course, Khouzhik intends to hold a review of his police.
That's all there is to it."

"Well, just the same, I wish some reenforcements would get here from
Odin," Shatrak said.

Erskyll was busy, in the days before the Midyear Feasts, either
conferring at the Citadel with the ex-slaves who were the functional
heads of the Managements or at the Proconsular Palace with Hozhet and
Chmidd and the chief-freedmen of the influential Convocation leaders and
Presidium members. Everybody was extremely optimistic about the
constitution.

He couldn't quite understand the optimism, himself.

"If I were one of these Lords-Master, I wouldn't even consider the
thing," he told Erskyll. "I know, they're stupid, but I can't believe
they're stupid enough to commit suicide, and that's what this amounts
to."

"Yes, it does," Erskyll agreed, cheerfully. "As soon as they enact it,
they'll be of no more consequence than the Assemblage of Peers on Aton;
they'll have no voice in the operation of the Commonwealth, and none in
the new constitution that will be drawn up five years from now. And that
will be the end of them. All the big estates, and the factories and
mines and contragravity-ship lines will be nationalized."

"And they'll have nothing at all, except a hamper-full of repudiated
paper stellies," he finished. "That's what I mean. What makes you think
they'll be willing to vote for that?"

"They don't know they're voting for it. They'll think they're voting to
keep control of the Mastership. People like Olvir Nikkolon and Rovard
Javasan and Ranal Valdry and Sesar Martwynn think they still own their
chief-freedmen; they think Hozhet and Chmidd and Zhannar and Khouzhik
will do exactly what they tell them. And they believe anything the
Hozhets and Chmidds and Zhannars tell them. And every chief-freedman is
telling his Lord-Employer that the only way they can keep control is by
adopting the constitution; that they can control the elections on their
estates, and hand-pick the People's Legislative Council. I tell you,
Prince Trevannion, the constitution is as good as enacted."

Two days before the opening of the Convocation, the _Irma_ came into
radio-range, five light-hours away, and began transmitting in taped
matter at sixty-speed. Erskyll's report and his own acknowledged; a
routine "well done" for the successful annexation. Commendation for
Shatrak's handling of the landing operation. Orders to take over
Aditya-_Alif_ and begin c