w what he's talking
about before he makes any attempt to talk. If you must talk drivel about
my father, I'll thank you not to do it in my presence." And before
Heywood could formulate an answer, Senesin turned to the colonel. "If
you'll pardon me, my lord, I have another errand to perform. I'll see
you at eleven." Then he turned and walked out.

Heywood stared at his receding back. "Well," he said after a moment, "I
guess I spoke out of turn. But he seemed ..." He turned back to his
drink, shrugged. "Oh, well. Tell me, my lord, what do _you_ think of
Senesin's policies? How long do you think he'll last in office?"

The colonel adroitly avoided the first question by answering the second.
"I dare say he won't last long. There'll be a great fuss in the File,
and most of his own party will desert him--I think. They hardly have any
choice, considering the reaction of the populace to this Bairnvell
thing."

"And I agree," said Heywood decisively. "We've got no business
interfering with the lawful governments of planets and systems outside
the Empire. The old days of Imperial expansion are over. Why, the way
Lord Senesin acts, you'd think Emperor Jerris the First was on the
throne."

"Well, not quite," Colonel Lord Sorban said dryly. "I can't imagine any
Prime Portfolio in the time of Jerris I daring to act on his own
initiative."

"Exactly," said Heywood, just as though the colonel had agreed with him.
"That's why we have a constitutional Empire today. One man can't be
allowed that much power without the consent of the governed. The people
must have a right to depose anyone who abuses the power they give him."
He swallowed the remainder of his drink. "Can you imagine what it would
be like if the present Emperor tried to pull that sort of stuff? Not
that he _would_, mind you; he's too good an Emperor for that. He sticks
to his job. But these are different times. And then, too, we can't
afford to antagonize the Gehan Federation. After all, I mean, _war_ ..."
He shook his head at the thought.

Colonel Lord Sorban had listened to Heywood's soliloquy with patience,
but he felt his irritation growing. Much as he had enjoyed the play
between Heywood and young Senesin, he had expected to get some
information out of the boy before he left. And besides, Heywood's
cliched monologue was beginning to pall.

Therefore, the colonel finished his own drink, uttered some polite
banalities and got out.

* * *