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Chapter Eleven

Blue Moon Inn Meeting

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Earth -414 IR1. Northern Yuan Empire

6 Ding Wei (26th of May 1431)

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Karakorum Blue Moon In

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- I could have killed them all. Easily but bringing them here fills the same purpose. They know that I am tremendously powerful and they are still alive. Most of them are very average military commanders but after a little bit of reorganization of the horde we should be able to find a position where they still can be better used than fertilizer.

- Why are they out?

- Easier for them to cope with what happened to them. Some people do have funny reactions when they are transported by a Demon. For unknown reasons they automatically believe that said Demon will pull them to Hell. Which is, in fact, rarely the case. They prefer syphoning the soul than convoying them to hell. A soul is among the richest fare a Demon can find. Why give them to other Demons when you can absorb them yourself? In the end the result is the same, the soul ceases to exist.

Adai was very pale.

- And you work with Demons on a daily basis?

- They call themselves Nightcrawlers. So, it could be that they are no Demons. We just believe they are because in their native form they look like what we believe Demons should look like. But when everything else is said we do, indeed, work hand in claws with them.

Geoff couldn't help but smile.

- And, from time to time, when we face a very stubborn, but useful, idiot, it helps to ask them to show themselves. Even stubborn unimaginative idiots do immediately know in their guts what is facing them. And it stops the strife like no other argument.

- You fight dirty…

- On the contrary it's a very clean way to fight, believe a master assassin who has killed in every imaginable way a countless number of times. Most of those who have seen the Nightcrawlers' real appearance are still alive and of use for the cause. Always remember that we don't know what's coming for us. And some day it could be the absence of some unimaginative stubborn idiot who makes us lose a fight we would have needed to win.

Adai nodded while looking at the seven generals lying around in the Inn's reception hall. Said hall had seen better days but at least everything was clean and ironed.

- Must I conclude that they were about to refuse to follow my order?

- Ogta was about to accept. The others would have ignored the orders and pretended they never arrived. And since Ogta is not only loyal but smart, you should perhaps envision a promotion or two for him. The others? It's up to you what to do with them. As you probably remember we are interested in recreating the Great Mongol Empire. But with lenient and smart rulers at the top.

He pointed at the Monglos lying around.

- As you see we do have ways to transport people -whole armies, if needed- from anywhere to anywhere else. So, you will have the possibility, should another great Khan be emasculated by a slave's bite, to get his successors gathered within a few hours to decide who's going to be the next candidate to emasculation.

- We are not all like Timujin… We respect our women…

- But you consider other men's wives and daughters to be cattle…

The Khargar frowned at Geoffrey.

- If a man is unable to protect his women, he deserves to die.

- And they deserve to be raped?

- Most women immediately understand that those brought in presence of a Khan are offered a great opportunity and even if they protest they know that having been impregnated by the Mongol leader will change their lives forever. Timujin had thousands of beautiful women ready to let him take them. He should have contented himself with what was available.

- But if he was the world's greatest womanizer, he was also a sadist and a man who loved to demean his victims. He could have reigned two centuries in good health but he chose to be a petty small-minded raping torturer. He was a strong healthy man so he lasted a few days before finally moving on to Hell. In my opinion, and even if I am a real efficient mass murderer, I believee that I never lost myself within the poison of power. He got what he deserved and his sons could have saved the Empire had they not, like him, become monsters…

He frowned at Adai.

- Have the Mongols overcome that flaw or are they still believing that mountains of skulls are the mark or a superior civilization?

- Mongol leaders still follow Temujin's lead. And whatever else he was, the Khan of Khans was indeed a bloodthirsty power-crazy despot. And a lot of Mongol Chieftains believe that they would lose their face not being as bloodthirsty and ruthless as the great Genghis.

- Do you?

- I do my best to remind my warriors that I am the Khargar and not to be trifled with. And pyramids of cut heads are, nowadays, the Mongols' brand image. And since it can be efficiently done just with the already dead enemies lying around on the battlefield, I don't see a problem, do you?

- Indeed we do but it is more because those skull mountains can be the breeding ground of diseases and epidemic outbreaks. We will let your Khans know that we frown upon those habits but we won't intervene directly to make them stop. Just know that it is dangerous for the health or the survivors not to bury or cremate cadavers! Be they whole or in parts, it is the same risk for the survivors. Especially if said survivors do not have enough food to survive.

- We are the Horde, we cover the plains with our horsemen and…

- Don't give me the proud savage horse nomads bullshit. The Horde has never been a pack of mindless warriors running around slaughtering innocents. The Horde has, from the very beginning, been the best organized horse driven army in History. It had been thought through and equipped with the best logistic available! And those are the reasons why your ancestors won every open field battle they had to fight. And since they weren't idiots they used the skills of their defeated enemies to also become masters in siege warfare and anti-guerilla management. So, you had the tools and the only reason you've lost the Empire is because you couldn't decide who was the best to take over the management of the Empire. We wanted an unified world power and you, only one generation afterwards, began to divide the Empire into autonomous Khanats ruled by the Khans' sons. It was a recipe for failure. Humans are disappointing and fickle. Trusting them and their promises is foolish. We've made that mistake in the past, we won't do it again.

- What do you want me to do?

- You will do two things. First you will proclaim yourself Khan of Khans and send to every Khanat founded by the Mongols a demand that the local Dynasty recognizes you as the Boss and bend the knee in front of you…

- They will never…

- We will, of course, have to make a few examples. Those proud and successful people believe themselves special. We will have to remind them what special really means.

Geoff couldn't help but show his delight.

- They won't like the demonstration. And because we have a real dislike with that dynasty, we will begin by Timur Leng's successor, Sharuk Mirza, who just came out victorious out of a war of succession. And of course, said Sharuk Mirza will refuse in probably a very disrespectful manner. The night after his refusal I will assassinate him and every living male of Timur Leng's line that lives around his Palace.

Geoff's eyes became as cold as iron.

- The lesson will be taught in the most bloody manner possible. I will adhere to the Mongol habit and build a pyramid of skulls in the Khan's bedroom with Sharuk Mirza's head on top. The day following the crowning of Sharuk Mirza's successor, you will send another demand and should they refuse once more I'll do the same as the first time but, to make it count, I will be a lot less specific when it comes to blood lines. I'll kill every one of the new Khan's associate.

A smile blossomed on Geoff's lips.

- That should convince everybody that you are not making fun of them. And once somebody else has taken over the remnants of Timur's Empire that one will receive the same demand. The new ruler will have the initial choice! He can either bend the knee or see his blood line erased from the surface of the world. And once anybody has a clear idea of what happens if one disobeys to the new Khan of Khans, your next demands should be received in a lot more enlightened manner.

- They will feel the threat and try to gather their forces to fight me and the Horde.

- If they are all in the same place, it will just be easier for me to get rid of them in one large slaughter. They can prepare and plot, it won't change anything. They will be reminded that Genghis' Empire wasn't destined to be broken up and divided between idiots and fools. With a little delay Genghis' wish will come to fruition.

- What about the Ming Empire? Will they be treated the same?

- No, my daughter is, as we speak, a guest at the Ming's Court and is negotiating the treaty which will, in the near future, bind Yao and Ming and create the new Qin Empire that will reach from Beijin to Alexandria. Let's look at it like a wedding between civilization and strength. The Ming Empire will bring technology and science to the party and you, the Khan of Khans will provide the power to get all those scientists and explorers safely through life and more or less the things we want done be done efficiently.

Here Geoff looked Adai in the eyes.

- In one or two generations your blood, mingled with Ming blood, will reign over half of the world. We will be there and we will be looking over this new ruler's shoulder. He will be everything we want him to be. Smart, resolute, scheming, charismatic and always informed of what happens all over the world. And he will have the best and smartest as his advisers. And should I be of need, I'll be there too to remind everybody that the show has a direction and that we have the means to deal with those who do not work with the common good in mind.

He stopped Adai's next comment.

- And yes, it means that we will be meddling. And we will be interfering because we know that without supervision everything can happen. Our experience has shown that no man and no woman is ready to wield the type of power we will be handing out without becoming addict to it. And since we don't want anything unexpected to happen, we will be at that ruler's side from birth to deathbed! We will look at him or her at each stage of his or her life and he or she will know that assistance -and surveillance- will always be around him or her.

- He'll be your trustee…

- Had Genghis been our trustee, the Mongols would still reign over what Genghis had conquered and probably even a lot more. He lost it because we weren't there to remind him, forcefully, of his promises and we won't do that mistake a second time. Too much is at risk and we've already wasted too many years. As it is, this timeline could already have a world covering Empire had we been less confident. Whatever happened we have learned our lesson and this time we will invest the time and the means necessary to get the needed results.

- There are lessons you still have to learn…

- Are there?

- Indeed, there are. You need to take some distance with your dislikes. It is very clear that you do not like Timur Leng's dynasty and I won't deny that what Timur did with his armies in India was loathsome and criminal and that it should have been stopped. But it happened decades ago and none of those who acted there are still alive. And, to be frank my ancestors did quite the same all along their campaigns in Asia and in the Middle East. Just remember Samarkand and Baghdad to get the right idea.

He looked Geoffrey in the eyes.

- Doing your own smaller slaughter will only give you more enemies.

- You have an idea?

- Of course I have. Since you have the means to get all the rulers of all the lands who once were under Mongol Dominion here in this Inn with no Bodyguards or advisers, why don't you do it? I'm quite sure that, throwing them alone and vulnerable in an unknown environment will give you a way more efficient tool to impress them! Once here they will be a lot more open to your arguments! After having seen what you can do to get them where you want they will be a lot more frightened than just by getting news about your latest slaughter of innocents.

Here Adai chuckled.

- Slaughter they can do too. They have lots of experience in that field. Threatening family is a very common argument that no longer affects people like us. It has happened before and it will happen again. Pulling them out of their well protected Palaces to get them at a place of your choosing is something else. It will make them understand that something abnormal is happening. Fear is a good tool but it is an old and overused one. And in our case it is not the best one to use in this situation.

He pointed at his still unconscious generals.

- You have clearly more efficient ones you should try out before entering your next killing spree. Especially since said killing spree seems to be motivated by antipathy for a certain person and his dynasty.

Geoff frowned at Adai but it didn't faze the Mongol.

- It was loathsome and criminal, I already agreed with you but it is in the past and now we want to build the future. And even if Sharuk Mirza is Timur's son and had fought at his side, he wasn't involved in the Pund campaign. Add to those historic facts his value as an efficient king and it seems evident that we should win him to our cause not antagonize him.

Geoffrey tried to protest but Adai cut him showing that he was not overwhelmed by his host's charisma.

- Don't let your emotions get the overhand. Go on using your mind and go on being smart. I know how those men will react when faced with the new perspectives you have been showing me! Remember that I am one of them even if what you propose plays in my People's favor. I know that I would have been reluctant to give up even a small part of my power but the fact that you have the means to get me and pull me out of my own Palace to place me at your mercy would have forced me to stay calm and to look at the situation with a more open mind. I can not guarantee that they will all accept to follow us but should you be able to show them that your plan could be in their dynasty's interest most of them will at least envision a future at your side. And the key word here is future. It's not for them directly it is for their offspring in one or two generations. A lot can happen in a few decades! If you come out only with threats most of them will oppose you. You have arguments and the threat you've presented me seems believable. Why not try to convince them, like you did with me, before threatening them? It is easy to enter a war, it is a lot more difficult to maintain peace.

Geoffrey took a long breath and, after a few seconds of silence, breathed out the air and the anger…

- You are right. From time to time, anger takes over.

- And anger is a bad adviser. Those Khans or Pachas or whatever, are not kind people but they won't be deprived of what they have built for themselves and their heirs. But they can be enrolled if you don't try to take their power away from them. One or two generations in the future is far away enough to begin to accept to lose a part of their current power. Especially if you do not put that peculiar circumstance in the fore! Talk alliance and progress and shared battles, don't mention forced unity and obedience. As said, within the next decades a lot will happen that will change everybody's vision of the future.

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