Surely you prefer Misa and Ban-Razit.  Are they friends of yours?  After all you like cunts in leather.  
Extract from The Anile Heir ©2017.  I, Ysabel Jehan Howard, hereby assert and give notice of my right under s.77 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this book.

Misa’s here.”
“That cunt!”
“Doesn’t want to be on the losing side.”
“Maybe he had no choice.”
“Don’t give me that bollocks.  The poor sods over there have no choice.  Senior officers, they always had choice.”
“And we bloody know who they are!”
 
“Excellent,” said Sorg, “and 360° experience works how?”
 
Misa and Zytalis entered the canteen.  Dead silence fell.
“Come to surrender, I hope,” said someone.
“I brought a message from Ban-razit.”
“Misa the messenger-boy!”
“Cock-sucker.”
“They don’t seem to like you,” said Zytalis.  “Cool it, guys. OK.”
“Does Sarat know what a piece of shit this is?”
“Sold us all out for a lick of Corsin cock.”
“Anyone for a hanging?”
Some of them stood up.
“I said cool it.”
So did a number of people.
“I think perhaps,” said someone.
     Zytalis dialled.
     “Sarat.”
     “With Misa in the Canteen.  I think they want to lynch him.”
     “I’ll come.”
     “OK, guys,” said Zytalis, “Sarat’s on his way over.  We all just do our deep-breathing exercises till he gets here.”
     “Meeow.”
     “We shall sit over there.”
     So they did.
     Sarat arrived.
     “What’s going on?”
     “That total cunt.”
     “If you don’t hang him, we will.”
     Electric current moment.  Sarat appeared not to notice.
     “Give me facts.”
     “Group of blokes, made a break for it, wanted to get to Van-senok. That cunt had them hunted down and shot.”
     “Misa?”
     “Them or me,” said Misa. “I warned them.  Someone else betrayed them. Salbitan.”
     “Oh for fuck’s sake.”
     “Don’t give us that shit.”
     “He’s on our side, pig!”
     “OK,” said Sarat.  “One, Corsin sent him to cause aggro and he’s causing it, so cut it out now. Two. Evidence.  Witnesses.  Law.  People are not executed because of angry guys in a canteen. Ever.  Clear?”
On the whole clear, very clear.  Sarat pushed it with the wannabe-murderer.
“Sorry I don’t know your name.  The guy who said he commit murder if I didn’t.”
“Trion.”
“And?”
“Got a bit.”
“And now you’re not.  I don’t do guys who get a bit, OK.  Three. Tomorrow morning Ban-razit is coming here to talk to me –
“Oh for fuck’s sake!”
“It gets worse!”
“He’s coming on condition of safe passage.  I know what the creature is.  I know what it’s done.  I want to see it and hear it. I want it to see and hear me. I want it to go back to Vaudos knowing it’s over, and most of all I want to persuade it to do something stupid which will save us all a lot of effort.  No fuckwit demos.  Also clear?”
“Fucking hell!”
“Can we hold our noses?”
“So that cunt over there’s got safe passage.”
“His status is visitor.”
“Go back with them then.”
“That’s up to him.”
“Then what?”
“Nothing that’s happened in Vaudos will be investigated until we have taken Vaudos and can investigate properly, until there are legit courts to try people in.”
“It would still save a lot of effort,” said Rewn from the doorway, “to shoot him.” Sarat turned. “Garbage disposal.”
“If anyone should, you should!”
“Meaning exactly what?  Your men?” asked Sarat.
“My men.”
“But you got away.  Am I missing something?”
“I didn’t trust him.  Others did.”
Baz said with some irritation, “If he’s got this shit reputation why would anyone trust him?  OK, so many people were playing double, you got cross-eyed.”
Rewn gave a short laugh.
“That is about the size of it. You must understand in earlier years the situation was more fluid.”
“Hedging their bets,” said Baz.
“So,” said Sarat, “if we cut to the chase, he chose the wrong side and did their dirty work for them.  OK, law.  There’s a whole team sorting it, mostly so I don’t have to in a canteen in the middle of the night.  Materially assisting the enemy sounds good, but you could apply that to all the guys in Vaudos, yes?  Maybe some of you here at one time or another.  Enthusiastically assisting the enemy is probably more like it.  Not sure it has quite the right legal ring. We’ve been through the basics.  You can’t be a traitor to an empire that didn’t exist.  You can be a traitor to the human race by siding with Corsin.  Then there’s the sub-plot of threat, terror and control.  As I just said that needs evidence, witnesses, courts.  When we have Vaudos I’ll have a fully operational nation.  From that point of view Azt is an after-thought. But purely military offences are separate from all that. Yes?”
“I should regard,” said Rewn, “enthusiastic assistance to the enemy as a purely military offence.”
“Fine,” said Sarat.  “It still has to be proved.  With witnesses for the defence, if any, who are presumably in Vaudos. In conjunction with this Salbatin. Misa. You go or you stay?”
“I believe I am innocent of – enthusiasm.”
“Don’t you believe it!”
“Wouldn’t be where he is, would he!”
“So?” said Sarat.
Misa rose.
“At your command, sir.”
“Sit down. OK, detained pending further enquiry, not to mention your own safety.  Zytalis will find you a cell. Presumably we can at least start enquiring.  A lot of you are angry.  I understand that.  But there’s not a lot of hard fact here.  So.  After Corsin have gone, anyone with evidence, anyone prepared to testify in court, is going to give a statement to the cops and we’ll take it from there.  Anyone want to say anything else?”
“Yeah,” said someone after a moment.  “The Corsin cunts will have a route, right? Can we line it?”
Sarat grinned.
“Guard of honour?”
“Something like that.”
“Just keep it clean.”
 
“Oh I think so,” said Karmen, “and shall we not tweak?”
“You need to think of it as a stage,” said Sorg, “with props.”
 
“Unusually tactful,” commented Baz. “I mean, that was about what?  One fact, pretty-please.”
“Don’t do scapegoats,” said Sarat. 
“Rewn’s clean.”
“Oh, Rewn’s clean, all right. And I don’t believe they’re covering up for shit.”
“If they really wanted Misa dead, they wouldn’t have staged that.”
“All will be revealed!” 
 
Sarat refrained from calling the head of the legal team at home in bed in Fidub and demanding he come to Carlin.  He just mailed him to say that he was about to be in bloody Vaudos and wanted a legal adviser like now.  Pretty-please, of course.
 
 “We’re going to kill ‘em!” said Sorg at 4 am.  “You may now go to bed.”
“Thank you,” said Sarat.  “Thank you all very much for this little lot.  Might not need it of course.  Yet.”
“Sure it won’t be wasted,” said Sorg.
 
Sarat and Maya weren’t the only ones who didn’t have much sleep.  The guys would like you to look around, said Baz, just so you’re happy with it.
 
            “Don’t even breathe deeply,” said Saban
      “That is it,” said Karmen, “slow shallow breaths stay centred stay cool.”
      “You are?”
      “Just call us the welcoming committee.”
      “Nameless animals, then.”
      There are four of them, Ban-razit, Gilansan, Karda-mar and Sooletin.
 
            This – is - intolerable.
            Always turn tail, said Karmen.
            Imperial flags lined the route (paper, printed in scores, if it rains, it rains).  A billboard proclaimed ‘Forthcoming discussion groups: the treatment of war criminals; the care and feeding of panthers; the role of Sardun in peace; the transition to democracy; equality of rights under imperial law.’  ‘How to use a knife and not in the kitchen’, proclaimed a poster.  ‘Miviaz from Sardun (pictured) will share some tips from her fight against Corsin.’  Cartoon (large): group of lounging squaddies contemplating an expostulating group of officers with red faces, steam coming out of their ears and Cult insignia: “What the hell do you mean you don’t have to call me ‘sir’?”  “But you’re a complete cunt.  Why would anyone call you ‘sir’?”  A  variation had Sarat looking on commenting, “One does not do hissy fits.”  A long banner: Imperial Army – cool, sleek, elegant, effective and dangerous. Sarat and Maya’s graphics of the refuse collector and the cleaning-lady.  Consultation party: winter uniform – get ready for Azt! Illustrated by black fur mitts with silver claws.  And so on.  The arriving Press caught the end of the route.  WTF!  And so on.
     “Expecting callers, Sarat!”
     “You got it.  Corsin.  They want to talk to me.  Isn’t that sweet?  Invited themselves.”  He stopped due to the meh-meh-meh.  “Shut up now, puh-lease! Call it war by any other means. I don’t know what they want to talk about but I can guess it’s to do with our trips to Vaudos. We’re putting on a little show for them, VR look-alike. The guys have had training in this.  You lot, not.  Just hang on to a few basics.  You are in the same old bloody field.  You’re probably bored with this field.  I’m bored with this field.  Still, it’s a safely boring field.  Just remember you’re in an acutely boring field.   Count the daisy-stalks.  Search for the single dandelion that survived.  The sun is over there.  The GD is to the south.  Etc.  Maya and I are in front of you. Just remember nothing that isn’t a normal natural part of a field in Carlin is real. Especially there are no wolves in Carlin.”
      The shadow of, the sensation of, the knowledge of a wolf-pack running through the crowd, just shadows, bounding onto the dais, frantically wagging their tails.
      “Who’s a good dog, then,” said Sarat.  “Who’s a lovely girl now!”
      “No, that did not happen!”
      “How true,” said Sarat.  “Think of it this way, you may be going to watch a really good movie.”
      Er.
      “Don’t we need special glasses!  I think we don’t need special glasses!”
      “You spiked the water, Sarat!”
      “Would I!  Would I!”
 
      The throng parted rather rapidly to allow Corsin through.  As they approached the dais, on which Sarat and Maya were sitting on crates (with of course chairs for their guests), the picture changed to a surround of Sarat, who may be Narulis FFS, sitting on the Anile throne, a lake behind him and surrounded by silver birches. For some reason there’s a golden fence to the left, behind which is a number of bears in Ciletij uniform.
      Sarat once more Sarat in this bloody field jumped up.
      “Our reception thus far has been intolerable. You will do better?”
      “Have you no control over your rabble?”
      “Shouldn’t dream of it.  The right to free expression.”
      “Idiot nonsense.”
      “You invited yourselves here.”
      “What would you like to talk about?” asked Maya brightly.
      Ignored, as she had assumed she would be.
      “Gender politics in Imperial Kadun?” suggested Sarat. “I shan’t say welcome to Carlin because you’re not.  But do help yourselves to coffee and sit down. If you have anything intelligent to say.”
      They helped themselves to coffee.
      “The tom-cats have been busy.”
      “Perpetual motion,” said Sarat.
      “Suppose, an academic question, you defeat us?”
      “You can either run for it or be prosecuted.”
      A truck drew up. I suppose that should be ‘entered stage right’.
      “Puh-lease, not Ciletij,” added Maya.
      Ritawa got out and saluted smartly.
      “Special delivery, sir!”
      Two chair-shaped objects were unloaded.
      Oh no Sarat no!
      “Brought cushions too,” said Varulin.
      The crates were removed and replaced by two Anile thrones.
      “Freshly printed,” said Ritawa.
      “3D printing is amazing,” said Sarat.
      “Not sure they’re terribly comfortable,” said Ritawa anxiously.
      “Can’t be worse than crates.”
      “Your little point is what?” asked Ban-razit.
      “One of my little points is the ease with which we can create.”
      “At short notice,” said Maya.
      Sarat wriggled a little, repositioning himself.
      Galia put two fingers in her mouth and whistled approval.
      “Can’t say he doesn’t look the part.”
      Onefalsemove, said Karmen, youkneeelatSarat’sfeetbeforetheworldalsothepoint.
      Youwilldie.
      “Lots of points,” said Sarat.  “One of them is one false move from our visitors and they find themselves eating earth at the foot of the Anile throne.  That would be unfortunate.”
      “Good for selling newspapers,” said Maya.
      If looks could kill.
      Sarat looked at Maya.
      “Room for two.”
      She got up and nestled beside him.
      “Hudge up a bit.”
      He hudged and put his arm round her.
      “If we may continue,” said Sarat briskly, as though his were not the interruption.  “You wanted to know what’s going to happen to you.”
      “Theoretically, of course.”
      “To keep us in prison surely a valuable waste of resources.”
      “We all think it would be simplest to shoot you in the war you refuse to fight.  Solves a huge number of problems.”
      “We realize,” said Maya, “you’re not used to people who can get close enough to shoot you.”
      “Really easy to push around the little guys,” said Sarat.
      “Indeed we have enjoyed marked success in many quarters.  Shall we talk about the House in Vaudos?”
      “Vastulis’ crew,” said Sarat with apparent vagueness.
      “A clever idea, to murder my lady Vasili and daub it our work.”
      “Might have been if we had,” said Sarat.
      “You can produce her, alive?”
      “Sure,” said Sarat.
      “What you can tell us,” said Maya, “is whom you actually disgustingly murdered.  Because it wasn’t me.”
      Very real, very genuine picture of corpse from House.  People making puking noises but no-one on stage paying the faintest attention to them.
      “We found a lot of things at the House,” said Sarat.  “This is one of them.”
      “You admit, then, your tom-cats have been to the House.”
      “Sure,” said Sarat.
      “Is that not invasion of a sovereign state?”
      “News to me,” said Sarat.
      “And if we provide documentary evidence that Vaudos has seceded from Kadun and declared independence.”
      “Signed by whom?”
      “Vastulis ban-jaizat stoan.”
      “My evidence is that Vastulis is not sane.  He would have to appear in court.”
      “How can he?  He died in your destruction of the House.”
      Just enjoy. 
      “But you of course have his statement, his declaration.  I take it you also have him.”
      “This statement,” said Maya, “notably failed to be heard by anyone.”
      “Territories,” said Sarat, “that declare  independence generally tell the world about it. Vastulis was last seen in Bar-davit at some rally of yours.”
      “That hardly precludes residence at the House.”
      “We’ve spent a lot of time encouraging anyone living at the House to show himself. It’s pretty unlikely a sane and resident Vastulis wouldn’t have protested.”
      “The waterways.  You have film of your activities?”
      “Of course.”
      “Images are readily manipulated.”
      “Aren’t they just,” said Sarat.  “A haunted house story, I think.  Welcome to Vaudos.”
We are all of us apparently in incomplete surround, like a curved stage reaching down to part encompass the audience. The House looms before us.  The plains of Vaudos stretch away into the distance.  The radii of water glint in the moonlight, though not a lot because it’s dirty water. A number of black furry ears and waving tails appear and a speech bubble: WTF?
      “If I can just do the travelogue,” said Sarat.  “Observe the radii of water.  I did that!  Didn’t you notice?  It’s part of some incredibly ancient cleansing ritual Mel dug out.  I just wanted people to pay attention to me and now they have!  Isn’t that cool. We are entering the House.  You can tell we’re interrupting a formal dinner for thirty.  Look at the sparkling chandeliers.  The House was to start with a ruin.  It’s now even more ruined because I’ve been soaking it.  Think fire hoses and you’ll get the general idea…You’ve seen the kitchen. We went upstairs. And in the cellars Let’s have a guided tour here….In the nursery, a curious and vile installation presumably transported there for us from some Corsin family.  Wonderful people.” We are travelling very fast now, skidding through the grounds.  Rats shake their fists at us.  We confront the bank of flashing lights and dials.  “We reckoned someone would come calling if we interfered with it, as stated probably controlling the ‘artefact’, and they did.”
      “Ah yes, the mysterious ‘artefact’.  Surely you can tell your audience more about it.”
      “I showed it already,” said Sarat.  “It appeared to be a mobile golden fence.”
      “And that was enough to spark your mission to Vaudos.  Who can possibly believe that?”
      “Everyone, I’d have thought,” said Sarat.  “It had to be something else.  Perhaps in your world – in my world mobile golden fences do not exist. Some kind of circuit?  Or field?”
      “We wondered if we could use the technique,” said Maya.
      “In time,” suggested Ban-razit. “Perhaps simply a piece of private property – perhaps indeed an expensive toy? – you have stolen.”
      “When and if you produce a sane Vastulis, I shall be delighted to return him his property.”
      “Or his heir, of course,” added Maya.
      “If there’s one thing I know about it’s fields,” said Sarat.  “Fragments of gold fence are not usual.  Ask all the guys.”
      “The Houses are of course ancient, all of them reputed to contain artefacts from a bygone age.”
      “Dancing bears stuff?”  suggested Sarat.  “If there’s one thing surrounded by crazy stories, it’s the Throne.  Yea, do I not plant my backside upon it and a chorus of dancing bears high kicks across the floor of the Ciletij Senate?”
      “Panthers do a two-step down the Colonnade.”
      Various other creative suggestions that didn’t stop some people from musing that the outer and exoteric meaning of this dialogue is irrelevant.  What does he want from them?  Is he getting it?  And of course vice versa.
      “It sings too,” said Maya.  “Isn’t that gorgeous?”
      “Can’t wait to sit on it,” said Sarat.
      “Surely that is impossible.  The Throne is in Ciletij.”
      “That is bizarre.”
      “Where d’you get that idea from?”
      “I understand it has been confirmed by sources in Ciletij.”
      “Where in Ciletij?” demanded Sarat.
      “Casin-ruhn, an atrocity, of course, doubtless a signifier of triumph.”
      “Weird,” said Sarat. “If true.”
      “Dear Varchulan,” said Maya, “please may Sarat have his chair back.”
      Sarat grinned.
      “Of course it’s no big deal in the age of mass production.”
      “Still, it would be nice to have the real thing.”
      “Indeed.  Perhaps this ‘mission’ was simply an exercise in looting?”
      “That’s a really interesting idea.  You’ve seen the House so what was there to loot?  I can’t actually describe myself as needy.”
      “Ah yes, the champion of the poor. Surely in fact this whole farcical charade is an exercise in looting.”
      “It’s a wonderful thing to own property in Azt. Means I can kick out the present occupants.”
      “Absurdity!  After 600 years?”
      “Nobody paid us for the property.  I think illegally requisitioned is the term.  You haven’t asked what I intend to do with it.”
      “I believe make a killing is the term.”
      “Give it in perpetuity to the people of Kadun is the term.  Most of it.  Have to live somewhere.  We thought the Jumesit.”
      “Don’t forget,” said Maya, “not only are we not being paid for this gig, we have no intention of ever being paid, constitutional monarchy or not.  Like AM.  Independent means a necessity!”
            “Should you live that long, which of course you will not.”
            “I am of course aware of in which magnificent ancient buildings on the waterfront Corsin are housed.”
            “You own or claim to – “
            “Yup,” said Sarat.  “Fun this, isn’t it.”
            Careful, thought Vax, only because they just might be mad enough to set the whole of Azt alight.
            “Why are you here?” asked Maya. “Apart from stirring it.”
            “To establish certain parameters.”
      “Such as?”
      “How we can win.”
      “You can’t.”
      “You will defeat us with graphics?”
      “No.”
      “We can keep you here indefinitely.”     
      “Provided I’m happy to be kept,” said Sarat.
      “You do not wish to winter in Fidub?”
      “I wish to winter in Azt.”
      “But you wish to avoid unnecessary death.”
      “You call it that. You need to be reasonable. Var-sega’ and Van-senok could wipe you off our screen.”
      “We are aware of the disposition of forces. The RoE.”
      “If we even think you might be bombing us, you’ll be wiped out from the air.”
      “Head to head.”
      “The reasoning does not escape us.”
      “Good,” said Sarat.
      “Erroneous, of course.”
      “I think that concludes.”
      Hang on just one minute
      These cunts are free to go?
      “I gave my word.”
      “How bloody noble!  So they go right back to torturing and murdering.”
      “They kill, that’s on your slate, Sarat.”
      “Just shoot them in the back as they leave!”
      “One reason I’m here, I do not and will not function at their level.”
      “You telling us they’re human?”
      “I don’t think they’re human.  I think they left human behind a long time ago.  So what do you want? They crawl at my feet?  Plenty of guys here who’d force them to the floor.”
      I think, murmured the head of the legal team.
      I’m leaving NOW!
      “That is not the point!  Legal arrest – “
      “That is exactly the point.  Total power.
      “That’s what they, right?”
      “That’s what they.”
      “I guess no-one sane thinks they’d give you safe passage!”
      “Least of all me,” said Sarat. 
      “You wanted to talk to them.”
      “Not a lot.  I wanted to watch them.”
      “Like maybe especially when you point out.”
      “OK, they put themselves totally in your power.  That doesn’t change what they are.”
      “Changes what I do,” said Sarat. 
      “There have to be some standards around this joint,” said Maya.           
      “Arresting total shitheads for crimes against humanity is not an absence of standards!”
      “Except when they only made themselves vulnerable to arrest because they had my word.”
      “Guys have to die because you have some fuckwit notion of honour.”
      “Don’t do lying.  Listen, fucktard, what does it mean if I don’t mean what I say, if I don’t do what I say, if I don’t keep my word.  To you guys in the Press, to the guys in the slums of Vaudos. The guys here.  Ciletij.  Sarat? Oh, you can’t pay any attention to what he says. 2) If you were in M-P, no-one could stop you making a citizen’s arrest.  You’re on private property because I’m cool like that.”
      “You threatening me, Sarat?”
      “Just resorting to fact.” 
      Sarat turned to Karmen.  “Get them out of here before they cause a riot!”
      “If you will come this way I will not call you gentlemen.”
      Ban-razit paused to look at Sarat.  Sarat looked back.
      “Just not flavour of the month here.”
      “We love you!” yelled someone.
      “Good.”
      Maya got up.
      “Lunch!”
      “Thought we just had that,” said Sarat.
      “What about our sacred right to question!”
      “I just evoked my sacred right not to answer.”
      “Your turf, huh, Sarat?”
      “My turf.”
      “As in you could kick us all out and the whole continent would simply shrug!”
      “Would I, would I!  Your editors would be livid. Two things.  One, you’re wonderful and invaluable and save a hell of a lot of time because we don’t have to run around telling everyone what we’re doing. Two, as soon as there’s any action, you’re out of here.  Car-sandis is far enough.”
      “He loves us really!”
      “Are we not superb!”
      “War-reporting.”
      “A select few, preferably chained to a post? I will explain more.  You are not going to get in the way.”
      “Would we, would we!”
      “Symbiosis!  I did biology too.”
      “Ex-actly.”
 
      “Well fielded,” acknowledged Vax.
 
      “Very good,” said Vanya after a moment.  “He has completely humiliated them in front of the entire world.  They will of course never ever forgive.”
      “And they’ll make a mistake.”
      “They’d better.”
     
The point of all that? enquired the folks back home. The point of all that was what was at our necks for 4 hours.  That is the chief reason he bothered to see us. Pause.  Let us say it may prove a close call.   Numerous hysterical screams emanated from Azt.  The width of a chair away and you did not - ?  Could not, replied Ban-razit calmly. Better I crawl at the cunt’s feet?  The more delirious screamed, Traitor!  Would not! One of them descended on Vaudos and shortly afterwards crawled at Ban-razit’s feet.  The waterways are of significance? Rivulets, capable of transporting nothing.   Nonetheless, if we do not believe, and we do not believe, he did that either as part of some ludicrous and archaic rite or to provide a public facility, why did he do it?  Corsin showed an unusual interest in geology and nearly got there.
 
Designed a T-shirt.  If Sarat approves of course.
Does anyone doubt that!
Your approval is required, said Baz.
Love it!
Black T-shirt, silver chair.  WE DO INFLAMMATORY
Mitch: I hope this is not an item of uniform, confined to military personnel.
Sarat: It is not.
Por: On behalf of Dabidans:  Love it.  Alas cannot wear it.   Courtesy of the Dabidan military. Black T-shirt.  Fluffy doe-eyed hadin colt.  JUST BECAUSE WE DON’T LOOK DANGEROUS…Continued on the back. Four spiked hooves.   DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T KICK.
And so on.  T-shirt art rapidly overtook the continent.  In some form or other.  Standard picture of Sarat and Maya.  DEAD MEAT.  Another one was Sarat on a spit being roasted. DINNER IS SERVED.   Since these were freely available on line – actually they had been for some time, just that no-one had thought to direct the southern Press to a particular chain of high-class retailers – they gave rise to a certain amount of ooh, ooh.  Ooh, ooh, Sarat’s fate if they ever get hold of him.  The consensus was that B or P would shoot him or that he’d shoot himself rather than.   The larger question of course.  While he’s here in Carlin he can always hop back over the border, not that anyone thinks he would of course.  In the middle of Vaudos he’ll be a long long long way from home.  We hope Fidub does a really good line in bullet-proof clothing.  Of course he cannot wander around the way he does here. 
 
Shana, HSS in Harn, to Karmen: You are observed!  I did think of having you shot but perhaps a commendation may be more in order.
Karmen: Probably not coming back.  Now is not the time for asking about the paperwork needed for citizenship.
Shana: You have met real cool guys.  And the future of Harn?
Karmen:  The future of Harn does not rest with guys like us.  Try Ban-varna.
Shana: That would be in your report if you bothered with such things.
Karmen: No: insufficient hard data.  It is my belief.  Evil grin.  Nonetheless happy to submit a full report.
Shana: We look forward to it. You held it for how long?
Karmen: About 4 hours.
Shana:  He says casually.  No difficulties?
Karmen: He tried once, not hard. Seeing stars somewhere around the Sohenisle.
Shana: If not kneeling at the foot of the Anile throne.
Karmen: The creature is not stupid.
Shana: But he wanted.
Karmen: No, he loves Sarat.
Shana: You got to know him.
Karmen: Rather well. 
 
Who is Vasili!  What is the mysterious installation!  Where is Vastulis!  No right to Vaudos? The fence didn’t get a mention. WTF that about  RoE. 
ot answering questions, said Sarat but since I have been accused of murdering someone, you’d better see her.  Vastulis’ daughter Vasili is very much alive.  You need to ask Corsin about Vastulis himself
 
      “The legal adviser is here,” said Paw, in a particularly colourless tone.
      She had long pale blonde hair down to her waist and wore a black jumpsuit.
      “Wish you’d been here last night,” said Sarat.
      “Evil grin.  My erudition would have been invaluable.”
      “Would have helped,” said Sarat.
 
“Just tell it like it is,” said Taja.
Vasili glowered.
     She told it approximately how it is, then announced she refused public exhibition and got up to go.  Losig smiled gently and opened the door.
     “That,” confirmed Taja, “is Vasili, Vastulis’ daughter.  She came to Sarat seeking to disinform.  Under imperial law she is dead meat.  She asked for His Imperial Majesty’s protection.  That cannot be withheld. Since she is not nice to be near, it was thought prudent to inter her with us.”
     That was Kadun.  This is not.
     “Fidub does the empire’s dirty work!  Since when!”
     “1500 years or so?”
     A lot of people choked on that one. 
     “Any – status she has under imperial law cannot possibly apply in Fidub!”
     “Fine.  She is not a wanted guest.  A small favour to a former pupil.”
     “A what?”
     “I taught Sarat when he was 10.  Bright boy.  Thought he would go far.”
     “FFS this is unlawful confinement!”
     “No,” said Taja.  “Fidub has old laws too.  We are not Cult-free because we give them chocolate biscuits and a shake.”
     “Tell them not to be naughty any more!”
     “You’d say she was awaiting trial?”
     “Somewhere,” said Taja.  “Frankly, she bores me.  I am indifferent as to where.”

…….. 
“Let’s see now, incitement to mutiny – “
“All right, all right!” said Trion.
“He reacted precisely as I should have expected,” said Rewn, “which is of course why we are all here.”
“You weren’t much better!”
“You panicked.  I tried to support you.”
Trion flushed.
“Don’t do blokes who get a bit.”
“I do not. I’d go and see him if I were you.”
“That’s a change of tune!”
“That was before you behaved like a cretin.”
“Think I should tell him?”
“Everything.”
“Sound like I’m making excuses.”
“We should’ve told him, shouldn’t we.”
“I think probably we should.”
“Weren’t to know bloody Misa’d pitch up.”
 
“I said something I shouldn’t have said.”
“Yup,” said Sarat.
“I didn’t mean.”
“All the stuff it means?”
“I wouldn’t .”
“Have you given a statement?”
“No.”
“How about you give it to me?”
“Wanted to think about it.  After.  Be sure.”
“OK.”
“Telling you.  Sir.  That’s different to telling just anyone.”
“Because I’m emperor?  Some people think that.”
“But you’d still have to act on it.”
“Yes.  I think there was a certain amount of bullshit in the canteen.  Does that help?”
“Some of us are a bit scared of Vaudos.”
“Because of what I’ll find out?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“What does it look like?”
“We think you’re great.”
“But it looks as if you don’t?”
“Some people thought – he’s young.  Get him to do things our way.  That lasted five minutes, mind.”
“Been there, done that,” said Sarat.  “People trying to manipulate me. Suppose I said something like – how many senior officers, who are basically decent men, who looked after you, do you not want to drop in it?”
“Sounds right to me.” said Trion. 
“But there’s more?  To do with the men?”
“You know a lot of us has had – things we weren’t sure about. Girls.  Discipline.”
 “So?”
“Some of us pretended to agree to stuff.”
“Such as?”
“We wouldn’t get in the way.”
“Class?” suggested Sarat.  “Some people have families in slums, some don’t.”
“That was a lot of it.”
“But they needed PANTHER.”
“Some of them, some of us didn’t quite.”
“So there’re – there were – those who knew which end is up and a lot of people lucky enough not to. I sort of know all this already.  People say stupid things when they’re frightened.  And then again they don’t say things.  D’you think you could tell me what you’re frightened of?  Because I don’t think it’s me.”
“If it gets out.”
“You snitched?”
“You can’t stop it.  No-one can stop it.  They all know each other.  Suppose I told you Mitch had done something bad.  Not that I am, of course. Whole of Var-sega’d be on my back.”
“Who?” asked Sarat. 
“I come from a steel town.”
“Who owns it?”
“Barbantin.” 
“What’s all this got to do with Misa?”
“Ban-posilit is his partner’s cousin.”
“Ah,” said Sarat.  “But a lot of people must know that.”
 “They own everything.”
“Including you?”
“A lot of us.  Cut-price loans.  Weren’t much well by your standards but if we don’t pay.”
“You haven’t by any chance stopped paying, have you.”
“Soon as we got here.”
“You’re not going to be arrested for debt while the sharks get off.”
“It’s not like that.  Had to start paying again.  They threatened my boy, stopped his wages. Fatik had his whole family thrown on the street.”
“And you didn’t tell anyone. Because if they even got the thought that you’d said anything? You must have signed an agreement. Did you get a copy?”
Trion snorted but was too anxious to say, you some kind of idiot?
“Nah.  They just said they’d keep it safe.”
“What did  you agree to?”
“It weren’t – wasn’t that. Said we were soldiers in the Army of All-Kadun and if we joined you we was traitors.”
“Who’d hang when I lost?”
“A lot of the officers had to sign that anyway.  Without the loan, I mean.”
“And the ones who refused,”
“Ones who tried to get away.”
“Some did get away.”
“Rewn never signed nothing.”
“OK, it’s a can of shit.  I still can’t do anything till we’re in Vaudos. I still need to unravel it. Names, dates, can you and your friends do that for me.  Who gave you the agreement to sign, where, when.”
“We can do that.”
Sarat said: “How do you pay?  Electronically?”
“Yes.”
“Can you give me the details of the payee.  Then PANTHER can find where you’re paying.”
“I’m paying the bank.”
“Which bank?”
“First Reserve.”
“I’m thinking something like – OK, it looks legit, bank lends, bank gets repaid.  Squeaky clean.  Apart from who owns the bank, who got it to offer illegal loans that no-one can prove are illegal because no-one has an agreement.  Have you got your phone with you?”
“I can get it.”
“No worries, just mail me the account details.”
 
After Trion had gone, Paw said, “They’d claim the money had to be extracted by some means – that’s interesting, isn’t it.  I mean, they could have raised a stink by demanding you release these criminals for trial in Vaudos! Then it would all have unravelled.  What would have unravelled?”
“Ex-actly,” said Sarat.
“Do not tell me you don’t believe him.”
“I believe him absolutely.  I believe his case. Not sure what I believe about what else has been going on.”
“Bought outright?”
“Imperial Army revealed as gang of crooks!  That’s to their advantage.”
“Yup,” said Sarat.  “What isn’t?”
“Unless they’re going to greet you total oil.  Delighted to show you around our model steel works, sir.”
“Of course you might think it was clever or right to take the money of cunts knowing you would never ever earn it.  Sort of act of war.”
“If you were sure you could get away with not earning it.”
“I went there,” said Sarat.  “Dropping senior officers in it who are good guys.”
“And?”
“He said it sounded right.  Sir.  Which I think translates as there’s only one sir, but did not stop him being scared shitless.”
“Move over,” said Baz.  “Want another look at those emails.  I’m sure there was one….” He searched on ‘Barbantin’.
“You’d be scared if you were Trion and you’d just nailed Barbantin Steel!”
“Got it!” said Baz. “Oh grease!  Right about that anyway.  ‘A great day for Kadun, sir.  Of course I know your grandfather.  I do hope in due course that you will do me the honour of being our guest.  I am sure we have many things to discuss and such differences in perspective as we may have can be resolved like intelligent rational men’.”
“They can,” said Sarat.  “Ban-polisit?”
“Some creep called Arabuin, calls himself executive director.  Let me try something else. Search on ‘grandfather’….Jackpot!...More oil. ‘Your grandfather and I have met many times.’  ‘I had a most interesting discussion with your grandfather at the ISF.’  What’s the ISF?”
“Institute of Shithead Fucks?”
“I think it’s the  International Socio-economic Forum.”
“That one’s from Rassina Consolidates. 
“Forward them to Cho.  I’ll call him.”
“Hang on, let me try ‘Ban-varna’…Starts by calling you Ban-essa.  ‘Naturally Ban-varna and I fail to see eye to eye on many issues but you of course bring a fresh perspective…Undoubtedly the three of us can work together to resolve our differences.’ How the fuck did we miss it?”
Sarat was dialling.
“Can you talk?”
“A moment…Sarat, he occasionally remembers his old grandfather...Now.”
“I heard that!  I’m going to forward you some emails.”
“Which naturally you wish me to read instantly.”
“You’ll love them. I think I’ve missed something obvious.  Could kick myself.  The guys from steel towns.  Not sure how many yet.  They’ve been leant on – lent to, leant on, long story. I think they thought I can’t do anything because you’re best mates with Barbantin. Baz has taken another look at my Inbox. Interesting how many leaders in finance and business want to tell me they know you.”
“I’ll love them.”
“Seethe,” said Sarat.  “Can you find me Qine,” he said to B+P. “First Misa.”
 
“Your opinion of debt?” asked Sarat.
Misa sighed.
“I neither encouraged nor condemned.”
“If it makes the lives of their families a little better,” growled Baz.
“You were aware of the agreements?”
Misa looked apparently genuinely puzzled.
“But then his whole life’s an act,” growled Baz.
“I assume a schedule of repayments. I trust these are not extortionate?”
“You know Ban-polisit well?”
“I should not say well.  We have met on many occasions.”
“What did you talk about?” asked Sarat.
“Naturally the future of Kadun.”
“In what terms?”
“Clearly the Cult is to be defeated.  Empire is an excellent solution in many ways.”
“Oh it is,” said Sarat enthusiastically. 
“Of course,” said Baz, “laws made by a democratically elected Senate can always be bypassed by a word with the right people.”
“I think not,” said Sarat.  “Because certain people are going down the tubes.”
“I feel sure,” said Misa, “rational men can resolve their differences in a civilized fashion.”
“Which differences?” asked Sarat.
“You can scarcely deny you uphold the rights of capital.”
“The right to possess it is not the same as the right to use it for criminal purposes.”
“I feel sure there has been no wrong-doing.”
“This isn’t going anywhere,” said Sarat.  “Thank you, that’s all.  I’m sure we’ll talk again.”
Misa gave a puzzled frown.  Oh very good, thought Baz, but managed not to say it.
“I cannot tell you what I do not know.”
Sarat said: “I’m not yet convinced you don’t know it.”
Misa laughed.
“May I not be told what I am supposed to know?”
“Laters,” said Sarat. “Find Qine, could you please,” he said to B+P.
“You are a remarkable young man.”
“In many ways I take after my grandfather.”
Misa nodded sagely and stood to go.
 
Qine was with Warin and other mates from Sardun.
“Well now, to what do I owe?”
Baz grinned.
“It hath been implied – Sarat won’t touch the big bosses.”
“Barbantin?” asked someone.
“The very same.”
“Sodding Misa!”
Qine listened.
“Heard the like.  Pretty standard.”
“Infrastructure,” said Baz. “Granite slab.”
“About the size of it.”
“Enquiry will be mysteriously halted.”
“Particularly interested in real shit stuff,” said Baz, “like Cho is palsy-walsy with them.”
“Heard that one too,” said Qine.
“And me.”
“Straw poll.  How many people do you think think we can’t catch the big fish.  For whatever reason.”
“It’s different when you’re here.”
“Not sure I did to start with.”
“I just can’t see how.”
“If you’re in a steel town?”
“I’d guess 80-90%.”
 “How can they see how when we can’t!”
“So,” persisted Baz, “they won’t talk until they see how we can?”
“Trust.”
“I’d say everyone trusts Sarat 100%.  It just needs 200%!”
“100% is intent,” asked Baz, “200% is keeping people safe?”
“There’s a lot in that.”
“What you said,” said Baz to Qine.
“Aye,” said Qine.  “Aren’t we keeping Sarat waiting?”
Sarat meanwhile had summoned Challin and Rewn. Not unexpected, sighed Rewn.
“Never a dull moment,” said Sarat, “threatened insurrection, loans, eviction, Barbantin Steel, Ban-polisit, Misa.  And suggestion.  Lots and lots of suggestion.”
“Trion has talked to you.”
“Blood out of a stone, but yes.  The word snitch came up.
“That was brave of him.”
“It was.”
“There seemed no point,” said Rewn, “until Vaudos when you could act.”
“Not sure I follow,” said Sarat.  “If guys here are scared of what I’ll find out, wouldn’t it be useful to know that.”
“Misa,” said Challin.  “Few of them have done anything – grossly wrong.  Stopping payment was a stupidity, but understandable.”
“What it looks like,” said Sarat.  “I’ve got there. I’ve also got to – possibly considered a public service to take the Cult’s money on the understanding one would do X when one had no intention of doing X.  Though not how one would get away with not doing X.  Until they were here of course.”
“No-one thinks you can be bought.”
“One of my many advantages,” said Sarat.  “I am still missing something.  They think the cards will be stacked against them?”
“They know the cards will be stacked against them.”
“So the picture I’m getting – everything was more or less fine, it could wait – then Misa pitched up and people panicked.  Because of what he’ll tell me?”
“They wanted – we wanted – to make clear he is a complete cunt.”
“OhIsee,” said Sarat.  “They – you – thought he’d come to negotiate on behalf of.”  You have mail.  “Excuse me a minute, please.  Expecting…”
Cho: I think caustic soda. I’ll talk to the Press in the morning.
You have mail.
Trion; This is everything I’ve got…
“Sorry again,” said Sarat and forwarded Trion’s mail to Faun with a short note.  “Where were we?”
 “Lists,” said Paw lazily. “We do lists. Housekeepers to the Anile throne.  Seven of them, diligently compiled from field experience, not heard it from who heard it from.  Officers of and above colonel. 1) Squeaky clean and all change.  2) Squeaky clean and ‘socially conservative opinion’.. 3) Obviously empire but. Big diff between 2 and 3 by the way. 2 is principle, 2 is argument, 2 is context. 2 is individuals.  A man may consider an individual female his intellectual and emotional equal and still find certain occupations inappropriate for women.  3 is keeping power, status and money, the whole status quo. There’s a whole lot we all know. One is the licit heir. One is Var-sega’. Naturally one is concerned for those in poverty but one will of course understand. Etc. 4) Playing both ends.  Go where the power is.  Keep the pussies sweet. Keep Azt sweet.  4.5) – “ Sarat sighed.  “4.5) Can’t stand anything about you but anything is better than the Cult.  At least temporarily.  Would plot counter-revolution if they thought they had a hope in hell. 4.75) Enthusiastic assistance to the enemy.  5) Total screaming cunts. Our problem with all this basically is that Misa is 4 not 5.  Cock-sucker, sure, but he kept it in the Army.  For instance.  Shooting them was kinder than handing them over to Corsin. Others who would have.  Others who did.  Who is this Salbatin?  we asked ourselves.  Not immediately on our radar. Did a bit of digging. Reputation: genial moron.”
Rewn laughed.
“Family man.  Loves his children and his dogs.  Not a political thought in his small brain.”
“Or of course very clever.  Or of course very frightened.  Most of the 4s by the way got dead. Found themselves in situations where they had to pick a side and got deaded by the other side.  So Misa was clever, got himself where there’s only one side.  Not sure what that means.”
“As described, a total cunt.”
“You have evidence to the contrary?” challenged Challin.
“Actually yes. As you probably know or can work out if you don’t, no long-term cats in Cult areas.  They wouldn’t have to do anything suspicious, just be picked up mentally.  Visits are different, spraying. After you got out we paid a call.  Corsin of course was hissy-fit but we thought Misa was pretty good.  Insisted on the chain of command – “
“Why did Corsin go along with it?” broke in Sarat.
“Of course sometimes they don’t and everyone knows that sometimes they won’t and examples will be made.  Mostly they do because it helps them.  Some farts are impressed by it. Even Corsin are human – let me take back that word.  Mortal, can be stopped by a bullet.  Last thing they want is the whole army in open revolt. Numbers game.  If all the guys in the Third Army opened fire, a lot of them would suffer horrible deaths but in the end there’d be no Corsin.”
“Exactly my point,” said Challin.   “Acceptance.”
“That goes back to what Sarat said in the canteen,” said Paw.  “Materially assisting the enemy.  Where d’you draw the line.  Guys scared out of their wits.  Is any one person going to believe that everyone would shoot?  Anyhow, so far as we could determine, no-one was handed over to Corsin.  Of course that might not be true but there’s more.  Determined by the vibe by the way, we’ve seen it before, a sort of shudder goes through guys when they know what’s happening to a mate.  More.    He knows someone has defo feline politics, feline friends and hasn’t betrayed her.  ‘Course that might be because she’s his daughter.”
“Astounded, frankly,” said Rewn.
“Of course she hasn’t seen much of Daddy recently but when she did – she’s in Var-sega’ – he chatted freely in front of her. Sarat tried to encourage him to talk about Balbantin.  A more perfect 4 I cannot imagine.”
“When a couple of things have been said,” said Sarat, “that may change.  Where we’re at, so far as we know. My guess, total guess, would be he can put Ban-polisit in the dock. Being a grubby little monkey is still not being a creature from the pit.  I think you want Misa to pay for Barbantin because you can get at him. I don’t just mean because he’s pitched up.  I think guys are scared I’ll make trouble in Vaudos and they, their families’ll be the ones to suffer because the sharks’ll get off. Not a lot of people are convinced I can get Balbantin.  Show you something. On my screen.”  Challin and Rewn got up to look.  “How much of this total bollocks is in circulation?  Cho wouldn’t give him the time of day.”
Challin laughed.
“Oh dear,” said Rewn.
“’All know each other, don’t they’.  You do of course understand they are vulnerable to believing things will be settled far from any slum or plant.”
“I do of course understand.  But there’re several like it and why am I getting their crap? Am I supposed to be vulnerable to? Oh, of course.  I’m the public face of Sohenoil and won’t cross Cho, get ideas of my own – they believe that?”
“I have heard the word ‘puppet’,” said Rewn.
“Just a gentle reminder,” mused Paw.
“Friendly warning wrapped in engine oil?”
“Do they think I can’t talk to Cho?”
“I think perhaps,” said Challin.  “At root they find the whole thing incomprehensible.  But they understand power and money so these must surely lie at the heart,”
“I am sure you are aware in principle,” said Rewn.  “Theirs is a society in which young men are generally regarded as subordinate to older male relatives.”
“Especially rich ones?  Cho would strip my assets!”
“I should say,” said Rewn, “it is pretty much given in some circles that you will not cross your grandfather.”
“Defeating the Cult isn’t contrary to the interests of capital.”
“The evidence,” said Paw, “is all a bit far away and distant, isn’t it.  Forty years of hell-raising in Fidub!”
Qine and Baz arrived.;’
“Fill you in later,” said Sarat.  “Cho’s stayed away for two reasons.  One is insinuations I need my hand held.  One is the possibility of people trying to play us off against each other.  Disastrous if he pitched up now, look as if he’d come to smooth things over. That’s a pity because I’d like him to talk to Misa.  There may be a limit to the extent I can send my problems to Fidub!  Does sex come into this?”   People looked startled.  “I mean – I was thinking.  Couple of things. There’s an old belief – maybe it’s not so old, Trion had it.  You can tell the emperor things you wouldn’t tell anyone else.  But Maya and I don’t exactly have endless hours for every sad story right now. I wondered about my mum, Baya. Only if there’s a sexual dimension they probably wouldn’t speak to a woman.”
“All my information is that this is purely economic.  I think they would speak to your mother.”
“Perhaps also an element of curiosity,” observed Challin.
“I’ll call her.”
 He dialled, then flipped the loudspeaker on.
“Mum.”
“Darling!  Lovely to hear your dulcet tones.  Of course the world does nothing else.”
“Are you free to visit the soaking muddy pastures of Carlin?”
“Consumed with curiosity.”
“I have a mess.  Long story.  Some of the guys have done unbright things with money. Might want to talk confidentially. It’s all mixed up with capital, the bastards in Barbantin.  Cho’s going to say something publicly in the morning.”
“Oh dear. Yes, of course, darling.  Tell them about the hamsters.”
“I’ll risk it.”
“I’ll talk to Vax, get a ride.”
“Brill, thank you.”
“Love love love. See ya later!”
“Love love love.”
Sarat cut the call.
“My fingers itch to call Ban-polisit.  I contain myself.”
“More than one kind of war,” said Qine.
“Two wars,” said Sarat.  “They want me to defeat the Cult.  Knew that already too.”
“Nothing they’re doing, any rate nothing we know they’re doing, gets in the way of that,” said Paw.
“What you said,” said Sarat, “about if everyone shoots.  I’m missing something and it’s obvious! No, got it.  It’s the same reasoning but it’s different.  Sorry, I’m being obscure!  If all the workers took over the factories.  Even if they all wanted to, they wouldn’t because they couldn’t be sure that everyone will.  But once the infrastructure has changed – Qine, d’you want to scare the worm-infested shit out of them?”
“Sounds the sort of thing I could put me mind to.”
 
Cho, proud wearer of the T-shirt, invited in press-fiends.
“Cho…Not sure the former leader of the Senate!”
“Damn that, my chair... Sarat searched his Inbox on ‘grandfather’ and ‘Ban-varna’ after talking to some of his guys.  ‘Of course I know your grandfather’ is a good line from a bad comedy. It seems that certain  Kadun industrialists have been spreading vile and ridiculous nonsense concerning their relationship with me, with the clear intent of indicating that their activities are untouchable by the empire.  We all of us know who are the thugs, the criminals, the murderers, the exploiters of the poor.  Certainly I have met these creatures. There is no-one who is above the law, beyond the reach of the law.  That is fundamental. I should wish to be exact about what we’re talking about.  Capital will side with capital.  It won’t.  Accommodation will be reached far from the dirt and noise of the slums.  It won’t.  A few trials of little guys but the big fish will remain untouched.  They won’t.  It is easy to frighten people far from the protection of either law or public exposure.  We don’t do frightened people.”
 
Get them, Cho, just get them.
 
“You’ve all heard Cho.  More than one war here.  This is my mum, Baya.  As I’m hearing things, there’s maybe stuff guys would like to share before we enter Vaudos, stuff it would be good for me to know beforehand rather than in the heat of the moment.  Stuff people only feel safe sharing with me or a member of my family. Maya and I are a bit busy right now – who isn’t!  Anyone who thinks it’s important to talk, Baya has kindly offered to be a willing ear.”
“Absolutely,” said Baya.  “Just tell a cat if you want to see me.”
“Qine from CLIK has a few words to say.”
“Can’t tell everyone everything at once,” said Qine, “so maybe we’ve been a bit tardy and maybe not.  We in CLIK are organized to sort certain things in the cities, with the help of you lads in the Army.  There’s some as’ll say there are – fault lines there, and I’d not deny it for a minute.  Some of us aren’t altogether imperial and some in uniform don’t like the workers getting above themselves.  You could say we’ll keep each other in check and leave it at that, but it’s more than that. Most in uniform are workers and I’d say 90% of us are firmly on the same side here.  Some  as’ll say that’s rubbish, you can be sure, but who don’t want things to be better. Then there’s some as’ll sneer, CLIK’s sold out, bought by the bosses.  I have heard the word poodle.  Anyone wants to talk me, I’m usually to be found over with my mates in Sardun. It’s been a rough war we’ve had together and I want to say this, live with, fight with folk from many different backgrounds, that changes your mind, least on some things.   You hear CLIK’s sold out, you look at who’s saying it, whether he spend the war safe in Ciletij maybe.  I’ll say no more on that front.  You decide for yourselves.
“Our Sarat has clearly stated that he has no problem with self-ownership, ownership by the workers of the means of production.  What he won’t do, which of course  is where he differs from some of us comrades, is have businesses taken over by the State.  If lads and lasses think they can run a place better themselves, they’ll get full backing, right to the top, and help too, with for instance the legal side cos the present owners battening on the poor aren’t going to like it one bit, but then maybe the present owners will have other problems, like being in the dock for a range of criminal activities.  Then of course there’s our good friends the Press, hammering on the doors of a few mansions I wouldn’t doubt.
“Not everyone listening is a good comrade, so I’m thinking I need to say a bit more here. You might say isn’t that theft, what about the rights of property?  A right to buy doesn’t mean the owner has to sell. Couple of things there.  One is of course what’s in not selling for you, you have to pay higher wages, bring the place up to scratch, cut your losses.  To go back to those criminal activities I mentioned, it is not thought justice that some…creep serves his time then retires to his ill-gotteen gains, just as thought nowt had happened.  It is indeed not thought particularly useful to keep creeps behind bars.  Sentencing is to be fining in proportion to the offence and the ability to pay.  I have heard up to 95% on the grounds that 5% of what some people have most folk could live comfortable for 20 years. Depending on the gravity of the offence, such felons are debarred for life from owning any concern employing people, but such concerns are not requisitioned, oh no, one must respect the rights of property. As I understand it, work should not intrude, make demands other than those of the job. It should not of course make yer sick, lung disease the price of your pay-packet.  It should not demand you attend rallies and the like or suffer for it. Or of course accept criminal conduct, say nowt.  Any reasonable offer has to be accepted. I understand by the way that in the south if you mistreat an animal, whether pet or stock, you get banned from keeping our fourfooted friends. Seems only reasonable to my mind to apply the same reasoning to humans.
So all in all life’s going to get quite interesting, specially for them as think no-one can touch them.”
 
Steady trickle, said Baya.  A lot of them are spokesmen, group of us, all got the same story, don’t want to waste yer time one by one. They do think an awful lot of you, you know.  Don’t let it go to your head.
Yes, mum, said Sarat.
I tell them about the zoo.  Good warm-up.  Always have a dog at home. My kid’d love to have a pet. The real juice comes from the officers. Ban-polisit seems to think he’s the emperor’s steward.  Lovely place in the country.  He looks forward to entertaining Cho.
Aw, not little me.
Lethal garbage.  I’m sure Cho will find him frightfully entertaining.
Do they actually believe it?  Is it inconceivable to them?
They can be ruined?  I suspect probably.