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king, but at least
     the Hive is goofy but livable. Most of the solar system’s republicans want to eliminate hereditary aristocracy because they
     want to reintroduce the sort of social degeneration that made such a mess of Earth in late medieval times, just before the
     big leap into space. Especially in places like Greenworld, where people are used to preserving whatever stupid traditions
     came down from their stupid ancestors.
    “They have this silly thing called a bill of rights, a bunch of arbitrary limits on what the government can do, which had
     to be left in place as a concession when Rufus Karrinynya conquered the place and established his dynasty. Believe it or not,
     Greenworld republicans think that bill of rights, written on Earth by people who thought they were going to seriously worship
     Mother Gaia, should take precedence over a right of conquest eleven hundred years old. That’s what makes me furious! The abstract
     right of words against the commonsense rights of a bloodline. There were Karrinynyas on that throne before the Bombardment
     fell, and if Circle Four has anything to say about it, there always will be Karrinynyas—bright, brave, and beautiful to everyone,
     cruel and deadly to their enemies, loyal, generous, and kind to their friends, and understanding power politics the way a
     hawk understands thermals. Those are the kind of people you want running a nation.”
    “Well, obviously,” Jak said, “you do. The rich important families of the Hive are the same way, and they—”
    Sib charged on; having achieved a high haranguing orbit, he would now go on forever, or until he collided with something to
     stop him. Jak braced for more lecture.
    “Look at the republicans: ratty little schoolteachers and teacher’s pets, unsuccessful business boors, army officers with
     stalled careers and delusions of grandeur, idiots with plans for utopia, all full of rules of conduct for their neighbors.
     They will nearly all consider it somehow wrong that your ex-demmy enjoys spending vast amounts of tax money on herself. And
     they don’t see that to be ready to rule, she needs vital contacts and connections in the aristocracy, which she gets spending
     time with them—shopping, getting drunk, partying, taking drugs, dancing, attending lavish displays of wealth, and so on. Honestly,
     what better way to get to know each other than to learn exactly how best to lick each other’s genitalia—”
    “Um,” Jak said, trying again, “obviously people need an emotionally bonded network. I mean, I toktru dak why hereditary aristocracy
     works so well—”
    “Oh, anyone as bright and clearheaded as you would. But it’s not so obvious to republicans. They have these ideas about who-has-the-best-ideas
     and who-is-best-qualified, as if life were school. (It’s the sort of folly one gets into by allowing oneself envy and resentment
     just because one wasn’t born to a crown.)”
    “Um, yeah, all right, Uncle Sib, so these republicans get precessed about sex—”
    Sib was deflected but not stopped. “Well, of course, because one of the most important strengths of a monarchy is the way
     that your feelings about your parents are the model for your feelings about the king and queen, and nobody likes to think
     about their parents having sex. (Look at how you react to Gweshira and me—)”
    “Yuck, Uncle Sib. Okay, I get it. So you think republicans have gotten hold of Sesh’s recreational recordings, or something,
     and they’re trying to blackmail her?”
    “Blackmail, or more likely they’re just planning to go public with it, as a way to embarrass her. Greenworld has a big nest
     of republicans, and because of that bill of rights nonsense, the princess can’t just call up a government agency and have
     them suppressed. She needs someone outside the government to do it. So she might need you and Dujuv to destroy a video facility,
     or hack and wipe underground text media, or just beat the shit