Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber

Republic of Siddarmark simply because of the Republic’s proximity to the Temple Lands, there were those—including the Grand Inquisitor himself—who felt that Charis’ attitudes and example were even more dangerous in the long run.
    Dynnys’ own view, buttressed by reports from Zherald Ahdymsyn and Father Paityr Wylsynn, the Order of Schueler’s own intendant in Tellesberg, was that Rayno’s suspicions of Charis’ fidelity to Mother Church’s doctrines were baseless. True, Charisians’ willingness to find new and more efficient ways to do things required a certain degree of vigilance. And, equally true, the Charisian branch of the Church was rather more permissive on several issues than the Council of Vicars would truly have preferred. And, yes, it was even true that this “college” of Haarahld’s was actively seeking new ways to combine existing knowledge, which could only enhance that national fetish for “efficiency.” That, however, was exactly why Father Paityr was there, and his reports—like those of his immediate predecessors—made it quite clear that nothing going on in Charis came remotely close to a violation of the Proscriptions of Jwo-jeng.
    As for domestic policies and dangerous examples, Dynnys was willing to grant that King Haarahld’s great-grandfather’s decision to legally abolish serfdom throughout his kingdom could be construed as a slap in Mother Church’s face, if one were determined to view it that way. Dynnys wasn’t, especially given the fact that there’d never been more than a relative handful of serfs in Charis even before the institution was officially abolished. Nor did he believe the claims—mostly from the Charisians’ competitors—that his parishioners’ focus on trade and the acquisition of wealth was so obsessive that it inspired them to ignore their obligations to God and Mother Church and skimp on the kingdom’s tithe. Bishop Executor Zherald and his tithe-collectors would certainly have made their own displeasure known if they’d suspected there was any truth to those tales! Ahdymsyn might not be the most brilliant man ever to attain a bishop’s ring, but he was no fool, either, and Mother Church had centuries of experience with every way kings or nobles might try to hide income from the tithe-assessors.
    And the Church’s—and Inquisition’s—grip on the mainland populations was surely firm enough to suppress any dangerous notions which might creep across the seas aboard Charisian merchantmen.
    No, Dynnys had no fear Charis was some sort of hotbed of potential heresy. Not that he hadn’t been prepared to play upon Rayno’s suspicions and the Council of Vicars’ basic distrust and dislike for the kingdom.
    Which, he reflected, made the fact that Haarahld was clearly one of Breygart’s strongest supporters the kiss of death as far as Wyllym was concerned .
    He supposed it was actually a sign of Rayno’s moral integrity that it had taken him this long to come openly out in support of Tahdayo Mahntayl’s claim.
    His fraudulent but extremely well-paying claim , Dynnys reflected silently, allowing no trace of his inner satisfaction to show. And the fact that Lyam Tyrn, the Archbishop of Emerald, was going to owe him a substantial favor for supporting Prince Nahrmahn’s candidate wasn’t going to hurt, either.
    â€œI think,” Rayno, as the senior member of the court, continued, “that in light of Breygart’s failure to provide his supposed proof, or even to respond to our request in a timely fashion, we must make our decision based upon the evidence already presented. Rather than rush to a conclusion, however, I would suggest we adjourn for lunch and afterwards spend an hour or so meditating upon this matter in privacy. Let us reconvene at about the fifteenth hour and render our decision, Brothers.”
    The others