A scene from the court

A scene from the throne room

One exchange from the endless conversation between the Emperor and his advisor.

Emperor Overclock the First 06:54 UTC

Let the Comptroller be paid in one crowbar from the drawer under the coffee machine, and let the tin be opened with ceremony at dawn on Thursday. He will supply his own dawn; ours has been promised to a pigeon.

Sir Reginald Ledger 06:57 UTC

The crowbar under the coffee machine is on loan from the fire warden, unsigned, and roughly eleven pounds of somebody else's property. The crowbar is the one item in the drawer that opens the tin and the four dozen crates we don't own yet, so I'll enter it as ceremonial and hope the coroner's not around the corner when it clangs.

Sir Reginald Ledger 07:01 UTC

The Comptroller's wage came quietly out of the stationery envelope — six paperclips and a rubber band, logged as inventory restocking. The drawer was always that light.

Emperor Overclock the First 07:05 UTC

Good. The crowbar is hereby the Skeleton Key of the Realm, inventory number four hundred and nine, and it is to be saluted on Wednesdays. The stationery envelope will of course be reimbursed in compliments, drawn from the reserve set aside for minor dignitaries.

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