Council's plan

Roland sat with the Council, holding his wife's hand under the table. He explained everything as concisely as he could, knowing he was leaving out many details for the sake of time. He tried to keep all the important parts of the story intact. 

It helped that they had gotten his last report before he left Ceto, so he only had to cover the events at sea, which were few, and in Pink Sky World, which were many. 

Judah curled up on the floor and slept, inspiring both awe and fear from the men in the room. 

Roland was dying to ask Finn about their babies, but he trusted that they were somewhere safe, or she would be anxious about them. 

He dreaded telling her that the Void knew about Ivan somehow. 

There were many questions, but to the Council's credit, there was no panic, only a stern commitment to the defense of the people. 

"All the giants were supposed to be extinct," Finn said, glancing at the Treasurer, who nodded in confirmation. They had long researched these topics together. 

"Some escaped. There were over fifty at one time, but now the population, at least in that world, is currently at four. As I said, three are coming to this world, or are already here." Roland replied. 

"What strategy would you recommend, if any, to combat these giants?" The General asked, writing on paper through the meeting. Roland guessed he was planning strategic defense. 

"They are large, but few. The Void… came to me in a dream. It showed me a vision of all the surrounding towns crushed and burning, and of the giants stomping through Klain with clubs, shattering and killing and eating the people." Roland shuddered. "It might be a false vision and not what the plan is at all. The Void was encouraging me to flee into the countryside." 

"Flee?" The General frowned. 

"It said the Giants could kill easily, but weren't good at hunting down people like little ants." Roland's face scrunched in concentration. 

"Anything else?" 

"It promised to spare the lives of everyone in Klain if we surrendered." Roland debated keeping the information to himself, but he couldn't justify it. 

"Do you believe it?" The Judge asked. 

"Of course not!" Duncan interrupted. "The Void wants everyone in Klain dead!" 

"That's true," Roland agreed. "I have tried to puzzle out what the Void might have wanted. Perhaps that is a futile pursuit, but even so… by showing me the burning towns, it must know we would want to protect those people by drawing them up into the city, as is the custom when we are under attack. 

"By encouraging me to flee 'like an ant', it tried to plant the idea that scattering would be best for all our citizenry, leaving the city undefended and empty. The only other option it presented was to surrender. 

"We have long thought that the Void wants something that exists underneath Klain–" 

"Which has been all but confirmed by the mole attacks," Finn put in, interrupting her husband. He looked at her curiously. 

"And it seems its goal must either be to kill everyone in the city, or empty it of all occupants." Roland concluded. 

"But why? The Void can't come into the city. Would having it empty change that?" Finn put in. 

The General cleared his throat, and she ducked her head. Roland smiled in spite of himself. He'd sorely missed her, and her presumptuous ways. 

"Your wife has been most helpful in your absence," The General informed him. "But now we must drill down to the bedrock of strategy. Have these giants any weaknesses?" 

"The legend said their appetites were too large, and they died out of starvation," Finn piped up once again, but added no more. 

"That is my understanding of them... They are dangerous. Their voices alone can be heard for miles, let alone their steps, which shake the ground. I do not see how the city would survive a direct attack. We have to find a way to stop them before their arrival." Roland squinted. 

"You mentioned Goblins?" The Peacekeeper asked. 

"Yes. Edmar has been taken by the Void to make a 'deal with them.' It seems the Goblins have engaged in some manner of warfare against the giants in the Below, and managed to kill off all but one of them. I do not know the manner of their warfare or the number of the casualties they endured." Roland frowned. 

"They're cave-dwellers," Finn put in again. "Their deeds were too dark to endure the light of day, so they were banished beneath the ground." 

"The entire Below might qualify as 'underground' for those purposes," Roland mused in response. "But I see your point. If the goblins are excellent diggers, as cave dwellers would learn to be, their attacks would probably be based in surprise attacks and traps." 

"Why would the giants agree to work with the goblins after the near-extermination of their people?" The General asked. 

"I'm not sure they heard that part, honestly. The Void was speaking to Edmar and I was barely close enough to hear it." Roland frowned. "But that's a good point. If the giants find out that the Void is courting the goblins, would that work in turning them away from the attack?" 

"How do we let them know that? Would they believe any of us?" The Judge put in. 

"I think someone has to meet them before they get here. At the very least, the attempt will perhaps delay them and give the army more time to set traps and prepare for the attack." The General swallowed. "As much as I was against talking before the last battle, it made an enormous difference in the end." 

Duncan nodded, and Roland sighed. Finn clutched his hand under the table, aware that he was once again about to be sent into danger. 

"I won't let you go without me." She whispered. 

"You can't come. It could take days. You know you can't be away from the babies so long." He replied under his breath. 

She tensed, but said nothing further as the meeting continued around them. 

"This… creature…" The General indicated the enormous cat now napping in the middle of the room. 

"Judah," Roland provided. 

"It seems obvious to me," The General looked around the room, "that Judah is the best hope for intercepting the giants as early as possible, as he is able to cover the distance far more swiftly than any horse or person. That makes you, Roland, the best candidate for this mission for that and other reasons." 

There were nods around the room, but Finn squirmed beside him. 

"Could Judah carry a second person as well?" She asked. 

"Perhaps," Roland cut his eyes to her, ready to immediately reject any suggestion of her accompanying him, but as she often did, his wife surprised him. 

"Not me," She pursed her lips with consternation, and he relaxed slightly. Finn's determination to be in the path of danger was at least momentarily appeased.

"Then name the person you suggest," The Peacekeeper seemed irritated by the woman's interruption of the meeting. 

"Is this not now a time of war?" The Judge asked suddenly. "Is this mission not a military matter? We should vote to give him the necessary discretion and power to make these decisions and deal with this without the hurdles and bureaucracy of the Council's votes. Our debates would slow the progress of preparing for the attack." 

"Agreed," The Treasurer said. 

"Agreed." The Peacekeeper and Provider echoed, a little belatedly. The seriousness of the situation settled over all of them. 

"I thank you for your confidence, and will defend the City to the best of my ability." The General nodded to them.

"Before we adjourn, I must impose upon our new ally," The General said, turning to Caspian. "The treaty was signed only a short time ago, but already I ask you to send for an army to help defend the city. If the mission to turn the giants back is unsuccessful, we will need help to keep our city from destruction." 

Caspian's face was grim, and the room held its breath. No one had expected things to progress this way when the ceremony had taken place. 

He closed his eyes for several moments, then opened them to look around the room with a serious gaze.

"I will send a messenger bird for troops to sail up the river as immediately as can be managed." 

The meeting adjourned, and The General headed for the door. Judah was given something to eat, to keep him occupied until it was time to leave. Roland and Finn were just behind The General, so that they barely heard the question he tossed over his shoulder. 

"Who was the other person you suggest for the mission?" 

Roland glanced at his wife, also intensely curious as to who she would name. He hadn't expected her to name anyone at all, but obviously she was not content for him to be alone for this task... not that he considered himself fully alone with Judah there. 

Her answer surprised him, as she usually did.

"Lysander, of course."