by J Seab
Excerpt from The Vanities of Rebar
My Etusian project proceeds smoothly.
My pawns have established beachheads in the south and north and I have carved a strong foothold in southern Warves. Greely’s Gazette has proved a powerful weapon in my arsenal to sway the weak minds of the willing. I never thought reading could be such an asset. Perhaps I need to reassess its potential value within my princedom.
Nonetheless, these Etusians are such babes! So easily molded to fit my desires. Toddlers staggering about on ill-coordinated legs, falling into every snare and pit I’ve set in their path. It is their great fortune that I have emerged to rid them of their delusions. Perhaps some will rise above their limitations and don the mantle of super-man that I enable for them.
—Prince Rebar
Fillip Brent shuffled together a stack of the new edition of Greely’s Gazette and tied it with a string he reeled off a big spool clamped to the large workbench. He set the stack with the growing pile on the floor and reached for another handful of newssheets.
He was excited.
He scanned the headline—his headline.
Mysterious Oddment Found! Servitor Cover-Up Exposed!
He ran his finger down the article, relishing each word: