Jolene drank some of her champagne. "Smart of him to promise a voice. To have a voice is to have an element of power. Every demon will find that an attractive idea."
"I don't think he wrote that speech himself," said Raul. "He isn't smooth enough."
Beck nodded. "Politicians rarely write their own speeches."
"Any questions?" Malden asked.
One of the Primes called out, "You don't want the lairs to exist on levels of power?"
"No. Such a hierarchy wouldn't work in the long run. It's too strict."
Malden smiled as he added, "Demons don't like laws, they like loopholes. All I'm proposing is that I'm elected as Monarch – a demon with influence and authority above all Primes of the U.S."
"But is any kind of Monarch truly realistic?" asked Raul. "You're powerful, Malden, but there are Primes more powerful than you. How do you intend to exert authority over them?"
"If the demon public of the U.S. elect me as Monarch, they have given me that authority," replied Malden.
