Roderick Corrino listens as Emperor Salvador practices an anti-computer speech in a closed garden salon of the Imperial Palace. In response to Manford Torondo’s appearance before the Landsraad and ongoing Butlerian agitation, Roderick has revised one of Emperor Jules’s old speeches with simpler language suited to Salvador. Salvador stumbles through the delivery, and Roderick privately worries about his brother’s poor timing and lack of confidence while outwardly reassuring him.

After the practice, Roderick returns to his royal apartments in haste, intending only to dress for Salvador’s public address. There he learns from the household staff that his wife Haditha has had a serious confrontation with her personal secretary, Sister Perianna, a Rossak-trained Sisterhood woman. Perianna has abruptly resigned and left the Palace, but Roderick initially treats the matter as a domestic dispute because the public speech is imminent.

At the Hall of Parliament, Roderick joins Haditha in their private box before Salvador’s appearance. Haditha explains that for weeks she noticed small signs that someone had been searching her possessions and even Roderick’s writing desk. She finally saw Perianna leaving her private study, then caught Perianna lying about having been there.

Haditha searched Perianna’s quarters after Perianna theatrically challenged her to do so, but no evidence was found. Perianna used the accusation as grounds to resign, and by the time Haditha realized the woman should have been detained, Perianna had already departed Salusa. Roderick becomes uneasy because a Sisterhood-trained servant might have memorized documents without taking anything physical, even though he believes no major state secrets were exposed.

As Salvador enters the stage below, Roderick is distracted by the possibility that Perianna had been spying. The brothers both have implanted transceivers so Roderick can support Salvador during the speech, and Salvador anxiously looks up when Roderick’s unit remains off. Roderick tells Haditha the matter is probably nothing, switches on the transceiver, and turns his attention back to helping the Emperor.