Morgav's opinions of his peers:

• Weyrwoman Valenne: She should be much easier to manipulate than her predecessor.  With her temper, perhaps I can goad her into taking heavy-handed actions that will drive the loyal holds away from the Weyr.
• Weyrleader G'tin: Bah.  A mere boy.  Supposedly he is skilled and disciplined, but we shall see.


• Lord Caley of Barrier: Caley is shrewd and can't be manipulated, but might be convinced.  His silly tendency to side with the weak might make him my enemy.  Not really a friend of the Weyr, but I must counter Mastersmith Stefon and Masterminer Mikaren's attempts to change that.
• Lord Purol of Cathay: A fool with his money and inconstant in his politics.  He won't stay manipulated, scorch his weak mind.  But when I get a majority on my side he's almost guaranteed to go along with it.  If all else fails, he does owe me a lot of money and I can use that to keep him in line.
• Lord Mendius of Dawn Sisters: He's in my pocket because my money makes him drool.  He thinks he's getting the best of me in our financial dealings; while he gloats, he doesn't see that every contract moves me just a bit closer to owning him.  Too bad he won't live much longer, but at least I have a daugher married to that heir of his.  Lavin thinks he will be a great schemer, but I'll eat him for breakfast.
• Lord Danis of Delta: He won't be as easy to manipulate as his predecessor, but he owes me and he knows it.  And if all else fails I do have a club over his head.
• Lord Kairo of Dorado: Soft.  He manages his own hold well, but doesn't have what it takes to play in the arena that really matters.  If he were a little stupider, I could have gotten his son married to one of my daughters.
• Lord Gibran of Drake: He's a shrewd one, and could be a valuable ally.  It's a little hard to believe he's really innocent of the death of his brothers.  Oh, and that wife of his is most intriguing.
• Lord Heln of Ierne: He has taken a moderately good idea so far that he's made a complete fool of himself.  Of course, he was rather stupid to begin with. Damnably slow to make up his mind, but I think I can count on him to at least stay out of the way when the time comes.  If not, well, I'll soon have a daughter of his im my household.  The fool would probably give away his hold in order to protect her, if it came down to it.
• Lord Baylis of Izmir: Soft-headed young fool!  Why didn't he take after his father?  I could work with Yablin.  This young whelp, on the other hand, is too easy on his holders and too set in his ways to manipulate easily.  At least I finally got him married to a daughter of mine.
• Lord Dracir of Kadanzer: He likes the Weyr too much to ever side with me.  Perhaps there is some way I can drive a wedge between them, especially with the Weyrleaders as politically clumsy as they are.  Possibly my greatest enemy in Conclave, along with Rourke; luckily he's too busy trying to dig his hold out of volcanic ash and economic ruin to do much at the moment.  Perhaps I can make him an offer he won't be able to refuse.
• Lord Korys of Maori: I'm not sure about him yet.  The way he got his father out of the way showed real ruthlessness, but I don't think he's really found his stride yet.  I must get a hold on that boy somehow; too bad I lost my main spy in that household.  I must get my hands on some of those grubs they are breeding; my informant claims that they really do eat Thread, just as the old Records claim.  If I can begin to seed Cibola with them, some future Lord of Cibola will be able to get out from under the Weyr's thumb, unless I manage to do it in my own lifetime.
• Lord Rourke of Riverdance: Bah, what a milksop.  His people love him, though, and I don't think I can do anything about that.  Nor about his slavish bootlicking to the weyr.  Unfortunately, he's also a good politician with allies in Conclave, so he is a threat I cannot afford to ignore.  I can't bully him like Janol, bribe him like Mendius and Purol, or persuade him like Caley.
• Lord Lomcoli of Rubicon: Lord Lacob was firmly in my pocket... but there's hardly enough left of him after the quake to literally fit in my pocket.  I suppose I was a bit fond of the fellow.  Too bad.  Young Lomcoli has been even easier to control, through Molloi, but perhaps she's losing her touch.  The boy is definitely starting to champ at the bit.
• Lord Janol of Sunstone: Fool and bully.  All I had to do was be a bigger and slyer bully.  He played right into my hands a few Turns ago and has been eating out of them ever since.  Let him rail against me in Conclave, I can still get him to cave in when I need him to.  Of course, he's sensitive enough about his public appearances that I must remember to provide a way for him to save face.
• Lord Kabald of Thornblaze: That son of Kabur bears watching, though I may be able to get some leverage with him soon.  As yet his policies are unknown, though he has completed the rebuilding of his hold which his wife started before he married her and took over.  A pity I could never get to Audri, she is a fine figure of a woman indeed.
• Lord Elim of Waterfall: He claims to be allied with me, but I don't trust him very far.  He likes to be on the winning side; as long as that side is mine, he will remain loyal.  Should I make a slip, however, I'm sure he would betray me out of hand.
• Lord Andlin of Windsong: Dangerous!  That smile of his is hiding many things.  Obviously he did away with his father, if Chyron really was his father, not to mention his mother and the hold steward, and who knows who else?  He seems to be consolidating his power rapidly, and worming his way into the Weyr's good graces.  He rejected my daughter's hand in marriage after all but promising himself, and is allying himself with Korys of Maori instead.  I'd not be surprised to find him dominating that little partnership very soon, though.  I must win him to my side, or else do away with him.  Luckily I have an agent in his hold, not to mention my daughter Kuroi who is now Watchrider there.

Morgav's Laws to rule by:

• Always keep your enemies off-balance and divided.  That way they will do most of your work for you.
• Keep your friends as dependent on you as possible.
• Trust and loyalty are not enough to keep you safe; make sure you have other means to ensure that your allies do not turn against you.
• Move against problems when they are small and crush them completely, rather than waiting until they grow large.
• Small kindnesses in the midst of harshness seem greater than great kindnesses in the midst of small ones.
• Make sure the people aren't completely destitute; that way they have something that you can threaten to take away.
• Reward your loyal supporters well, but make sure they know they will be punished severely if they betray you.  Make an example every so often.
• Make sure your supporters compete with one another for your favor; it will keep them too busy to think of supplanting you, and also drive them to greater productivity.
• Let your servants skim a bit of cream for themselves; it keeps them happy but gives you an excuse to dispose of them should the need ever arise.
• It is good to be feared, as long as those who fear you do not hate you enough to overcome their fear.
• Always keep the long view in mind; plant seeds, even though their survival is chancy and they may not bear fruit for years.
• Never let anyone know everything you know.