"Let me be clear about something," Bahste said, his pleasant tone never wavering.
"I am not criticizing your methods. In fact, I find them admirably pragmatic. You identified a potential disruption to established power structures and attempted to neutralize it through legal and political means. That shows initiative and strategic thinking."
He stood and walked to a window overlooking the city, hands clasped behind his back.
"However, you were hasty. You underestimated your target, you rushed the execution of your plan, and you failed to account for variables like Prince Milan's intervention or the boy's actual combat capabilities."
He turned back to face them.
"Haste is the enemy of effective scheming, gentlemen.
It introduces unpredictability."
"We understand, Your Excellency," Halvren said carefully.
"But surely you agree that Jolthar Kaezhlar represents a threat? His power, his defiance of authority, his influence over—"
"Of course he's a threat," Bahste agreed easily.
