"Sir! Urgent news from Copenhagen!"
"What is it?" Denmark snapped. He was rather grouchy. He hadn't slept in days, he ate very little, and he thought he might go blind from all the report-reading he had to do. "This better be important, or so help me God, I will-"
"Sir, Oslo was bombed yesterday."
Denmark couldn't process that immediately. "What?"
"Oslo was bombed by the Americans. Nearly half of the city was destroyed."
"Oh God. Oh God, what has that bastard done!" Denmark's mind refused to process that fact completely. Half the city, gone? Didn't seem possible. But if it was… "The source, is it reliable?"
"One of ours, sir. In a scout plane. Saw everything. Barely made it across the Skagerrak with his life."
Denmark put his head down on his desk. This couldn't be happening, not now. They were so close to their goal- he could see the coast of Maine from here - and then this had to happen. Was it still a rescue mission? Or would he now have to rain down vengeance on America? He swallowed. "Have the people of Oslo surrendered?"
"No, sir. They refused the offer."
Norway must be alive, then. Right?
With a gesture, Denmark dismissed the messenger.
As soon as the door closed behind the departing man, Denmark threw a file across the room as hard as he could.
How could this be happening? So close to his goal, and then this! What was he supposed to do now? Should he turn back and offer help to the beleaguered city of Oslo? Or should he continue as he had planned?
What would Norway do?
His first reaction was that he should go give aid to the people of Oslo.
But…that would mean giving up the war in America. And he couldn't do that. He'd promised China that he would not be abandoned.
He was a man of his word.
But was there a third option? He could not wage a long, drawn-out war against America now.
He hadn't started his attach yet. There was time to revise the plan.
America's capital was just down the coast.
An eye for an eye.
The path he must take was at his feet. He could see it clearly, though he could not see where it ended.
Suddenly invigorated, he began scrawling new orders on a sheet of paper. There was much to do.
A/N: Thanks for all of your lovely reviews! Virtual cookies for everyone!