BY SCHISM RENT ASUNDER – snippet 112:
.XV.
Charisian Embassy,
City of Siddar,
Republic of Siddar
Sir Rayjhis Dragoner tried hard to feel grateful for his posting as he gazed pensively out the window.
Usually, he didn't find that a particularly difficult task. Of all the embassies to which an ambitious diplomat might find himself assigned, the one in the city of Siddar was probably the plum. Any Charisian was still going to have to put up with the fundamental, almost unconscious arrogance mainlanders displayed to almost anyone from what even the best of them had a tendency to refer to as "the out islands," of course. The Siddarmarkians weren't quite as bad about that as most of their fellows, but they were still quite bad enough to go on with.
Yet all minor complaints aside, the Republic was the most comfortable fit any Charisian was going to find among the mainland realms. Siddarmark was firmly addicted to its ancient, republican form of government, and its society and social customs were far less rigidly stratified than most of Safehold's more powerful states could boast. That didn't prevent the Republic from sustaining its own great dynasties — in effect, if not in name, an hereditary nobility as powerful as anyone else's — and although there was considerably less prejudice here against those whose wealth came from "trade" than there was in the other mainland realms, there was still more than there was in Charis. Yet despite all that, Siddarmarkians were more comfortable than most with Charis' sometimes outrageous social notions, and their shared identity as Siddarmarkians included a powerful, self-aware strand of stubborn independence of mind which they embraced consciously and deliberately as a defining aspect of their national personality.
No doubt, Dragoner thought, that independence explained much of the traditional tension between the Republic and the Temple Lands. Despite the nightmares which obviously plagued the Knights of the Temple Lands from time to time, no Siddarmarkian lord protector had ever been likely to seriously contemplate launching a war of conquest against them, however tempting a target their wealth might make them. That hadn't kept generations of Church chancellors from worrying about the possibility that one day some lunatic lord protector would, however. And even worse, in some ways (mostly because it was a considerably more realistic possibility), was the Church's fear that the stubbornly intransigent Siddarmarkians might someday refuse to submit to some Church decree. If that ever happened, the well-trained, professional, well-equipped pikemen of the Republican Army would make a fearsome foe. And unlike Charis, it would be a foe which literally lived right next door to the Temple Lands themselves.
That independence of mind was also one of the reasons Siddarmark, traditionally, had maintained close commercial ties with Charis. The Siddarmarkian merchant class was heavily represented in the Republic's elected Assembly of the People. In fact, coupled with the wealthy farming class, they dominated the Assembly, thanks in no small part to the rigorous property requirements of the franchise. The merchants' interest in supporting friendly relations with Charis were obvious, and despite a certain traditional prejudice against bankers and merchants in general, the farmers' interest was even stronger. No one in Siddarmark was able to supply manufactured goods at anything remotely like the price Charisians could offer, and Charis was Siddarmark's largest single market, by far, for raw cotton silk, tea, tobacco, and wheat. It was a lucrative trading relationship which both nations had every reason to preserve.
All of which explained why the Charisian Ambassador to the Republic had an easier job than most diplomats could ever hope for. Under normal circumstances, at least.
Circumstances, however, were no longer "normal," and Sir Rayjhis rather doubted they ever would be again.
He grimaced while he continued gazing out his office window across the sunlit roofs of Siddar to the dark blue, sparkling waters of North Bédard Bay. North Bédard Bay — normally called simply "North Bay," to distinguish it from the even broader waters of Bédard Bay proper, to the south — was over two hundred miles wide, and the passage between the two bodies of water was little more than thirty miles across. The shipping channels were even narrower than that, and the Republic, at enormous expense, had built Castle Rock Island (and the powerfully gunned fortifications on it) in the shoal water between the two main channels where they approached one another most closely. In many ways, Castle Rock was the Republic's Lock Island, although neither lobe of Bédard Bay had ever been as critical to the Republic's development as Howell Bay had been to that of Charis.
It still made Siddar a remarkably secure harbor, however. Piracy had never been much of a problem here, and the waterfront and warehouse district were usually bustling hives of almost Charisian-like activity. And as one of the premier ports of West Haven, Siddar was also home to one of the largest communities of Charisians outside the kingdom itself.
All of which had made the city a prey to conflicting, dangerous tides of public opinion ever since the conflict between Charis and her enemies had exploded into open warfare. Tension had run high enough when everyone had been busy trying to pretend the Knights of the Temple Lands and the Council of Vicars — or, at least, the Group of Four — were two separate entities. Since Archbishop Maikel's denunciatory letter had arrived in Zion (and, so far as Sir Rayjhis could tell, every port city on Safehold simultaneously), that pretense had been stripped away like the frail mask it was. And the level of tension in the Republic had soared accordingly.
Even people who don't like the Group of Four are worried as hell, Dragoner thought. And it's a lot worse than that where the hardline Temple Loyalists are concerned. The only good thing is that the more extreme Loyalists had already made themselves thoroughly unpopular with the Siddarmarkians before this whole mess ever blew up. Unfortunately, there's no way this is going to get any way but worse. What in God's name did Cayleb and Staynair think they were doing?!
His grimace deepened as he faced an unpalatable truth. Despite his own reservations about the Group of Four, his own certainty that whatever else they might represent, it wasn't God's will, Sir Rayjhis Dragoner was one of the Charisians who was horrified by the sudden open schism between Tellesberg and the Temple. Conflicting loyalties pulled him in two different directions, and he found himself hoping — and praying regularly — that somehow the inevitable confrontation between the kingdom he loved and the Church he revered might somehow be averted.
But it's not going to be, he thought sadly. Not with the lunatics on both sides pushing so hard. Still, he admitted almost grudgingly, I suppose it's hard to blame Cayleb, given what the Group of Four tried to do. And whatever else I may think of Staynair's letter, he's right about the abuses and corruption in the Church. But surely there has to be a better way to reform those abuses! Mother Church has ministered to men's souls ever since the Creation itself. Can't anyone see where splitting the Church is bound to lead?
It was a question which had a certain burning significance for him in more than one way. Like himself, the entire Charisian community here in Siddar found itself split between enthusiastic supporters of what were already being called the Church of Charis and the Temple Loyalists. He suspected that Siddar's distance from Tellesberg had a great deal to do with the nature of the division here. Unless he was sadly mistaken, the Loyalists constituted only a relatively tiny minority of the kingdom's home population, whereas they constituted at least half of the Charisians living here in Siddar.
Unfortunately, most Siddarmarkians don't seem able to distinguish between one group of Charisians and another one, he reflected glumly. What's worse, I'm not sure the Church can, either. It's bad enough that Charisians, even individual families, are split and divided. That the division is turning into anger, even hatred, between people who used to be friends, between brothers, between parents and children. But if those who want to remain loyal to the Church find themselves lumped in with the Church's enemies by the Group of Four, any possibility of reconciliation is going right down the toilet. And then what do I do?
He had no answer for that question. No answer besides the oaths of loyalty he'd sworn, the duties he'd agreed to accept when he became King Haarahld's ambassador to Lord Protector Greyghor.
He was still gazing out the window when someone knocked quietly on his office door. His eyebrows rose, and he turned with a frown. It was late afternoon, and his calendar had been thankfully clear for a change. But the pattern of knocks — two, one, three, two — was his secretary's warning code that he had an important visitor.
He turned away from the window, crossed quickly to his desk, and settled into the chair behind it.
"Come!" he called in a pleasant tone, preparing to rise in artful surprise as his unexpected guest was ushered in.
As it happened, he didn't have to pretend to be surprised, after all.
"Ambassador, Master Khailee would like a few moments of your time," Zheryld Mahrys, his secretary, said.
"Of course," Dragoner said automatically. "Thank you, Zheryld."
"You're welcome, Ambassador."
Ah! And now for another response to the Chuch’s edit! Have a great weekend.
Wow this is what I have been looking for
a scene on the all important Siddarmark the first so far in the series!
This will give us a clue as to the future and maybe an introduction into some important characters in the broader plot
Hmm – who is Master Khailee?
It’s also going to be interesting to see how another government has been setup besides a Kingdom.
Hmm – who is Master Khailee?
He’s the guy who’s going to warn the Charisans about the order to seize all their boats.
Why do I get the feeling that the Group of Four and the Knights of the Temple Lands are about to get told where to stuff their edict. I don’t think the Republic is going to take being told what to do very well at all.
Submitting to Mother Church’s edict now? That will set a dangerous precedent for the independent Siddarmark. Very dangerous indeed.
In fact, the very edict that would make Siddarmark openly resist to the Church is this one.
Mhmhmhmmhm…
okay I don’t have a dead tree book, I been using the Ebook of OAR to check things out, but the map is no good, not for half blind person like me. Siddamakr is easy to find but the lasts couple snippets I can’t find on the map where they are.
Any one got a copy online of a good map of the area and would email me use subject A Story — map tha will get it pass all my filters to spam.
would appreciate it
Try this one, Virgil:
http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/Gbaba/pagenocss.php?page=Safehold%20Map.htm
Shipping tobacco!? So much for planning ahead safety for the colonists!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . another week or so before we find out what Cayleb thinks about all of this?
I don’t think that Siddarmark will openly defy the church just yet. I suspect the ambassador will get an inofficial warning and the Siddarmarks will say to the church: “Sorry we couldn’t catch any of Charisans.”
Maxim, if you want to, see http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/2008/04/25/by-schism-rent-asunder-snippet-88/#comments
where comment 16 has a brief “synopsis” of two chapters from “By Heresies Distressed” that touch on the events of this and the last two chapters.
I doubt we’ll see to much about Siddarmark’s govermental structure. not really the focus here. I’m more interested in the fact that so many charisians live here. if the church begins to hunt down all Charisians then they’d have to enter Siddarmark which won’t happen. of course, the Charisian’s escape will alert the church that Siddarmark has basically declared itself to Cayleb’s cause.
Thanks, Jerry. I have read this comment earlier, but didn’t remember all implications.
I look forward to read about the punitive expeditions of Charis.
What is going to happen has already been described here and at Baen’s Bar. Siddamark will unofficially warn Charis of the Church’s intentions so that all Charisian merchant ships will misteriously dissapear from Siddamark’s ports. What I’m wondering now is: will Emerald surrender ?, will the Charisians attack Corisande ?, will there be an assasination attempt against Cayleb ?. I guess I will have to wait for the book to know, it’s only 1 month away.
I think some easy conjecture is available…
We KNOW that we see the response to the last episode of church ineptitude in the next book, not this one. So where will Schism likely go?
1. I think we see the negotiated surrender/alliance of Emerald
2. Cayleb’s wedding – and I think this scene would be an ideal place for more Merlin super daring stuff. Likely some of the loyalists try an assasination or something – and it blows up badly. Maybe Cayleb’s queen gets mildly injured and this incident alone will cement the Charisian loyalties to her.
3. If this book follows the pattern of the previous book, we’re leading up to a fairly big battle of some kind at the end of the book. My guess at this point is that Charis and Chisholm go after Hector as he hasn’t been heard from in a while. Likely the Zebedian princes side with Cayleb (the enemy of my enemy is my friend theory) and Cayleb gets Corisande. I don’t know if we see a significant loss like his father here, but I’d tend to think the victory will have a “price” of some kind.
4. The third book also refers to Cayleb as “Emperor” – so I’m guessing also in this frame we see the church basically declare Charis without a King – or the King is declared to be that weenie that screwed up and ran from Margarets Land or whatever it was. Charis response will be to delcare Cayleb “Emperor”. I’d also somewhat expect to see Lady Denys (sp?) make an appearance here too and what happened to her husband to become public knowledge.
5. I’d also expect to start seeing the next generation of technological innovation – my guess here is we start to see steam powered experiments – which might mean late in the 3rd book we see steam powered warships. We already have seen in this book an early “turrent” type mount on a sailing ship’s bow chaser, so it would appear to me to only be a matter of time.
I thought that the big battle against Corisande would be the climax of this book *but* DW threw cold water on that idea.
So I’m thinking the wedding will be the climax of this book.
Of course, I was wrong before. [Wink]
Well…I’d say there has to be something. We’ve had a lot of back-end development and a lot of minor movements by all the players. It should be leading to something fairly dramatic. I like the plot development and finding out more in depth what is really going on, but I also am expecting some warfare too.
I wonder how this series will play out. At some point Safehold will be united and working to get back into space and take out the gabba. Are were going to have 2-4 or more books getting the planet united…then some books as we step along the way…and ultimately it has to lead to some brutal space warfare sometime. At least I would think…
What do people think of the chance that Charis has explosive shells developed by the time the mainland galley feet sails?
It would be a huge massacre!!
As relating to this book we could see a battle agianst the mainland fleet at the end of the book (Unlikely) or possibly some significant political developments that even surprise Caleb like an alliance with Corisande.
(Sounds impossible but hear me out)
Caleb and the Queen hate his guts with a hatred that ranks next to the hate the queen of manticore has for the peeps. Yet seeing that humanizing element in Hecktor and his daughters character in previous snippets and also there willing to develop new tech plus reading above that DW has NOT planned a big battle agianst Corisnade in this book and last but not least DW relating how Hektor is hoping that all his developments will slow Charis down enough to even consider negoation.
Could all count up to mean that there will be a negoated settlement and that Caleb will reverse his previous decision with Merlin that Hektor and his “get” must go either into exile or the grave.
nuuuuu
i need the next part like noww
I’d say the explosive shell possibility is at least good. I do believe in earlier snippets in this book they were talking about them.