Chapter 42: Prophet.
Not waiting for a special invitation, Lee said, "You are looking at the situation from too wide of a perspective. There is no doubt the emperor would involve the army if you start to make big moves. But what if the shot-caller was not the emperor?"
"No one else has the right to make decisions of this scale." Cai shook his head, "Valen Sunwell has always held the empire, and his kingdom before that, in a tight grip."
"That is correct. But none of you have been present in a session of the Imperial Council. The things are a bit peculiar there." Lee said with a mysterious smile, "And people there ... are not that friendly with each other."
The three grownups stared at Lee's complacent expression until Slade was fed up with the suspense.
He said, "Spill it, kiddo! I'll fucking ..."
"You obviously have given this a lot of thought." Cai interrupted him, "Mind sharing?"
"Sorry! My bad!" Lee realized he was a child now, and shouldn't poke the tiger called Slade, "The project Operation of the century is not solely Minister Bishop's idea. She's in it with Newman. The thing is – minister's of justice, Claire Ironfist's, youngest daughter is Newman's child. I'm ninety nine percent positive. Thus Ironfist wholeheartedly despises Bishop. Women, you know? That is – if Newman is still doing Minister Bishop. Is he?"
Lee glanced at Freeda and Cai who both nodded without having a clue what to think. The contents of the speech didn't fit child's talk at all.
"Good!" He continued, "That means, you need Ironfist to recall the guards to the capital, not the emperor. Don't burn the capital, don't attack the imperial forces. Make Ironfist mad. Force her to persuade the emperor to bring back Sunwell's guards who should've been in the capital in the first place!"