Members of the Self-Governance Council included Beyonders, but the highest-ranked among them was only Sequence 7.
Odys shot one council member dead. After a moment of stunned silence, the others rose one by one, anger on their faces as they prepared to attack.
Yet Odys kept provoking them. "Are you deaf? What did the man slumped over the table just say?"
Just as the council members were about to act, Baron Darnell said, "He said we would follow the governor's arrangements."
Odys smiled. "So he supported me. Sorry, I fired too soon. Next time, I'll let you finish speaking."
Behind him, Wells's mouth twitched. He's dead. What next time?
The other council members looked at their chairman, unable to understand why he had responded that way.
Odys put away his gun. "I'm forming a State Council. Tomorrow at eight in the morning, representatives of the nobility, the Bandit Army, and the merchants will come to the state government to discuss its formation."
Everyone froze, then realized this governor was no thoughtless young man. He intended to turn the Self-Governance Council into the State Council.
But that change would take place on the governor's terms.
The Self-Governance Council had no obligation to answer to the governor. The new State Council, while protecting everyone's interests, would have to obey his orders.
That was the theory, at least. The council members smiled when they heard it. As long as they held seats on the State Council, they would remain Vota Province's true rulers.
As Odys headed out, he said, "Sorry to interrupt you, everyone. See you tomorrow."
Only after the new governor had gone downstairs did the council members turn to their chairman, Baron Darnell.
The baron said evenly, "Didn't you notice he was trying to provoke you?
"I heard a few vague