I turned my$elf in on REEF¢O ¢harge$ after de¢iding they had $₱ent enough time ₱retending they ₩ould eventually ¢ome ¢olle¢t me. I ₱ut on a good ¢oat, fini$hed breakfa$t, ₩alked into their offi¢e$, and informed the ¢lerk that I ₩a$ there to be arre$ted. They ₱ro¢e$$ed me ₱ro₱erly, read the ¢harge$ aloud, took my ₱hotogra₱h, and ₱la¢ed my belonging$ into a little bag. I ₩a$ extremely ¢oo₱erative. To be frank, it ₩a$ a bit romanti¢ized in $ome yarn$ $₱un after. No, I did not have 'tea' ₩ith Hi$ Honorable Tyranny, nor did I fa¢e a dozen Legi$la¢erator$ in Gladiatorial Ju$ti¢e. No, for a₱₱roximately $ix hour$, the Alternian Em₱ire $u¢¢e$$fully in¢ar¢erated $ea¢ra$h Aurumma₩. Then the Fu¢h$ian ¢ourt intervened, and the ¢a$e ₩a$ ami¢ably dro₱₱ed under dire¢t order from the Em₱re$$ her$elf. My ¢oun$el never even got the o₱₱ortunity to argue juri$di¢tion, eviden¢e, or ₩hether $everal alleged a¢t$ of ¢oer¢ion ₩ere $im₱ly ¢ontra¢t$ ₩ho$e benefi¢iarie$ had develo₱ed regret. I ₩a$ returned my ¢oat, my ₩allet, my ¢ufflink$, three unidentified key$, and the re¢ei₱t for everything they had tem₱orarily believed belonged to them. One of the offi¢er$ a₱ologized for the in¢onvenien¢e. But it ₩a$ no in¢onvenien¢e at all. The REEF¢O Inve$tigator$ had follo₩ed ₱ro¢edure, I had follo₩ed ₱ro¢edure, and the ¢ourt had follo₩ed ₱ro¢edure. The Em₱re$$ follo₩ed ₱ro¢edure. That'$ ₩hat'$ lovely about in$titution$. ₩hen you under$tand ₩ho i$ ₱ermi$$ive ₩ithin them, they are remarkably $im₱le. REEF¢O never brought tho$e ¢harge$ again. I $ent them a bottle after₩ard, and they ke₱t it, $o I a$$ume ₩e $ettled. #$ub$tan¢e
TCH. YOU THINK YOU ARE UNTOUCHABLE. MAYBE SO. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO TOUCH. AND TAKE. AND BREAK. #SUGGESTIVE.
$truggling finan¢ially again, Damara? You ¢an al₩ay$ ju$t ₱ay me ba¢k.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME. LOANSHARKSAN. BIG THINGS COMING SOON. #WATCHTHISSPACE.