"Did he clarify what he'd do if he had it?"

"Not openly. He kept trying to coax me into changing this or that law, and I think sometimes it was just because he wanted to have a say in what the laws were, more than he wanted whatever particular thing he was arguing for - the only one I'm absolutely sure was personal was the one about polygamy, because he acted like he just couldn't fathom the idea of anyone not wanting to marry thirty slave girls if marrying thirty slave girls was an option."

"Was he for or against?"

"For."

"Ah-huh."

"I wouldn't have minded as much if he hadn't been so condescending about it."

"Seems a predictably bad choice of tone."

"You'd think!"

"Is it feasible for others to learn from his mistake? Does this sort of thing make the news?"

"Oh, people are definitely talking about it even years later, but rumour gets as far as 'the Emperor threw somebody off a roof' and then generally doesn't go into why. I suppose most people don't think I need a reason."

"Suppose not."

"And it's not as though he wasn't warned. I told him, several times, to either quit with that nonsense or get out of my life. I don't think he was ignorant of the risks, I think he was too driven by ambition to care."

She nods. "I don't suppose you considered dropping him through a portal onto a beach on another continent or something."

"I wasn't planning to throw him off a roof, I was planning to ignore him. Then I lost my temper."

"Ah. You don't tend to see that coming?"

"When I see it coming, I do something about it, or at least try to!"

"Of course. But sometimes you don't?"

"Yeah."

"Any idea what's different when you do?"

"Mm?"

"In situations where you do notice in advance that you are liable to lose your temper, what tips you off and why isn't it present in cases where you are caught off guard and instead actually lose it?"

...He shakes his head. "I'm not sure."

"Hm. It seems like it would be useful to know."

"Yeah."

"Were you assuming he'd eventually realize he wasn't getting anywhere and leave you alone?"