"Heatsink" (pp. 277-302) Summary

The Emperor is worn out from greeting visiting functionaries. Demerzel has discretely recorded the event to make sure Cleon has given away nothing important. Cleon envies his chief of staff's freedom to wander the galaxy, while he may never leave the palace. Demerzel never lets himself be seen on the grounds, in order to remain a fearsome and invisible presence. It amuses Cleon to realize he could eliminate Demerzel at any moment, but he would be lost without him and would have no one to blame for failures. At any rate, clever Demerzel would anticipate assassination and engineer a preemptive coup. Cleon is certain Demerzel will not attempt to succeed him. After Cleon retires to his private quarters, Demerzel materializes and assures the Emperor how essential such events are to keeping the Empire running smoothly. Demerzel freezes...