Losa gave a noncommittal smile. "Since Bahram still harbors other designs, if I summon him to audience, how could he possibly come? It would instead force him into a corner, binding the entire Tarsus to him."
"I want a Tarsus that remains whole, not a heap of ruins."
Mustafa gave a bitter smile. "You are esteeming Bahram's resolve far too highly."
"I have watched this child grow up since he was small. He excels at calculation and is lacking in decision. Faced with Your threat, he is both resentful and devoid of the resolve to stake everything on a single throw. Unless you set the opportunity right before his eyes, he will never take that step."
He said earnestly, "When the usurper Quchlug of Kara Khitay sought aid, Bahram hesitated, unwilling to dispatch his main force in support. Only after he was swept aside by the Tatars like leaves in an autumn gale did Bahram hurriedly muster an army, seeking to join with the Khwarezmians."
