By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber Read Free Book Online Page B

doomed, but Howsmyn only chuckled.
    â€œThe Group of Four can demand whatever they want, Ahlvyno. I doubt they’re going to be stupid enough to issue that particular decree, but, then, they’ve already done some spectacularly stupid things, so it’s always possible I’m wrong. In fact, I rather hope I am and that they do try it. Even if they do, though, it’s not going to happen.”
    â€œNo?” Ironhill sat back in his chair. “Why?”
    â€œWhy do I wish they would? Or why do I think it’s not going to happen even if they do?”
    â€œBoth.”
    â€œI wish they would because giving orders you know won’t be obeyed is one of the best ways I know to destroy your own authority. And the reason an order like that wouldn’t be obeyed is that no one in Haven or Howard can possibly provide the goods those markets require. I don’t mean just that they can’t provide them as cheaply as we can, Ahlvyno, although that’s certainly true, as well. What I mean is that they literally don’t have the capacity to provide them at all . And that even if they had the capacity, or developed it as quickly as possible, they still wouldn’t have the ability to transport those goods at anything like the economies of cost we can achieve.” Howsmyn shook his head. “That’s one of the minor details the Group of Four left out of their calculations, actually. I’m astonished Duchairn didn’t warn the other three what would happen if they succeeded in what they had in mind.”
    â€œWould it really have been that bad for them, Ehdwyrd?” Gray Harbor asked, and Howsmyn shrugged.
    â€œIt would’ve been bad, Rayjhis. Maybe not as bad as I think it would have been, I suppose, if I’m going to be fair. After all, my perspective is bound to be shaped by my own business interests and experience. Still, I think most people—including a lot of people right here in the Kingdom—don’t understand how thoroughly we’ve come to dominate the world’s markets. There was a reason Trynair chose King Haarahld’s supposed ambition to control the entire world’s merchant traffic as his pretext for supporting Hektor and Nahrmahn against us. He knows there are plenty of people in Dohlar, Desnair, Harchong—even the Republic—who deeply resent our domination of the carrying trade. And quite a few of them—the smarter ones, to be honest—resent their own growing dependency on our manufactories, as well.
    â€œAll of that’s true, but their resentment can’t change the reality, and the reality is that better than half—probably closer to two-thirds, actually—of the world’s merchant galleons fly the Charisian flag. And another reality is that somewhere around two-thirds of the manufactured goods those galleons transport are made right here in Charis, as well. And a third reality is that it takes four times as long and costs five or six times as much to transport the same goods to their ultimate destinations overland as it does to ship them by sea. If, of course, it’s even possible to ship them overland in the first place. It’s just a bit difficult to get something from Siddarmark to Tarot by wagon, after all. There’s this little thing called the Tarot Channel in the way.”
    One or two of the others looked dubious. Not at his analysis of the manufacture and transport of goods. That was something any Charisian understood on an almost instinctual level. Some of them clearly thought Howsmyn’s assumptions were overly optimistic, however. Ironhill appeared to be one of them; Gray Harbor and Cayleb did not, and behind his own outwardly expressionless guardsman’s face, Merlin frowned thoughtfully. He wasn’t certain of Howsmyn’s actual numbers. No one on Safehold kept that sort of statistic, so anything Howsmyn said could be no more than an informed estimate. On the other