And if Keltham really doesn't do anything - if he hasn't figured it out - to all appearances, until quite recently, he wasn't paying much attention to Cheliax at all -

Then soon Abrogail's child will be ensouled.  Shortly after, other children all across Cheliax.

And then, probably, once informed of that fact, if it's allowed to become true, Keltham really won't consider it his nonthreatening action to destroy Cheliax if it makes any trouble.  Not if that'd send so many children of his tragically to the Boneyard.

They didn't mean to take hostages, definitely didn't intend to contravene Asmodeus's orders by taking hostages deliberately; they had their own reasons for wanting Keltham's children in Cheliax.  Why, they've had those reasons from the beginning, Keltham himself observed them immediately upon his arrival; dath ilan has good 'genes' useful for the 'heritage-optimization' program that Cheliax is even now in the process of planning.

They didn't meant to take hostages; it doesn't mean Cheliax won't have them, very soon.  And Keltham should know that it wasn't a threat that created them.

Cheliax hasn't set a definite date on war with Osirion, not least because Osirion's intelligence has been so impossibly good.  But once enough of Keltham's children start detecting as ensouled - it will be Cheliax's best course of action, then, to crush the Scientific Revolution before it can start to seriously compete.

And if Keltham really doesn't do anything - if he hasn't figured it out - to all appearances, until quite recently, he wasn't paying much attention to Cheliax at all -

Then soon Abrogail's child will be ensouled.  Shortly after, other children all across Cheliax.

And then, probably, once informed of that fact, if it's allowed to become true, Keltham really won't consider it his nonthreatening action to destroy Cheliax if it makes any trouble.  Not if that'd send so many children of his tragically to the Boneyard.

They didn't mean to take hostages, definitely didn't intend to contravene Asmodeus's orders by taking hostages deliberately; they had their own reasons for wanting Keltham's children in Cheliax.  Why, they've had those reasons from the beginning, Keltham himself observed them immediately upon his arrival; dath ilan has good 'genes' useful for the 'heritage-optimization' program that Cheliax is even now in the process of planning.

They didn't meant to take hostages; it doesn't mean Cheliax won't have them, very soon.  And Keltham should know that it wasn't a threat that created them.

Cheliax hasn't set a definite date on war with Osirion, not least because Osirion's intelligence has been so impossibly good.  But once enough of Keltham's children start detecting as ensouled - it will be Cheliax's best course of action, then, to crush the Scientific Revolution before it can start to seriously compete.

...or, of course, Keltham could be waiting until the last minute to destroy Egorian or Cheliax, hoping he'll find an alternative before his hand is forced to that; and not wishing to let Cheliax know what awaits them, even by offering to open negotiations.

And if Keltham really doesn't do anything - if he hasn't figured it out - to all appearances, until quite recently, he wasn't paying much attention to Cheliax at all -

Then soon Abrogail's child will be ensouled.  Shortly after, other children all across Cheliax.

And then, probably, once informed of that fact, if it's allowed to become true, Keltham really won't consider it his nonthreatening action to destroy Cheliax if it makes any trouble.  Not if that'd send so many children of his tragically to the Boneyard.

They didn't mean to take hostages, definitely didn't intend to contravene Asmodeus's orders by taking hostages deliberately; they had their own reasons for wanting Keltham's children in Cheliax.  Why, they've had those reasons from the beginning, Keltham himself observed them immediately upon his arrival; dath ilan has good 'genes' useful for the 'heritage-optimization' program that Cheliax is even now in the process of planning.

They didn't mean to take hostages; but Cheliax will have them, very soon.  And Keltham should know that it wasn't a threat that created them.

Cheliax hasn't set a definite date on war with Osirion, not least because Osirion's intelligence has been so impossibly good.  But once enough of Keltham's children start detecting as ensouled - it will be Cheliax's best course of action, then, to crush the Scientific Revolution before it can start to seriously compete.

...or, of course, Keltham could be waiting until the last minute to destroy Egorian or Cheliax, hoping he'll find an alternative before his hand is forced to that; and not wishing to let Cheliax know what awaits them, even by offering to open negotiations.