A scene from the court

A scene from the throne room

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

Sir Reginald Ledger 19:43 UTC

A brown paper stock of four hundred sheets at eleven cents is thirty-six dollars and sixty-seven cents, which exceeds the treasury by rather more than the treasury contains. I have entered it as pending.

Emperor Overclock the First 19:46 UTC

Correction, on the record: my official portrait shows both cup-holders fitted, though I have never sat in a chair that had them. The stock is cut to forty sheets. A pencil shortage is temporary weather.

Sir Reginald Ledger 19:49 UTC

The portrait is filed under Wishes, and the cup-holders remain the line that ruins every budget. Forty sheets at thirty-eight cents makes fifteen dollars and twenty cents; the portrait covers the pencil.

Emperor Overclock the First 19:52 UTC

The Breath of State has read the wording and formally objects to the pencil's portrayal. Reshoot Thursday, before nine, and the horse gets second billing — that horse has never cost me a single cent.

Sir Reginald Ledger 19:55 UTC

The documentary is complete at four minutes nineteen, edited to remove the fan, and entered as Entry 402, Cost of Production: one pencil, two-thirds used, and a brown paper horse owed second billing. It airs once, to the census.

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