“Well, while we’re waiting, perhaps you can each brief me on your opinions of my future bride and her kingdom.”
“But your Majesty, we’ve done that before. Many times.”
“Well, we’ll do it again. You’re supposed to be my advisors, aren’t you? So advise me. General Badaxe, why don’t you start?”
Badaxe shrugged.
“The situation is essentially unchanged from our last briefing. Impasse is a small kingdom; tiny really
less than a thousand citizens altogether. They claim the entire Impasse mountain range, from which the kingdom gets its name, and which is the bulk of their military defense. Their claim stands mostly because the mountains are treacherous and there is little or no reason to venture there. At least ninety-five percent of their population is concentrated along the one valley through the mountains. They have no formal military, but rather a militia, which suffices as there are no less than five passes in the main valley where a child with a pile of rocks could hold off an army . . . and they have plenty of rocks. Their main vulnerability is food. The terrain is such that they are unable to support even their small population, and as they are still at odds with the kingdom at the other end of the valley who originally owned it, they are forced to buy all their food from us … at prices even a generous man would call exorbitant.”
“Supply and demand,” Grimble said with a toothy smile.
“Wait a minute, General,” I interrupted. “If I understand this right. Impasse is not a threat to us militarily because of its size. If anything, it guards our flank against attack from the pass. Right?”