On We'ginday, as she had promised Bishop Brushmaker, Ginger attended church with her mother and Tino. Christie had briefly considered delivering this week's sermon herself, though it would have meant usurping the turn of one of the church's other spirit-talkers. As it happened, this was the week Laurence, the newest spirit-talker to begin working there was to give his first sermon ever, and he was very excited about it. So, the bishop let him keep his turn. It was a fun, casual sermon that he intended mostly as a way of professionally introducing himself to the parishioners, though most of them knew him personally, already. The main focus of the sermon was jokingly referencing the fact that a spirit-talker named Laurence had been a prominent character in one of Tooblan's plays, High Spirits. Tooblan himself had named his character after one from a Shakespearean play, though his character was nothing like Shakespeare's Friar Laurence. (Nevertheless, public comparisons between the Landian and Terran writers reached a fever pitch after this play was first performed, which many believe is what prompted Tooblan to write A Midsummer Night's Speaking Contest, two years later.) Everyone laughed at Laurence's jokes, including Ginger and her companions. The young spirit-talker concluded by saying he'd try to find some middle-ground for himself, preferably a bit closer to Shakespeare's Laurence than Tooblan's.

After the sermon, Christie invited Ginger to join her in her office. When they got there, Ginger was surprised to see an old friend of the family waiting for them.

"Arch-bishop Regent!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"First of all, please, call me Virginia. I hear you recently agreed to call the bishop by her first name, so perhaps you'd extend me the same courtesy? After all, you did so when you were little."

"Uh, okay. Virginia. A lot's changed since the days of those inter-district church barbecues, but-"

"Nonsense! We still hold them every year."

"That's not what I meant."

Virginia nodded. "I know. Still, it's a shame I haven't seen you at one since... well, since the year before the war."

"Well, I travel a lot. It just hasn't worked out that I've been home at the right time of year. But I'm sure that's not what you're here to talk about."

"No." Virginia, who until now had been all smiles, suddenly looked troubled. After a brief silence, she sighed. "Bishop Drag called me, yesterday."

Ginger's eyes widened. "Is... is that something he does often?"

She shook her head. "It was the first time I've heard from him since he and his followers disappeared, nine years ago. Of course, while I still no nothing of what he's been up to in those years, he's obviously heard a lot about me. Including the fact that I'd chosen the surname 'Regent' because I expected him to someday return, and resume the position of Protestant Arch-bishop, himself. But he told me he has no plans to ever return, and even if he did, it wouldn't be in a religious capacity. He said I've been Arch-bishop far longer than he was, and from what he's heard, I've done a good job of it."

"That's true," said Ginger.

"Well, thanks. In a way, maybe it's been easier for me because I never thought of it as a permanent position. It never felt entirely real to me. I've done the best I could, but for the most part, I've managed not to let myself worry about whether I was good enough, or not. If I failed, so what? It's not like I'd be failing at a job that was really mine to begin with, you know? That took at least some of the stress off. But now, I need to accept that the job is mine, for the foreseeable future. Possibly even until I die."

"I would think that all these years of success would convince you you'll do okay."

"Perhaps. But that isn't the main thing Drag called to talk to me about. He said there's another war coming. And while that didn't surprise me, it's something I've been dreading. Even though I was the Protestant bishop of Plist during the Coming, I never really had any direct involvement in that war. And I have no interest in taking an active part in the new one, either. But Drag said it would be important for Protestants around the world to have someone to look to in this time of crisis, and naturally that person should be me. I can't disagree, of course, but... I feel like there must be someone better qualified for it than I. So I was thinking, the public has already come to recognize you as a member of that Chaos thing-"

Ginger became immediately agitated. "Oh, no, no, no. Please, you can't ask me-"

"And I'm sure they'd be inclined to follow the daughter of Therman-"

"Don't you dare bring my father into this!"

"I'm sorry, but you were the one who decided to become a rebel."

"But we decided against that."

"So I've heard. I also hear that just a few days ago, you and your friends forced your way into the throne room of King Demos, to make some demands."

"You're well-informed," Ginger replied icily.

"Drag is well-informed. I'm just a girl with a t-mail bubble and a name a lot of people know. Seriously, those Sorreters need to think of a more private way of calling people than just saying their names. Not that that would likely stop someone like Drag, I suppose. But the point is, it seems like you've abandoned your earlier abandonment of rebellion."

"In the first place, we're not going back to rebelling, we're just... Well, to be honest, I'm not sure what the hell we're doing, but it's not rebelling. But in the second place, whatever it is my friends are doing, I don't think I want to be a part of it, anymore. I wish them luck, but... if I ever had even a remote taste for violence, I've recently lost it. So I damned sure don't want any part of a war."

Virginia sighed. "I certainly can't blame you. It really is my responsibility. I just thought... I just thought I'd ask. I'm sorry. Please, don't give it another thought. I'll do what I must, myself." She rose from her chair, and said, "Goodbye, Ginger, Christie."

"Goodbye," said Christie. Ginger said nothing.

Virginia took a few steps, opened the door, and began walking through it. But before closing the door behind her, she turned and said, "But if you do give it another thought-"

Ginger cut her off with a terse "Goodbye."

Virginia nodded and closed the door.

Once they were alone, Ginger looked at Christie and asked, "Can you believe that?"

"I can, actually."

"What? Are you saying you think she's right to ask that of me?"

"It's not for me to judge. But I will say, from a practical standpoint, her reasons make sense. No one would deny that Virginia has done a fine job as a religious leader, but I also don't know how many people would follow her lead in war. She's not a fighter, or a strategist. And while she might be a decent speaker when it comes to sermons, I don't believe she'd have the first clue what to say to inspire people to join a cause like this. She's not your father."

"Neither am I. And I really resent her trying to use him to, to, what? Shame me into doing what she wants?"

"Shame you? Is that what you think? Ginger, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Don't forget, Virginia was a friend of Therman's, and one of his closest confidantes both before and after he founded the Protestant Movement. She knows better than anyone how conflicted he was about that, but he made the choice he felt he had to. Never in a million years would he demand or expect that anyone make the same choice he did. It's not that your father wanted to start a war. He did everything he could to prevent it, even after founding the Movement. But that became his path, and he accepted that. Just as he accepted, even respected anyone who chose not to fight. In fact, that's one of the main reasons he chose to make Virginia the Protestant bishop of Plist, when he became Protestant Arch-bishop. Because, in spite of believing in the cause, she knew war was not her own path. And he wanted it to be clear that Protestantism wasn't about fighting. It certainly wasn't about war. So she was a better symbol of the Movement than he had the option to be. She was the symbol he wished he could be. So you must understand, it's not that she's suggesting you have some legacy to uphold, to follow in your father's footsteps. Trying to force such a decision on anyone is the last thing she'd ever do, because it would go against everything both she and your father stand... or stood for. The choice is entirely yours, and she respects that. Still, as Therman's daughter, she's right to say our people would follow you. And as much as it may pain you, you do have fighting experience, and all this Chaos business has made you a public figure. Whether you like it or not, you're the best candidate to inspire Protestants to take part in the impending war. No one's saying you should... but Virginia was just hoping you might decide that that's your path, however reluctantly. But if you don't, you don't. And that will be the end of it. She'll manage, somehow. Because, as she said, it's her responsibility. Not yours."

Ginger was silent for a centhour. Finally, she said, "Wow. You might have been trying to convince me I shouldn't feel ashamed, but you've achieved the opposite. I guess I never thought of it that way, but you're right... she was the sort of symbol my father wished he could be. And I certainly respect her decision not to take part in war, so I'd hate to force her to do so, because of my reluctance. But still... I can't let my own path be determined by how it might affect someone else's. That's something else my father was against. Dammit, this is a really hard decision! He had years to think about it, before it came to war. Years to get used to the idea, to come to terms with it, even while he was trying to avert the need to make that decision. I have, what, a few months? Maybe even weeks?"

"Maybe even days," said Christie, nodding sadly. "It's not fair, I know. But no one ever said life was fair. Just remember, no matter what you decide, no one will blame you."

Ginger sighed. "Okay. I guess I better go home and start thinking, then. And talking with my mom and Tino. And maybe get in touch with my friends."

"All of their input may be important, but again, the decision ultimately rests with you. I'll be praying for God to give you clarity."

"Thank you, Bishop. Christie. Goodbye."

It was about an hour after the Cabal's meeting on We'yetday that Mr. Yellow contacted a mid-level Cabalist in InterVil, hoping to learn exactly when Tiejo might be released. His informant got back to him on Wor'ginday, saying it would happen at First Eight the next morning. Yellow then arranged for an assassin to be waiting for Tiejo, and also enlisted Macen's spies to watch the area, making sure the authorities didn't try to sneak the prisoner out at some alternate time. The spies rather hoped that would happen, so they'd have the pleasure of killing Tiejo personally.

But all went as Yellow's informant had said. Around First Seven and Fifty, Tiejo's friends arrived at the Triscot police station, and waited outside. Half an hour later, Chief Arresting escorted the newly-freed man out of the building. Before Tiejo had taken two steps out the door, an arrow whizzed through the air and struck him in the chest. He fell to the ground, and his friends immediately formed a defensive semicircle around him, scanning all the nearby buildings for any sign of the archer. They saw none, but within a centhour, police swarmed out of the building, and began a systematic search. They would ultimately find no trace of the assassin, either.

As the police began their search, Tiejo's friends carefully carried him back to his recently vacated cell, and laid him on the cot. Darius called his cousin Ani, who was on her way to work at the hospital. She said she could get to the station within twenty centhours. Meanwhile, Cameron examined Tiejo's wound, to see if a healing spell would be of any use. It turned out the arrow had missed anything vital, which Emma said was lucky.

"Not luck," said Tiejo, faintly. "Master taught me... to dodge all sorts... of attacks. Including arrows." He looked at Vallus, and did his best to smile.

"You did well," said Vallus, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's just too bad you couldn't have evaded it completely," said Darius.

"Could have," said Tiejo. "But... I wanted... my attacker to believe... I'd been hit. Best way to do that... is to be hit. Maybe... he'll think... I'm dead. That could... prove useful."

"That it might," agreed Vallus. "Good thinking."

"You know," said Darius, "this might not be the best time to mention it, but... you're sounding uncharacteristically coherent, Tiejo."

"Yeah," Tiejo breathed with a grin. "Weird." With that, he passed out.

Cameron cast a soporific spell to ensure Tiejo wouldn't take up, then used a conjuring spell to remove the arrow. After a police medic gave Tiejo a few stitches, Cameron cast a healing acceleration spell.

Darius went outside to wait for Ani. When she arrived, he explained in hushed tones that Tiejo was okay, but that they wanted their enemies to believe, for now, that he was dead. So, if anyone was watching the station, her leaving without even examining him would hopefully be seen as an indication that it was too late for a doctor to do anything. (Darius was glad she was carrying a physician's bag, so it would be clear to any observers that that's what she was.) She nodded, said she was sorry, and gently squeezed his arm in mock consolation. She asked if there was anything she could do for him, but he just shook his head sadly. Ani waited a few respectful moments, then turned, wiped a tear from her eye, and solemnly walked away.

Shortly thereafter, Tiejo was carried out of the station on a stretcher, and transferred to his friends' wagon. Everyone did their best to look sad, and Emma even broke down crying; Cameron and Alecstar had to help her into the wagon. Tom and Darius got in the cockpit, and soon they were flying back toward the Lonewander estate. As Emma wiped the tears from her eyes, Cameron grinned and said, "Wow, Em, overact much?"

She glared at him, then giggled. "My loyal audience has come to expect it. I wouldn't want to disappoint them."

When they got back to the estate, they first took Tiejo to a temporary shelter that had been erected before construction had begun on the new Lonewander manor. They didn't fly immediately to the Wayfarer manor, as Adam had previously made it clear that he had no intention of revealing to the world that he was Evan Wayfarer, even now that the world knew he wasn't dead. But once they were sure they weren't being watched, they covertly transferred Tiejo to considerably more comfortable quarters on Evan's estate. Alyn insisted on examining Tiejo to make sure his injury wasn't more serious than it seemed, for which Vallus thanked her. Once her concerns had been laid to rest, she joined the others in the living room, leaving Tiejo to rest. For the next few hours, they monitored the bubble-screen for any news of the attempt on Tiejo's life. The first mention of it came on The News at Noon, by which time Tiejo had woken and joined his friends. The anchor introduced a recording which he said they'd received less than an hour ago:

An image of Demos on his throne appeared on the screen. "Fellow citizens of the Second Order, the last two weeks have been fraught with vicious rumors, uncertainty, and paranoia. As you know, I've never been one to foster unsubstantiated rumors. For example, in the days leading up to the election, there were potentially slanderous rumors about Quinn Darkstrider, which, were they to be believed, would have been beneficial to my own campaign. And yet, I repudiated those rumors. Admittedly, I didn't say they were necessarily untrue, but I made it clear that I lent them no credence. And now, I can say with certainty that they were untrue. King-elect Darkstrider has committed no crimes, and has, to the best of my knowledge, never in any way abused his power as a police chief. I would simply ask- and I believe it is a fair request- that you all be as unbiased as I have been, when listening to accusations anyone makes against me.

"However, the main source of paranoia since Election Day has been about neither Darkstrider nor myself. Rather, the question everyone's been asking is, 'Who is in the Cabal?' But the question you should be asking is, 'Can the Cabal be trusted?' It is understandable that you may feel betrayed by the secrets they- and I- have kept from you, over the years. Darkstrider has publicly stated his own opposition to the group's methods, and indeed its very existence. But I assure you, secrecy is necessary in order for the Cabal to effectively fulfill its purpose, which is to safeguard the Second Order and its citizens. Nine years ago, the first war the Land has ever known made it clear what kind of world the majority wanted to live in, and most of us believed that would be the end of it. The Cabal exists because a few knew that hope might prove false, and now it is apparent that they were right. This past spring, the Cabal prevented a rebellion that the police could not have stopped. It is true that their actions, technically speaking, fell outside the bounds of the law, but that merely demonstrated that the law was, at the time, inadequate. Which is why the Counter-insurgency Act was subsequently established, thereby diminishing the need for the Cabal to engage in such covert, unlawful actions. Not even the most vocal opponents of the Cabal have suggested that this new law is anything but beneficial; even if some wish to amend it, none wish to repeal it. Whether or not you accept the Chaos's claims to have abandoned their plans of rebellion, all good citizens admit that rebellion would have been a terrible thing. It would be preferable to live in a world where we could foresee all possible threats, and forestall any attempts by enemies of the state to catch us off guard. But no matter how much we refine the law, there will always be limits to its powers. This is right and good, on the whole, but the same limitations that protect our freedoms have the potential to make us vulnerable to those who would abuse those freedoms. That is why the Cabal's existence and secrecy are, regrettably, necessary. Not so that its members may abuse the law themselves, but to fill in the gaps in national security that the law may not cover. The threat of armed rebellion is but one such gap; one which, hopefully, can now be better handled by the military itself, without the need for the Cabal to intervene. Other gaps may yet remain, which is why the Cabal must remain ever-vigilant.

"With the enactment of the Counter-insurgency Act, the initially unlawful apprehension and detainment of the Chaos by the Army became lawful. But three weeks ago, the would-be rebels were freed from their lawful imprisonment by a rogue colonel, who by that act proved himself a traitor to the Second Order. That very same morning, one of the rebels killed two agents of the Army, Macen Illustri and Zeke Sanguine, who were merely doing their duty, attempting to reacquire the fugitives. One day later, the rebels were pardoned for their attempted treason, by Chief Magistrate Thomas Justicar, Commissioner Mufasa Gothic, and then-Marshal Poss Primus. It is understandable that, at the time, they may have believed they were doing the right thing, not knowing that one of the rebels had already committed murder. But a few days later- on Election Day- Illustri and Sanguine's killer, Tiejo Streetrat, turned himself in to the police, admitting to the crime. He undoubtedly would not have done so, if not for the airing of a recording of a private conversation between myself and another agent of the Army, which my political enemies hoped would end my career. In the two weeks since then, those same enemies have made various slanderous accusations against me, including the ludicrous notion that I would refuse to step down when my current term as monarch ends next Win'yet. What's more, Justicar and Gothic- rather than admitting they'd made a mistake in pardoning the rebels- have conspired to prevent Streetrat from receiving a trial for the crime to which he confessed. Because of this, and by the power granted by the Counter-insurgency Act, the Army has tried Streetrat in absentia. In spite of Gothic's orders to the contrary, one member of InterVil courageously agreed to oversee the trial, to ensure its fairness. It was finally determined that Tiejo Streetrat was guilty of murder, on top of the prior charge of conspiracy to commit treason, and was sentenced to death.

"However, both Justicar and Gothic refused to acknowledge this trial, and Justicar, without regard to the law, issued a full pardon to the convicted murderer, for the second time. Because of this, I have personally declared Justicar unfit to continue as Chief Magistrate of the High Court, and ordered his arrest on a charge of treason. His guilt or innocence will be determined by a trial to be conducted by the military, and overseen by InterVil. Gothic, of course, will not be allowed to take any part in the oversight of the trial. He should count himself lucky he's not being charged with treason, himself. Meanwhile, the sentence of death for Streetrat was carried out early this morning, by an agent of the Cabal. For the time being, the other members of the Chaos will be allowed to retain the liberty that was granted them by Justicar, Gothic, and Primus. But Darius Lonewander, Tom Morales, Alec Inco, Cam Piper, Ginger Protestant, and Emma Pseud all remain persons of interest. If any or all of them take any further action- including the spread of slander- against myself, the Cabal, or any member of the World Council, the charges against them will be reinstated, they will be arrested by the Army, and the verdict of their previous trial by Colonel Charles Woodman will be upheld. The sentence, however, would be changed from imprisonment to death. To the remaining members of the Chaos, I strongly suggest you accept the second chance you've been given, and test us no further. To king-elect Darkstrider, I suggest you rethink your stance concerning the Cabal; I trust rumors of your collusion with the Chaos are as untrue as the earlier rumors that you fabricated evidence against former Magistrate Lucrezia Nearwright. For now, I am ready to hand you the reins of power, come Inauguration Day. But if the new rumors prove true, and you are indeed a traitor, I shall have no choice but to retain the throne, myself.

"Finally, to all the good citizens of the Second Order, I ask you to remember who it is that protects you, and who would set murderers free. That is all."

Ginger spent a few hours talking with her mother and Tino after church on We'ginday, before deciding she just had to put the whole notion of war entirely out of mind. So, she went out with some old friends she hadn't seen in years, and spent the evening just having fun. She would like to have spent all day Wor'ginday doing the same, but of course her friends had to work. She asked if any of them would be free to hang out after work, but they all said they'd probably be too tired. Ginger was disappointed, but also felt guilty about the fact that her own work wasn't so strictly scheduled. Which got her to thinking about the fact that the Band hadn't actually worked at all in about five months. She went to bed We'ginday night planning to call her band mates in the morning, to discuss the possibility of lining up some gigs. It wasn't until she woke up the next day that she realized the thought of discussing Arch-bishop Regent's request hadn't even occurred to her. Now that she'd remembered it, she fell into a renewed funk, and decided to put off talking to them as long as possible.

'As long as possible' turned out to be about a day and a half. She spent Wor'ginday puttering around the house, barely exchanging a few words with Tino or her mother all day. She was feeling a bit more sociable on Tuesday, but still wanted to keep reality at bay a bit longer. So, she and Tino went out for lunch at the Boar & Bear. There were any number of restaurants she could have chosen instead, but she selected that tavern specifically because it reminded her of both the Band and the Chaos, and called the choice to eat there a 'baby step' toward actually calling them. Ginger and Tino had finished their meals, but not their beers, when George Taverner turned on the bar's bubble-speaker to listen to the news. What they heard shocked and horrified them.

George turned to look at them and said sadly, "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can-"

"Can we use your study?" Ginger blurted frantically.

"Of course."

George led the way, and left the two of them alone in the room.

"Tino, I know we haven't really talked about... you know, your powers, or whatever. I mean, the other day I just assumed you could translocate me to Plist, but... well, of course spirits can do anything Sorreters can, and more, but normally they just sort of don't, you know? At least in my experience, the only magical thing spirits seem to do is appear and disappear. But you could, like, scry or divine for our friends, couldn't you? There wouldn't be any rules against it?"

"Sure, I could do that." But a few moments later, he shook his head. "Sorry, either they're back underground at the Lonewanders', or Cameron is shielding them again. But why don't we just call them?"

"It just feels... too impersonal. I want to be there for them. Plus, who knows if their calls are being monitored? Dammit, I wish we still had those bittrickle bubbles! All that trouble, and we never even got to use them."

Tino said, "Well, I could certainly boost the security of our call. But if you really want to see everyone in person without-"

"I do. Let's go! Take us to Evan's; if they're not there, someone there will know where they are."

"Um... okay, but maybe we should let George know we're leaving, first? And pay our bill? And say goodbye to Maeve?"

"Fine, fine!" Ginger exclaimed impatiently. She shoved the study door open, strode quickly to the bar, and began to take out some coins.

George shook his head. "No charge, today."

Before Ginger could say anything, another patron sitting at the bar said eagerly, "Really? That's-"

"No charge for her," George said with a hint of irritation.

"Aw," the customer moaned.

"Thanks," said Ginger, already turning away.

"Don't-" George began, but Ginger had pulled Tino out the front door before he could say "mention it."

She dragged him into the nearest alley, demanded he translocate them to her mother's house, quickly explained the situation to Maeve, hugged her, and said goodbye. Then tapped her foot for two beats before Tino took the hint. He took a moment to scry in and around the manor, and saw only Sidney, in the foyer. They disappeared from Maeve's house, and appeared a few feet in front of him. Tino immediately said, "Hi, hope we didn't startle you."

Sidney looked mildly startled, but his voice didn't reflect that when he responded, "Hmmm? Oh, no, not at all. I'm sure everyone will be pleased to see you. Come, I'll take you to them." They followed him into the living room, where their friends were all seated comfortably. As Tino had guessed, Cameron had cast an anti-scrying spell over them all. But there was one thing neither he nor Ginger could have guessed...

"Tiejo!" Ginger exclaimed. "We thought you were dead!"

Tiejo giggled. "Yes, this is what the world is thinking. Now it is seeming I have something in common with my master. Though my unexpected aliveness shall likely be revealed to the world much sooner than his was. Anyway, it is good to be seeing you both."

"Good to see you, too," said Ginger, with a smile. "Great, actually."

She took a step toward him, but he didn't rise from the couch to meet her. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "Please, no huggings. Not being dead, but I did get shot a few hours ago. Pain meds are being-" his head swam a bit- "um, nicey-wicey, oh my yes, but... still being sore, I am."

She took a step back, stopped smiling, and said, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Well, I'm also glad to see you're alive," said Tino. "But obviously the Cabal wants you dead, so if they find out you're not, you still won't be safe."

"And that's the main reason we're letting them think he is," said Vallus. "Although we're also waiting to see how people react to them taking the law into their own hands like they did. We're rather hoping to see a fair amount of moral outrage."

"Oh, I'll damn well see to that," said Ginger. "As Darius told Demos the other day, if he wants a war, I can give him one."

Tino moved to face Ginger, and tenderly placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure about this?"

"After what they did? Hell yes, I'm sure. I can't believe it's taken me this long to make up my mind."

"You know this means I won't be able to see you until the war's over. I can't play any part in it."

She smiled at him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and said, "I know, dearest. But it hasn't started yet; you can at least stick around 'til it does, right?"

"Of course."

"Um, what exactly are you guys talking about?" asked Darius.

Tino turned back to face the group, and he and Ginger put their arms around each other's waists. Ginger said, "Protestant Arch-bishop Virginia Regent asked me to provide leadership for the Protestants in the coming war. I'm not sure exactly what that would entail, but at least to begin with, I suppose it means rallying my people to oppose the Cabal, and anyone who stands with Demos. I was reluctant to accept this charge, at first, but now I realize it is my duty... and my honor."

There was quiet in the room for a few moments, until Darius grinned and said, "Sweet."

That same day, Ginger began contacting the Protestant bishops of each village, asking for their support. The response was overwhelmingly positive, though everyone wondered just when and how a war would actually begin. They didn't have to wait long, for on Penul'day, 23 Su'yet, the world watched yet another prerecorded announcement on the news:

"Fellow citizens, I am Colonel Montgomery Orthodox, commander of the Plist regiment of the Army of the Second Order. First, let me say that I don't find making announcements via these newfangled bubble-screens to be particularly appropriate, but apparently this is the way things are done, now. So, here it is: Four months ago, I was, as I am sure you all were, shocked and dismayed to learn that a group calling themselves the Chaos had been planning an insurrection against our government. While I was concerned by the unauthorized action taken by my fellow colonel, Charles Woodman of Near Port, I was relieved to know that the threat- which I'd been unaware of before his announcement- had already been dealt with, without bloodshed. When the Counter-insurgency Act was ratified, I laid whatever lingering concerns I might have had to rest. Then, earlier this month, when it was announced that the Chaos had been released and pardoned, I had my doubts about the wisdom of this decision, but I trusted that Marshal Poss Primus knew what he was doing. Two days later, when it was revealed that Vallus, one of the most prominent opponents of the Coming of the Order, had secretly been held prisoner for nine years by Woodman, in violation of the Declaration of Amnesty, Primus's decision began to make sense, and my concerns about Woodman resurfaced. The next day, when the world learned of the existence of a cabal which was presumably exercising undue influence over the government and other properly appointed authorities, my concerns were exponentially exacerbated, particularly considering the suggestion that this cabal included at least one gangster. This led me to vote against Demos Royal, in that day's election. However, if he had won, I would have continued to support him as the legally elected monarch. And when he explained certain things, I accepted that he may have been telling the truth, both about himself and the Cabal. Then, just over a week ago, Demos fired Marshal Primus, claiming he was in allegiance with the Chaos. While his earlier pardoning of them may have seemed to support that claim, I know Primus to be a man of impeccable character and unwavering loyalty to the Second Order. There is no way he would ever commit treason against the king, which led me to realize that Demos, and by extension the Cabal, could not be trusted. Still, he was within his rights to do what he'd done, and I had no right to say or do anything about it. I trusted that whatever action was deemed necessary would be taken by Congress.

"But two days ago, it became clear that Demos and the Cabal want a war, and as yet, Congress has done nothing about it. Demos asks us to ask ourselves, 'Can the Cabal be trusted?' Well, I have done my best to ignore my concerns on this point, but I have finally come to the conclusion that they cannot. It may be, as he claims, that they have the best interests of the country at heart. And I am not even going to offer an opinion on whether the execution of Tiejo Streetrat was justified, or indeed even legal. Perhaps it was and perhaps it wasn't, but either way, I see that as beside the point. The point is, if we don't know who they are, or how they make their decisions, and if indeed they make those decisions unilaterally, then they have no accountability. And it is imperative that everyone in positions of authority must be subject to the system of checks and balances that was established eight years ago by the creation of the World Council. Therefore, the very fact of the Cabal's existence, regardless of its members intentions, is a violation of federal law. So, if they want a war, then I am prepared to give them one.

"Make no mistake, I remain loyal to the Second Order, and to the World Council- including the office of the monarch, if not the man who currently holds that office. I am also well aware that many civilian Protestants have recently begun organizing in preparation for war against the Cabal. But I want it to be clear that, unlike the first war, I do not consider our present conflict to be between the First Order and the Protestants. I myself am, as my surname attests, a devout follower of Orthodoxy, but this is not a religious a matter, it is a political one. I believe adherents of either denomination should feel outraged at the audacity of anyone who would attempt to control the world in secret. By the same token, people who believe the Cabal's existence is justified may be members of either denomination. In the future, if the Chaos or any other group should ever rebel against the government, I shall stand against them. But for now, I have no knowledge of the Chaos having taken any action against the government, and no reason to believe anything they've said against Demos or other officials constitutes slander. And while I believe the Counter-insurgency Act is a good law, under present conditions I cannot accept Demos's word that Tiejo Streetrat received a fair trial for murder, let alone that the Chaos as a whole received a fair trial for treason. I therefore stand behind the decisions made in recent weeks by Chief Magistrate Justicar, Marshal Primus, and Commissioner Gothic. And I call on Congress to reinstate Primus as marshal of the armed forces. If any forces the Chaos initially organized for purposes of rebellion now stand beside Primus to defend the the Second Order rather than to rebel against it, I would be honored to fight alongside them.

"But first, I call on every member of the military to determine for him or herself which side they stand on in this matter, and openly declare their stance. I myself have already made my position clear to my regiment, and have issued a direct order to everyone under my command to take no action against their fellow soldiers until there has been time for the entire Army to be reorganized according to those choices. It is with heavy heart that I admit we may soon be required to fight each other, but we will do so only when the time is right and the battle lines have been clearly drawn. We are all servants of order, and I will not tolerate the chaos that would come should fighting commence prematurely. If we must make war, we must at least do so with honor. Therefore, any soldier under my command who chooses the side of King Demos and the Cabal will be free to leave my regiment, until such time as war has been officially declared. I implore all my fellow colonels, as well as the leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps, to give their people the same chance to make this most difficult decision without fear of persecution by their own comrades. Thank you for your attention, and may God have mercy on us all."

In the days following Colonel Orthodox's declaration of intent, the world waited anxiously to see how the various regiments and fleets would respond. It didn't take long for Commandant Gilbert Tridentwielder to announce that, due to the Marine Corps's ongoing war against the kappa, the separation of forces that Orthodox suggested would be disastrous to his branch of the military, and therefore the Corps would take no part in the humans' impending civil war. As for the Navy, very few sailors chose to leave their posts, and those who did, had no idea where to go or whom to contact about the possibility of joining the opposition. They were aware of the accusations that the Chaos had been organizing a navy of pirates, but knew no specifics about this. Nor would many have considered fighting alongside pirates, in any event.

The first Army colonel to respond to the announcement was Woodman, who promised free passage off his base to anyone who wished to defect. (He planned to have deserters followed and killed, but General Middlebury discovered this plan and put a stop to it before anyone else could find out about it. He informed Woodman that if his plan had been carried out, he would have had no choice but to relieve the colonel of command and arrest him, for appearance's sake.) The majority of the Kimrin regiment chose to support Marshal Primus. Only two companies, led by Major Shirona Monogwrangle, sided with the Cabal; they transferred to the Near Port regiment. Colonel Siobhan Muttonchop of First Village claimed the election of Quinn Darkstrider had been rigged by the Chaos (though she could offer no proof of this), so she declared her intention to fight on the side of King Demos. Colonels James Major of Port, Beauregard Hickorysmoke of Ristar, and Cynthia Grandview of Woodstockade all declared on the side of the Cabal, and virtually all of their troops remained. Colonel Saul Bridgeman of Monab said his regiment had always been purely defensive, and that if those who opposed the Cabal invaded his village, he would fight them, but otherwise he would not take part in the war. On 25 Su'yet, the naval fleets of Ristar and Woodstockade each set sail, transporting their villages' army regiments to Ship and Shanty, respectively.

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