"I — we moved on, so it doesn't matter, but — I'm not saying that most people should necessarily be able to publish? Lots of people probably shouldn't be allowed to publish! Obviously no one would give me a publishing license and that's fine, I clearly don't know which things are going to get misinterpreted as 'go murder a bunch of innocent people for no reason' and I don't, actually, want that." The law doesn't even actually prevent her from publishing things, it just means she'll be punished for it. 

"If there's one publishing house in the entire city that's willing to sometimes publish ordinary people writing things that criticize the nobles that's probably good enough. And I can't tell if you're saying that you don't think this law is actually going to stop that because you think the Abadarans would be willing to give giant loans to normal people sometimes, or that you think all the nobles will vote down any law that lets people criticize them or say they should have fewer special rights, or that you don't actually want people to be able to write pamphlets saying 'nobles who murder innocent people should be tried and punished, legally, without any mobs involved, just the same as anyone else would be' or 'there should not be travel passes,' because you're nobles and you'd just as well not have anyone criticizing you — uh, to be clear, I'm not saying you've murdered anyone innocent, just, that's the sort of thing nobles aren't going to want to publish."

"It won't be as bad as you think; burghers always like reducing noble's power, the Abadarans will publish many things other people write, and some nobility are radicals themselves. But also there are, most likely, many delegates who affirmatively want that restriction. Even sortitions. People on the street would rather have the Asmodean rules right now, in many cases, and said so when my people asked. This is a compromise, Miss Ferrer, between what I would like and what Archduke Requena would like and what we think can pass the floor."

"Ma'am, Delegate Tallandria, here's a fairly conservative draft of libraries."

A library or other collection of books may register for a library license by registering a single proprietor who acknowledges that he is a Subject of Her Majesty and means to abide by Her laws. Books in this collection must be marked with the Arcane Mark of a wizard registered with that library before they may be on display, loaned, or made available to the public. Only a small audience may be permitted to view the collection at any one time, and loaned books may not be copied by the borrower without permission from a Publication Statute. Libraries are permitted to make unconditional loans of up to three months before they are returned, or loans may be made under other terms such as may be defined by statutes of censorship, education, or magic. The proprietor of a library is not liable for illegal conduct inspired by books in their collection unless said books have been outlawed, but if any such conduct occurs, the other penalties of unauthorized distribution of unauthorized works may be imposed, including imprisonment and fines up to a maximum of 30gp per volume, as well as revocation of the library license.

"And I think the second clause can be split like so to add small audiences:"

It is forbidden to publish or distribute written material in Cheliax unless it is marked with an Arcane Mark of the creator or publisher and a note of the Statute under which it is permitted, of which six are below enumerated, with the Queen or a future legislative body permitted to add others.

Definitions used herein:

A work is considered kept private as long as it is not distributed outside a small audience, not read in a public square or public house, not put on display outside a private domicile, and not made available for sale. Some work is permitted as long as it is kept private, which is not permitted to be published or distributed.

An audience of eight people or fewer is considered a small audience for all purposes. Larger sizes may be judged small for certain purposes by statute or precedent.

Victòria finds it hard to imagine anyone short of actual Asmodeans who would rather have the Asmodean rules than the current ones. Admittedly there are some actual Asmodeans in the city, and Asmodeans might be more likely to talk to an archduchess.

"If it's really the only way to stop people from passing a worse law that doesn't let people write anything at all I'd obviously rather have a law like this." She is still pretty sure that the nobles don't understand how much money six thousand pounds is for a normal person but she doesn't really think she can explain it if the explanations she already tried didn't work. "...if it turns out a month from now that you were wrong, and there's no publishing house in the whole city willing to publish things that criticize the nobles, are you willing to promise to find a trustworthy normal person who wants to start a publishing house and lend them the money to do it?"

"If that happens, yes, and to be sure it works, I will also do it myself and dig the self-professed Vile Scribe out of his hole and put my mark on his pamphlets, to show I'm serious."

(She nods to Sofia with a smile. It's good work.)

"And I as well," Xavier says, "though whether it will criticize the nobles you want criticized is another question." 

Victòria does not even slightly understand what's going on with complicated politics between the nobles. 

"...Okay. Thank you. I, uh, don't know anything about libraries, if Delegate Tallandria thinks the library rules are fine then I'm also fine with them."

Oh, it's simple, really. Jilia is the radical noble, with a couple young ones like the Condesa of Halmyris who are sort of radical in the way of young people who don't know better, don't see the point in tradition, and want to change things. There are liberals like Chelam and Lestdemarc who internalized the lessons of Axis or Andoran, mostly in alliance with the ones from Molthune who are largely liberal but primarily military. There are conservatives who and think this is all Galtan nonsense and we should reinstate the old traditions and go home, if not reinstate a nearly-absolute monarch. And there are Menadorans and other holdovers who just want to show allegiance to the new values of the Crown and ideally also escape Hell, who don't really know which of those factions to ally with but are mostly assuming it's the liberals.

None of them have a radical-but-also-vengeance-heavy agenda so you won't like any of them, Victòria, but the two who are your more natural allies each have someone in this room telling you this is the best we get.

But since that was all in response to a thought she didn't express and also not something Jilia would say where minutes are being taken:

"The definitions look good. I think we might manage to allow libraries to take visitors to view but not loan without registration but I want your thoughts before we change it, Tallandria."

"You don't need loans for libraries at all, if it loses you anything; I'd be surprised if most librarians allowed them, as the books are so expensive. I do think that you should say that libraries owned and operated by the crown will be automatically considered registered, which ought to hit the biggest ones unless they've restructured how the wizard schools work. Limiting use of the entire building to eight people of a time, on the other hand, seems very harsh. You could allow only a small audience to make use of an unregistered library at any given time, allow registered libraries to serve unlimited patrons, and say that currently only those libraries owned and operated by the crown are considered registered?"

"I thought most university libraries did for students and professors? Maybe they're just allowing them to copy books. I was rarely focused on Kintargo's, it ran itself well enough and half on army jurisdiction. ...Yes, I think that will probably work. Xavier, you've talked with more delegates affected, would you guess that's safe enough? Here's a wording."

A library or other collection of books may be put on display or made available to the public, but to only a small audience at any one time. Collected books may not be copied without permission from a Publication Statute. A licensed library, initially including those owned and operated by the Crown, may exceed the limits and permit a large audience. Other library licenses, like publishing licenses, require a registered proprietor who can be fined and arrested if works of their collection inspire illegal conduct, up to 30gp and 30 days in jail per offending volume, but unless said works are outlawed do not face liability for that conduct. Licensed libraries must affix an Arcane Mark registered with their license to books of their collection.

"I think the 'unregistered library' rule is enough to get the Galtan cafe to reclassify itself as a private library and show every illegal pamphlet it wants, but saying that a library must have a bond to open itself to the public unless owned by the Crown seems safe enough."

"I don't think you should push on unregistered libraries if it's already unambiguously legal to let people read your books in your own home even if you show them to more than eight people in your lifetime." She's not actually clear on whether it is. "I am not actually hung up on a general library system right now, we can handle the specifics of one of those in education later. You just don't want to shut down the academy libraries while we get it sorted out."

He nods. "Very reasonable."

A licensed library, initially including those owned and operated by the Crown, may books on display and make them available to the public, and permit a large audience. Other library licenses are issued like publishing licenses, with the same requirements for a proprietor, bond of surety, and acknowledgements, as well as the punishments. Licensed libraries must affix an Arcane Mark registered with their license to books of their collection. Education statutes are permitted to establish other licensed libraries.

"Straightforward enough. The bond's probably too large but I think simplicity trumps it here. ...I think that's everything mentioned so I'm inclined to call a vote."

"—We also need to add the part about people definitely being allowed to petition the Queen, can we do that before we vote?"

"Aye."

Enric has been fetched by an aide. It took a while, everyone know that when a nicely dressed stranger asks 'are you Enric Porras' the right response is misdirect and retreat. Took him a while to realize was someone from the good archduke from rights, and he should cooperate. But he's here now.

"Hello. I'm not dead. Didn't know committee meetings could happen this early."

"—Oh thank the gods you're alive again."

"This is an emergency session because we want a censorship bill as early as possible. Good to see you well, Mister Porras, no one knew whether you were still in the Material."

"Welcome. - Yes, we need to add the petition clause."

Petitions to the Queen, or to other nobility within their lands, may be written and sent regardless of content or status of the author or scribe, and may be read by the intended recipient and any of their servants or staff, regardless of number. It may be partially or wholly mistaken, or make accusations which cannot be substantiated and still be protected as part of the right of petition. Intercepting such a petition is illegal and if its contents are published, the publisher, not the author, is liable as for publishing any other work.

"Does this work, Jilia?"

"I didn't die. Thought I had to disappear, see why people thought I would. Sorry. Thank good you're all here, too."

He means it, it's a relief to see them all. Enric was afraid of what must have happened to all of them in the riots. The mob must have gone for the archdukes and neither deserve that, even the one who thinks skeletons aren't that evil. Korva and Victoria too, however bad the chaos was for him it must be worse for them, unmarried and presumably in the city alone. Especially with political enemies and– whatever dangerous things Calistrian might be doing during that. But here they all are, still alive. Soler too, though the Sower probably had the good sense to leave the city like he did.

"Lluïsa said she thought you might've been thrown in the river, and then no one I asked knew where you were—"

"I wasn't. She was thrown in but I think heaven brought her back to life to defend Valia. We can talk about what happened, after–" concerned look at minute-taking scribes. 

"I can read the proposed law for you, Delegate Porras," says a scribe not currently taking minutes.

"She said she swam out, I believe?"