"Those are civilians!" Oliver said, shouting despite the sword pressed against his throat. "Those children were never going to pick up a sword, nor raise a spear."
"Unfortunately, they are mere collateral. What would we do with a few hundred thousand civilians once the soldiers were dealt with?" Karstly said. "Besides… Once they saw how we killed their men, would the women really stand by? You might look down on them, Patrick, and see them as harmless, but even the smallest of felines still has claws. We've a small enough army already. We do not need those kinds of losses."
It was the harshest of all possible reasoning. It was the product of a sharp mind, and a lagging morality. Terrifying was what Oliver found it to be. He knew Karstly was a dangerous man, but he didn't think he was this dangerous.
"How did you convince Blackwell? He at least sees the immorality in what you're committing," Oliver said.
