As the Duchy Turns

Terror once again stalks the Duchy halls. The Black Queen squats, brooding, in the corner of the Bored room. The people speak. The Reverend Dr. Lord Joel rolls his eyes and tries to pretend he is somewhere else. Miz Judy the Schoolmarm and the young Senor listen and nod. La Chica might be listening...who can tell? The Bruce rests his chin in his hands and daydreams. When a village chief speaks in support of Dotland and the Duchy libraries, Duke Pfffr looks astonished, possibly thinking, "I've never heard this! Why wasn't I told that libraries are important?" The Black Queen closes her eyes and leans against the wall. She's heard it all before and prefer not to hear it again. When Duke Pfffr says Dotland must be eliminated, La Chica objects. (She WAS listening!) Duke Pfffr repeats strangely familiar words "We can't keep doing things they way we always have." Wait, this is what the Black Queen said to the Dots two years ago. How is this possible? I look to the Black Queen. She's good, her lips aren't even moving! No wonder Duke Pfffr looks astonished with the Black Queen's hand far enough up his butt to make it look like he's doing the talking. Maybe she has a remote control box. The Black Queen then speaks in support of Dotland. "Everything is automated now. The jobs done by the Dots no longer need to be done. The librarians and peasants can train each other, collaboratively, in cadres, using the train the trainer model, as they transition to the new glorious future in which I run the WORLD. Oops, wrong speech. The Dots can all be reassigned or discarded or whatever. I really don't care. We will, of course, follow the HR process." That's SUPPORT? Could we petition Duke Pfffr to have Her Blackness not support us?
Later the Black Queen assures the White Tornado that it would be a mistake to arouse the Librarians, Peasants, Parents, and Press to public support of libraries and Dotland. As the Black Queen says "No one supports libraries more than I do! At least not if I can stop them."