In the ocean, a beautiful black fish leaped out of the water. It had to be the size of a whale, but it was built like a sturgeon with pike jaws. An enormous, scaled mouth followed it, the cavernous maw gaping. The fish twisted in one last futile effort to escape and fell into it. The scaled titan slipped back under the surface. The sea was once again still.

“Good work,” the Sovereign said. “That will be all.”

The three advisors bowed in unison and departed. Resven managed to get in one last warning look in my direction before the door shut behind him.

Kosandion pointed to a chair across the table. “Please.”

I sat.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked.

“I don’t want to impose, Letero.”

“Please no titles. I have so few opportunities for informal conversations. Let’s pretend we are friends.”

Where was he going with this? “In that case, what’s the real significance of the rankings?”

“As you know, the candidates face three challenges. The three least popular delegations are eliminated after each challenge until only three candidates remain for the final ceremony.”

“I understand that.” It was in their briefing. “How important are the rankings to you?”

“It’s a complicated question.” He didn’t seem inclined to elaborate.

“Can you influence the rankings?”

He nodded. “To a degree. They are numbers produced by emotions and public opinion, and both of those are susceptible to manipulation. It may be as simple as editing a few seconds out of the footage or as complex as triggering the right person to say exactly the right thing at a completely unrelated event. As your world shows, one can come to the funeral of a friend, proclaim their purpose not to praise the deceased but to bury him, and then incite a revenge riot.”

Not a reference I had expected.

Kosandion took another sip out of his crystal glass. “The public opinion can never be permitted to run freely. It must be nurtured, steered, and moderated. That’s how dynasties stay in power.”

Déjà vu.

“What about your personal preferences? Do they not factor in?” I asked.

“They do. But personal preferences are fleeting. I’ve had many partners over the years, male, female, humanoid and not, yet none of them remain by my side.”

I had no idea if he was saddened by that, proud of it, or simply resigned to the fact. I wished Caldenia was here so I could take my cues from her.

“I am to be assassinated before the final ceremony is over,” Kosandion said.

I almost did a double take. “How do you know that?”

“The same way I know many other things.”

“Is this the real reason you wanted to move the venue to the inn?”

He nodded.

It would have been great to have that information before I put Gertrude Hunt on the line.