Through the window came the sounds of ecstatic cheering.

Hamilton felt dazed. “But… what do you want from me? I can’t un-publish my work, or take him out of the spotlight!”

The woman held up her hand. “Okay, you see the problem. Now, are you sure you don’t see a possible solution?” She looked at Hamilton archly. The three androids also stared. Hamilton felt certain they were testing him, somehow. He thought furiously.

“Uh… maybe we can work out some sort of compromise?”

Ing sighed. The androids buzzed happily.

“You’re the man for the job, then. You’ll talk to him, help mediate the sides. If he’s as reasonable a fellow as you say, we can work out some sort of constitutional arrangement that will satisfy the people, the AnMen, and the social pros.”

“But why me?”

“Because you brought it all up! You opened the door for him! Besides, he seems to like you.”

Ing swallowed as she visibly made an effort to adapt her habits of speech. She paused, then resumed, “I mean, it seems you are in favor with His Majesty.”

Outside, one hundred and fifty thousand cheering voices shook the stadium.

Epilogue

Dr. George Gustaf sat back behind his desk, after the last negotiators had left and Farrell Cooper had shut the door.

“Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?” Cooper smiled.

“What more could there be, Farrell? I’m now constitutional monarch of the world. They’ve thrown in the rest of the solar system too, in exchange for my giving up any unilateral right to declare war when we discover aliens… if ever.”

“Quite an accomplishment, Your Majesty. We’ll all be very busy, getting ready for the coronation.”