"What about 'The Voice of the Twin Ministers'?"
"Sounds like we're copying the Voice of Freedom."
"'The Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Interior Speak,' then?"
"Do you want the other Nobles laughing at us?"
"'The Duchy of Keating Gazette'?"
"People won't pay one Silver Coin for a newspaper with no identity."
In the duchy's Cabinet hall, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Finance were discussing their future Magic Newspaper.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Brink was out of ideas for the moment.
"Twin Ministers Weekly." Fronning cradled a cup of Elf Tea.
"That's the one, then. Who should we put in charge? How about Irvin?"
"Talan's second son? I hear he's a little slow. He always skips seventy-one when he counts to a hundred."
"What about Yosef? I think he has a head for trade."
"Do you mean when he auctioned off the underwear of noblewomen having affairs, or when he sold Nobles the contact details of... ladies seeking company?"
"Put that way, he won't do... What about Marley? He's a newly minted Noble, and he has a head for business."
"You want a new Noble whose only talent is using gangs to squeeze money out of commoners to negotiate with Annan?"
"Gangs? How did I not know about that?"
"You were still learning the Common Tongue then."
"All right, all right... What do you suggest?"
"The Magic Newspaper should be controlled by the Cabinet."
"...We could have saved time by starting there." Brink suspected Fronning had made up his mind long ago.
"We're still faster than the Council."
"You're right, but don't forget that none of us knows how to make a Magic Newspaper."
"Which is why Free City must teach us."
"Will they agree? Our envoys are still speaking ill of Annan."