Adama, taught us that everything is part of everything else, no? That's why he was such a fine trader.He knew that the more business he did and the more coin he made, then the more he could spend to improve the lives of others, and the more he could pay the people in his own chaka," Jhoqo said, bending down to rest on his haunches."Commerce is our lifeblood, and we must defend it.""Taennen does not agree with you?" Adeenya asked.Jhoqo sighed, settling on the floor, his legs crossing easily.If she wasn't careful and she ran, he would catch her with just as little effort."It's not a matter of agreement, it is one of understanding.He has grown no closer to understanding during the past several years.I had hopes for him, but it appears Taennen will never be any more than he is now," Jhoqo said."And what is that?" she asked."Like most men, he is a tool, a device to carry out the commands of the craftsman who wields him." "So he's a good soldier?" she asked."Excellent, I would say," Jhoqo replied."But?""A good soldier follows orders and even thinks creatively, but he is a tool.A good leader, on the other hand, needs to do more," Jhoqo said."A good leader's orders can be mediocre, but he has the guts, the fortitude, and the assertiveness to give them and see them done.""So Taennen is lacking confidence?" Adeenya asked, knowing the man's answer and finding herself grudgingly agreeing with him."Correct.""What about his decision in the battle against the form-ians?" she asked."A costly one, to be sure," Jhoqo said."However, if he had had the willpower to stand up to me when I addressed him about it, to stand by his decision and not even offer to defend it, then he would have shown more promise.As it was, he realized that he could not change things.Once he understood that, he did not mope on the subject further.A positive step, certainly.""So your goal is to help your countrymen, not just your fellow Maquar?" Adeenya asked, eyes flicking to the door.The Chondathans' footsteps had not returned."To help all people of the Shining South, not just those from Estagund," Jhoqo said."How?""By opening new doors for them, by giving them new things to learn, new ideas to consider, and new trades to profit from," Jhoqo said.Eyes squinted, Adeenya asked, "How do you manage that?"Jhoqo smiled."I'm afraid I can't share that with you." "How does letting Marlke die achieve that?" she said, peeling the accusatory tone from her voice.The man took a deep breath and said, "Like Taennen, Marlke was a device, and he had served his purpose.He was no longer capable of adapting to the situation, changing to be useful.In fact, it was only in death that he could serve our cause one final time.""Tell me about the cause," she said.Jhoqo merely shook his head [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]