7.
 The days moved swiftly, and Kery came to know the dignitaries who were daily arriving from New Earth. He met the new UnderGovernor, a fleshy man named Temerius, with a large ring on each hand and bushy white hair. A raft of nobility showed up, from a Lord Chicago, who wore dark Elizabethan clothing and a sword, to a Lady Frankfurt in a cloud of pink silk who was followed everywhere by three young blonde maid carrying lapdogs. A Meister Athvane, Knight of the State, mercenary and art critic, went about challenging all the local prizefighters. The State, while priding itself on free market economics, had not yet found its way to being a parliamentary republic. The rescue of mankind from the Inversion, and the subsequent explosion of growth, had created a kind of military-industrial mentality in which necessity often overrode nicety. Thus, while there was not officially a nobility, the wealthy had over the centuries simply taken ancient Earth place names to themselves, titles that they recognized in one another. They’d banded together in a kind of guild and, with their fabulous wealth altogether, were a force nobody could resist, not even the dryly egalitarian State. Since money and power went together, and since the opening of every new planet meant more insane amounts of wealth, and more nobility, these people were expected to show up in great numbers at every Opening. One fellow, a great gray mass of pampered flesh swaddled in a toga, had himself carried around on kind of stretcher. Every time Kery saw him, he was eating.
Adjuni stayed with Kery “as long as you need me.”
Kery had come to like the feel of her long body, the stretch of those smooth legs, the fullness of her breasts. She was good in bed, and he enjoyed rolling around with her. She was truefem, separated from her husband and planning a divorce, and quite ready for adventure. They spent time together in the frothing hot tub, and in the moonlight in his gardens above the city. For some hours Kery actually became intoxicated with her. He thought about keeping her here; of course she was not a gynefem, so he’d eventually have to make a marriage contract with such a woman. Then again, he thought, best wait to see what else comes along. Already he got the drift that being Governor was a hot item—people waited in the lobbies downstairs for glimpses of him; they’d cheer and wave as he stepped from the elevator. Flyn commed to remind him to be properly dressed in public at all times.
The UnderGovernor, Temerius, arrived at Kery’s suite with a retinue—a pretty juggler girl with white cheeks, three blondes holding lap dogs, a strongman flexing his muscles every time someone looked at him, and several plainclothes guards. “Kery, my man!” he greeted as Kery let them all in. “We must see these ruins we have heard about. It sounds wonderful! After all, there are various alien civilizations, but hardly any extinct ones. So romantic!”
“Clifor and I will be happy to take you there, Temerius.”
“Oh yes! A big party! And then the next day We will swear you in as Governor, and then we’ll talk business, my boy.”
Kery noticed that Temerius used the ancient imperial We. He began to notice it was an affectation of the self-proclaimed nobility.
Temerius patted him fondly on one cheek. “You’ll make a fine noble. I can see it now: Governor Kery OberShur, Lord Toronto.” He turned to the wrestler. “That one is still free, isn’t it?” The wrestler nodded. “Good. Tonight then!”
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