friend turn with a smile, and retreated down the
hall, toward The Palace's beam tube station.
74 The following day North received the Symbols of The Peepian Office,
with much pomp and ceremony. The whole system watched by broadcast.
While North had the audience he announced as he would be with The Fleet
most of the time, facing the enemy, his wife, Spearina, would serve
as his Regent. This was greeted with some confusion. But a check of
Peepian Law clearly showed the holder of the throne could appoint any
one he wished as Regent, while he was engaged in other matters. So they
followed North's wishes.
75 They soon found that Spearina was as eager to implement North's
changes as he was. Carefully, surely, as to almost be unnoticed, she
changed a Law here, a Law there. She appointed women to posts they had
never held before. The death of her father less than a month after
North took power grieved her for a short time, but she then went back
to work with a fury.
76 She was only interrupted again by the birth of her child, but THIS
interrupted the ENTIRE SYSTEM! The announcement of the boy's birth sat
off a wave of celebration that would not stop for three days. This
annoyed North, as he was extremely busy, fitting out the hulls Morn had
delivered, and repairing the captured Godden ships.
77 It WAS decided that most of his men would move to The Republic's
station. He and his family, however, would remain in The Palace, as
Spearina was needed almost daily for public affairs.
78 The Peepians now had a considerable Fleet ....far more than they
needed, for the defense of their system, but it was taking every
system they had. North was drawing off manpower to crew the ships from
everywhere. Twenty-five per cent of the Crews were now women, something
The Peepians were adjusting to slowly.