"Horses? Dishware? Money? Political power?"

"I got you thirty-eight people worth of political power, ma'am, which I am expecting you to acquire with money. If I have opinions about where to use it I will be sure to consider telling you."

Nod.

"Is there anything else, ma'am?"

"Is that everything it was maybe worth telling me if I was predictable enough, or is there more that I have to unlock by being independently competent with them?"

"That's everything with an obvious next step."

"It is technically possible I'll think of next steps that you didn't."

"The other things I asked about were their working conditions and the overseer. Supposing a range of possible things they told me about that, what are your options."

"I could give the overseers new instructions or hire new ones, though it's not like most applicants for the position are charming. With thirty-eight extra people maybe they can all work shorter hours, I'd have to run the numbers."

"The overseer who died five years ago was popular as these things go, when I asked about him."

"Well, I can't bring him back. I can aim for the personality type, I guess?"

"If that's a thing you can do effectively. Or if he was under different instructions than this one or was being managed differently."

"I kind of avoided the plantation as much as I could, I wasn't expecting to ever be in a position of needing to know. I'm sorry. I'll look through the notes."

Nod.

"I don't do worse with more information."

"If you're wrong about that then I cannot get another batch of information as effectively."

"I am not wrong about that."

...sigh. "The overseer is supposed to avoid hitting sick or injured slaves for not working and is only mediocre at telling if they're faking but gives more leeway to the one he's sleeping with. He takes bribes, in cash, which is better than not taking requests at all but obviously not as good as just letting people go on visits without involving bribery. The kids are running around wild and more or less raising each other whenever nobody has a baby under the age of six months and can sometimes spare them a little attention too. They have enough food but it's incredibly samey."

...nod. "And what would you do -"

"Can the overseer read?"

"Yes."

"Make him document everything. If he has to hit somebody he has to write down who and why and when, if someone asks for anything he has to write that down and whether they got it. Missed documentation is a firing offense, the slaves can help remind him unless they'd like to get him fired and take their chances on a new one. He's not bad enough that I'd expect him to keep up with it if he had to do anything complicated to accomplish it but I could be wrong, check again in a few weeks. Designate at least one slave for childcare, it can be somebody old and not very productive who mostly tells the older not-yet-working kids how to mind the babies or something if your margins are that slim. It doesn't always have to be imported fruit and chocolate but give them something interesting for lunch every once in a while. Every month would do it, probably."

"The margins are fine when I'm not buying thirty-eight more people. Thank you. Those are good suggestions. The slave the overseer's sleeping with does not want anything done about that?"

"It's currently preferable on net. I will check back in a few weeks."

"I did tell them all I'm going to get it abolished. They - don't believe it, or..."