"Hello, sir. Are you the scribe who was writing The Inquirer?"

"...who wants to know?"

"My boss wants to hire him to keep publishing interviews."

"It's a risky business now."

"She's not asking you to be the one to put down a huge pile of gold. She's doing that anyway. I really think you should hear her out."

"...all right."

"Thank you," Jilia says, as she is beckoned around the corner and comes in, "And thank you, Txell. Do you recognize me, sir?"

"...yes, your highness."

"Ugh, I still half look over my shoulder for the old Archduke when I hear that. 'Lady Bainilus' is fine. I very much liked your interviews."

"Thank you, Lady Bainilus."

"As I overheard you say, it's a dangerous business. But you're well clear of most of it, with your style of pamphlet. I'd like you to keep making them, using my authorization."

"My lady, the other day I published Delegate Voshrelka's accusation that another delegate had threatened her with an axe in the temple of Erastil! I don't know that that wouldn't be seen as scandalous if something like it should come up again."

"You might have to cut out parts and replace them with a note about excising potential slander. But it can be fixed, and I'll help you do it."

"...and first thing this very morning I got an interview specifically because I published things exactly as they were said without editing them - I don't mean to be ungrateful, Lady Bainilus, only I'm not actually sure my style does work under the new system -"

"Select Artigas? I saw it this afternoon, it was excellent. ...I think your style can work with very little change, and nothing that would invalidate the trust it earned you. That's not obviously true of anyone else who has been writing. I'm willing to take risks for this, and commit to backing you up and taking responsibility if any get judged on you instead of me so it's me taking them."

"Is... that a thing one can do, my lady?"

"To say that the slander was not your act, but mine, as I was the one who approved the publication? I think so. The law is vague and I'm an archduchess, precedents can be set."

"I would really like to keep doing the interviews, my lady."

"I would as well. I'd like more, your competition were entertaining even when they weren't informative. But yours, which were simple and informative, seem like the fight worth picking. In a month, if it has all gone smoothly, I may decide to pick another. But unless and until I do you'll have little competition. Shall we discuss the business side?"

Nod nod.

She has a staff of copiers and scribes and is going to attach their marks to her publishing house; they can be found at her residence, she has the ground floor as an office for that and other things. She names some figures for how she'd expect the original scribe and people paid to duplicate the pamphlet to split the take in an advertising business, which are probably fairly generous to the scribe by current Westcrown standards, and says she wants 5% more of the profit than that for doing the approvals and use of the publishing license.

"I won't publish anything you bring me without your approval that it's still your words, but you don't publish anything with my license on it without mine that I'm willing to stand behind it either."

"I was getting a cousin to do extra scrivenings, if you have room for more."

"I'll give them an interview; I'm picky about my staff and most of them end up doing things other than scrivening and in position to overhear things. But I'm not opposed, and if these are popular enough I want a second office just for publishing then I'll hire them there."

"Thank you my lady, where should I send him?"

"The same office is fine; if I'm not there, my personal secretary Lady Sofia will speak to him. I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

"When should I start going out and doing interviews again? Do you need to see my arcane mark, I don't have it today but it's on some of my things."

"I expect it will be around a day of turnaround to start publishing most of them, maybe two or three occasionally, and I have something else planned for publishing tomorrow, so if you start seeking them out today I expect I'll be able to publish it on Wealday or Oathday. How often will you want to get more out, do you think?"

"I was doing between one and three a day... notwithstanding the time Lady Eriape broke into my apartment."

"Take heart; I strongly suspect that very soon someone will be returning the favor on your behalf. I'd advise a slower pace, just daily, at least to start, but if you bring me more I'll look at them as quickly as I have time."

"Yes my lady. Should I also keep them on the short end?"

"I'd rather have fewer longer ones than more short ones, but I don't want to put too much restriction on what you write, the legal needs are bad enough. Use your judgment; it's served you well so far."

"Thank you my lady."

"Thank you, Mr. Monreal. I think we're doing a good thing for the city and the country, here."

"- are you going to want me to publish under my name?"

"No, The Inquirer is fine. But for a contract, or to intercede if you're arrested, I need a name, and it's not that hard to get one with fifteen years of practice."

"I understand."

"Then I think there's nothing else to be said. Good evening, Mr. Monreal, and I look forward to speaking with you again."

"Thank you very much, Lady Bainilus."

And she'll nod, and leave him alone.