The Omani Empire's defiant declaration had taken the British by surprise. In their minds, the Austrians and Arabs had been at odds for centuries.
What was more, according to Indian intelligence, Austria and the Omani Empire had clashed fiercely in Zanzibar.
Most importantly, from the British point of view, Austria had seized Bagamoyo and occupied vast swathes of the Omani Empire's territory in East Africa. The two sides should have been bitter enemies, or at the very least, fair-weather friends.
But Said's sharply worded reply had made the British begin to doubt the quality of Indian intelligence. After all, in their stereotyped view, those Indians were hardly reliable.
The Omani Empire's stance had indeed thrown British plans into disarray. Britain could easily handle Oman or Austria on its own, but the two together were another matter.
At the very least, the British could no longer simply send a nearby squadron and count on victory. But if they summoned troops from other regions, that would leave a vacuum, severely undermining Britain's global dominance.
In truth, at some point, British diplomacy had become entirely reactive. It seemed every country was out to get Britain.
The days when a few words could stir the world's winds and clouds seemed to be over. Diplomatic action was becoming ever more costly, and the Great Powers—even obscure little countries—were beginning to doubt the "good intentions" of the British Empire.
The lickspittles who had once been content to act as puppets had vanished. In their place stood a pack of hunters, some openly hostile, others deeply wary.
The British themselves had recognized this and tried to turn things around, yet somehow, an invisible hand always seemed to shove them back to square one.
And as time went on, the situation kept getting worse.
Once, the British Government