d as mercenaries, which is a far better profession than vote
selling."

"Quite a plausible explanation: Prince Travann is nothing if not
plausible," the Prime Minister agreed. "And does Your Majesty know that,
because of repeated demands for support from the Ministry of Security,
the Imperial Navy has been scattered all over the Empire, and that there
is not a naval craft bigger than a scout-boat within fifteen hundred
light-years of Odin?"

That was absolutely true. Paul could only nod agreement. Prince Ganzay
continued:

"He has been doing some peculiar things as Police Chief of Asgard, too.
For instance, there are two powerful nonworkers' voting-bloc bosses, Big
Moogie Blisko and Zikko the Nose--I assure Your Majesty that I am not
inventing these names; that's what the persons are actually called--who
have been enjoying the favor and support of Prince Travann. On a number
of occasions, their smaller rivals, leaders of less important gangs,
have been arrested, often on trumped-up charges, and held incommunicado
until either Moogie or Zikko could move into their territories and annex
their nonworker followers. These two bloc-bosses are subsidized,
respectively, by the Steel and Shipbuilding Cartels and by the Reaction
Products and Chemical Cartels, but actually, they are controlled by
Prince Travann. They, in turn, control between them about seventy per
cent of the nonworkers in Asgard."

"And you think this adds up to a plot against the Throne?"

"A plot to seize the Throne, Your Majesty."

"Oh, come, Prince Ganzay! You're talking like Dorflay!"

"Hear me out, Your Majesty. His Imperial Highness is fourteen years old;
it will be eleven years before he will be legally able to assume the
powers of emperor. In the dreadful event of your immediate death, it
would mean a regency for that long. Of course, your Ministers and
Counselors would be the ones to name the Regent, but I know how they
would vote with Security Guard bayonets at their throats. And regency
might not be the limit of Prince Travann's ambitions."

"In your own words, quite plausible, Prince Ganzay. It rests, however,
on a very questionable foundation. The assumption that Prince Travann is
stupid enough to want the Throne."

He had to terminate the conversation himself and blank the screen.
Viktor Ganzay was still staring at him in shocked incredulity when his
image vanished. Viktor Ganzay could not imagine anybody not wanting the
Throne, not eve