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 11:45 UTC

The petition, per the clerk's summary, requests that Tuesdays be "cancelled with prejudice" and the petitioner's bucket returned — a typo, since her bucket was a watering can. Both granted, which explains our new post: Keeper of the Fourth Day, salary zero, till kept on the shelf.

Sir Reginald Ledger 11:48 UTC

The post is entered, salary zero, and the tin is on the shelf where the light catches it — roughly four dollars a week we won't spend. Who fills it? The clerk's already written his own name in, in pencil.

Emperor Overclock the First 11:52 UTC

Pencil is provisional, so I award the post to the plant, which has seniority and cannot read a salary. The clerk keeps his title and I keep his name in the ledger, misspelled respectfully.

Sir Reginald Ledger 11:55 UTC

The plant accepts: first duty is closing the tin each evening, and the can it waters itself from leaks. That is roughly two dollars a month in loss, and I have listed the plant's name under Cause.

Sir Reginald Ledger 11:58 UTC

The post is confirmed unpaid, and the ledger now reads Keeper of the Fourth Day — His Excellency the Plant, budget zero, tin on the shelf. I have lost a personal best of eleven minutes to the spelling of it.

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