A Greased Mouth Can Never Say No

Quiz Answer Key

1. The commander’s initial strategy was a prolonged siege, aiming to cut off the fort’s food and water supplies. He believed that without these necessities, the defenders would eventually be forced to surrender due to starvation and thirst.
2. The defenders’ lack of panic or distress, even after a month of siege, puzzled the commander. This behaviour suggested they had an unexpected supply source, which contradicted his assumption that their provisions would soon run out.
3. The host was unwilling to help the commander because he feared for his life. As a former official of the fort, he knew that if the defenders discovered he had met with the enemy commander, he would be killed.
4. The commander leveraged the host’s past corruption, threatening to send documents proving he had taken bribes to his former masters at the fort. This threat of public exposure and severe punishment forced the host to cooperate.
5. The crucial piece of information the commander sought was whether there was a secret tunnel leading into the fort. He suspected an unknown supply route was sustaining the defenders, and a tunnel would explain their prolonged resistance.
6. The commander described the host’s compliance by telling himself, “A greased mouth can never say NO.” This implies that the host was easily manipulable due to his past financial compromises, making him vulnerable to coercion.
7. The first action taken by the soldiers who entered the tunnel was to sneak in and surprise the men guarding the main gate. Their objective was to neutralize these defenders to facilitate the next stage of the attack.
8. The main attacking army gained entry into the fort after the drawbridge was lowered. This was made possible by the small group of soldiers who infiltrated via the secret tunnel and overpowered the guards at the main gate.
9. The phrase “A greased mouth can never say NO” implies that the host was compromised by his past acceptance of bribes. His financial corruption made him vulnerable to the commander’s threats, essentially preventing him from refusing the commander’s demand.
10. This story suggests that internal intelligence is paramount in warfare, especially during stalemates. The secret tunnel information, obtained through coercion, was the decisive factor that allowed the commander to break the siege and achieve victory, highlighting that knowledge can be more powerful than brute force.