"But it's going to be out of our hands, soon. I guess it's been mostly just good so far and the next things looming are - much more mixed. I don't want it to be - my fault - that world war one happens."

Iomedae hugs her. "I think we should try to prevent World War One. I don't know how exactly but - I don't really believe it's inevitable. And maybe if people really understand what they're risking they won't risk it quite as readily. The last industrial civilization in this world destroyed itself, after all. It's not like people just have to take our word for it that it's possible for wars to get really, really bad."

"Yeah. I think I'll start the factories Marusek wants. Because Andoran doesn't want more real wars right now and…if they're making their own guns maybe that'll keep Taldor or Galt from starting something. Here at least."

Alfirin is supervising the assembly of her first prototype steamship and mostly not thinking about the war when Cansellarion arrives. She peels herself away to greet him. "Ser Cansellarion! Is this a social visit or are you here to ruin someone's retirement?" Not that either of them are retired, exactly.

"Aren't you a bit young for retirement?" he shouts over the din.

So not a social visit. Probably here to ruin her not-retirement. "I own Industry, Like All of It, or at least a solid third of that, depending on what counts! I can retire whenever and however often I please! Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"

She prestidigitates herself clean and dresses more formally on the walk back to the tower. "So, what brings you here? Me or my wife?" She smiles. She really is so wonderfully delightfully fond of Iomedae, and there's something special about being married to her that wasn't there when they were just dating.

"You. I want you to open some factories in Westcrown."

Oh. He really does want to ruin her retirement. "Planes, trains, and automobiles? Or guns?" she asks, even though she knows the answer.

"Guns."

"It's going to be very bad, you know." She is not very optimistic about warning him off. Even if he believes everything she has to say, about the war to come, it’s still in his and Cheliax’ interest to be armed for it and not be defenseless like… Switzerland? Belgium? One of those European countries with lots of chocolate.

"What is?"

"The war you're all gearing up for."

"I'm not - gearing up - I mean, I don't have a war planned. It just wouldn't be wise to have no weapons for the army if a war did start."

Yeah that’s what she thought he’d say. "Mhm. So you want at least as many as Cyprian, who's the one who you think is going to start the next war, right? And Cyprian sees an Iomedean theocracy to the north, making guns for the worldwound, and an Iomedean theocracy in Lastwall making guns for Ustalav, and an Iomedean theocracy in Andoran making guns to shoot slavers, and an Iomedean theocracy in Cheliax making guns just for the heck of it and maybe he's worried that he's got to have just as many guns as you lot… or at least enough guns to fully equip his army, which he can't downsize too much because of all the people with guns surrounding him."

"That's - we're not going to declare war on Cyprian!"

It’s not that she’s heard that before, exactly, it’s that she expects if she’d read more earth history she’d have heard that before. "Not even if he invades the rest of the river kingdoms? Brevoy? Druma? Mendev? Molthune?" Belgium and/or Switzerland?

"...Maybe then."

"So either he gives up on war entirely - which I don't expect - or he has to be ready to fight you, and you have to be ready to fight him - and you're all going to have machine guns, and airplanes, and dynamite, and - artillery guns aren't complicated, I'm sure you'll all have those too even if I refuse to make any. And then - I don't know. Ten million people will die? Maybe more? Maybe less, just because there's not as many people around to die. It's going to be very bad."

"How sure are you? Do you know if there's a way to stop it, or make it - less bad...?"

What does he think she’s trying to do!?

"I don't know! I'm not a general! I'm not a politician! I'm just someone who half-remembers her American world history classes and brought this world all the weapons of world war one because we thought there was a horrible necromancer taking over the planet who needed to be stopped! And - Infernal Cheliax was also very bad and also needed to be stopped. I'm glad we did it. But I don't actually know how to build a peace or stop a world war or even whether that war is as inevitable as it feels… don't have a bunch of secret alliances. And don't blow up any Australian Archdukes. And no… unrestricted underwater warfare, wow, I bet Golarion has that already even though there's no submarines - that's - really all I've got."

"...Are you okay?"

No. No she is not. She’s a bit embarrassed to be showing it to Cansellarion. "I might be the worst mass-murderer since - well probably there's someone else between now and Earthfall but not someone I've heard of."

"I think that's judging yourself too harshly."

"Say that again after the war… This is really giving me a visceral appreciation for the Nobel Peace Prize."