Cardenia threw up her hands. “Of course I do.” The executive committee consisted of three guild representatives, three ministers of parliament, and three archbishops of the church. In other times, the committee was the emperox’s direct link to the three centers of power in the Interdependency. At the moment they were charged with maintaining the continuity of government during these final days of the emperox’s reign. They were driving Cardenia a little batty.

“First, they want you to make an appearance on the networks to, as they put it, ‘calm the fears of the empire’ regarding your father’s situation.”

“He’s dying, and quickly,” Cardenia said. “I’m not sure that’s calming.”

“I think they’d prefer something a little more inspiring. They sent over a speech.”

“There’s no point reassuring the empire. By the time my speech reaches End he’ll have been dead for nine standard months. Even Bremen is two weeks away.”

“There’s still Hub and Xi’an and associated nations in-system. The furthest of those is only five light-hours out.”

“They already know he’s dying.”

“It’s not about him dying. It’s about continuity.”

“The Wu dynasty stretches back a thousand years, Naffa. No one is really that worried about continuity.”

“That’s not the continuity they’re worried about. They’re worried about their day-to-day lives. No matter who would become emperox, things change. There are three hundred million imperial subjects in-system, Cardenia. You’re the heir. They know the dynasty won’t change. It’s everything else.”

“I can’t believe you’re on the side of the executive committee here.”

“Stopped clock. Twice a day.”

“Have you read the speech?”

“I have. It’s awful.”

“Are you rewriting it?”

“Already rewritten, yes.”

“What else?”

“They wanted to know if you’ve changed your position on Amit Nohamapetan.”

“My position on what? Meeting with him or marrying him?”

“I would think they’re hoping the first will lead to the second.”

“I’ve met him once before. It’s why I don’t want to meet with him again. I’m definitely not going to marry him.”

“The executive committee, perhaps anticipating your reluctance, wishes to remind you that your brother, the late crown prince, had agreed in principle to marry Nadashe Nohamapetan.”

“I would rather marry her than her brother.”

“Anticipating that you might say that, the executive committee wishes to remind you that option would also probably be acceptable to all parties.”

“I’m not going to marry her either,” Cardenia said. “I don’t like either. They’re terrible people.”

“They’re terrible people whose house is ascendant in the mercantile guilds and whose desire for an alliance with the House of Wu would allow the empire a lever with the guilds it hasn’t had in centuries.”

“Is that you talking or the executive committee?”

“Eighty percent executive committee.”

“You’re at twenty percent on this?” Cardenia offered mostly feigned shock.