Agenor parted his lips as if to object – then seemed to think better of it and sagged in his chair with nothing but a ragged groan, fingers rubbing over the cuff of his sleeve in restless, aimless circles. ‘So do I understand …’ His voice, deep and polished, gave way for a moment. ‘Gods and demons, is the conclusion that we are, in all seriousness, going to try and topple the empire on an unknown battlefield and with not even twenty-four hours of preparation?’ A madman’s gamble, indeed.
