When Clo learned that his subjects had not banded together to deceive him, his anger eased, and he leaned back against the Throne.
"Where is our intelligence department? What are they doing?"
"They're asking the Newspaper Office..."
Clo laughed in fury. "You mean the Newspaper Office knows more than our intelligence department?"
"Your Majesty, the Ratfolk have sealed our borders. We can't contact the outside world by land."
Clo lost interest and waved a hand.
A maidservant approached the Steps carrying a Smoking Pipe. Clo leaned forward and drew deeply from its mouthpiece. As pale green smoke curled around him, his eyes gradually glazed over.
His voice came out hoarse. "So, ahem... what do you want to do?"
The minister kept his head lowered. "I believe Free City is making a show of strength. We should respond in kind!"
"Then do it..."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The minister backed out of the Royal Palace. At the doorway, he raised his head.
In the empty palace, the symbol of Rikaner Kingdom's royal authority sat alone on the Throne, shrouded in green smoke...
"My subjects need not panic over Free City (you have plenty of other things to panic about). A Floating City is not expensive (depends on who you ask). Five hundred thousand Gold Coins can lift a city into the air (is your city the size of a booger?). We could do it whenever we wanted (do you believe that yourself?), but we must spend that money fighting the Rat Tide (do you think I believe you?). Rikaner Kingdom lives the dream of Montreal (in its own imagination), is Free City's nightmare (there's some truth to that), the destroyer of the McKennan Clan (what a braggart), great (bullshit), invincible (nonsense), and unbeatable (not remotely credible). Rikaner Kingdom will