The moonlight outside the window poured into the inner chamber, and the magic lamp in the room cast a pale yellow halo. Laine placed a piece of pastry in his mouth, contemplating for a long time before slowly speaking: "It's a conspiracy, my Lady. If it weren't for you, I would already be in a predicament."
"If I choose to agree, then all my previous efforts would be in vain. My efforts to improve territorial security, to build an army, and to recruit Dwarfs would all be for naught. I would lead an Expeditionary Army of no more than a thousand into the desert to chew on sand and play hide-and-seek with those skeleton frames, perhaps unable to return for several years, even a decade."
