Herbert James Draper Lamia

Herbert James Draper LamiaHerbert James Draper Lament for IcarusGeorge Inness The Coming StormGeorge Inness SunsetGeorge Inness Peace and Plenty
intelligent people kept on making the same mistakes.
Candidates for the Tyrantship were elected by the placing of black or white balls in various urns, thus giving rise to a well-known comment about politics.
The Tyrant was a fat little man with skinny legs, giving people the impression of an egg that was hatch­ing upside down. He was sitting alone in the middle of the marble floor, in a chair surrounded by scrolls and scraps of paper. His feet didn't touch the marble, and his face was pink.Tyrant nodded. "As you wish," he said.
"This is intolerable!" snapped Vorbis. "We have been treated-
"Much better than you would have treated us," said the Tyrant mildly. "You sit or you stand, my lord, because this is Ephebe and indeed you may stand on your head for all I care, but don't expect me to believe that if it was I, seeking peace in your Citadel, I would be encouraged to do anything but grovel on what was left of my stomach. Be seated or be upstanding, my lord, but be quiet. I have nearly finished."
"Finished what?" said Vorbis.
"The peace treaty," said the Tyrant.
Aristocrates whispered something in his ear. The Tyrant looked up from his paperwork.
"Ah, the Omnian delegation," he said, and a smile flashed across his face like something small darting across a stone. "Do be seated, all of you."
He looked down again.
"I am Deacon Vorbis of the Citadel Quisition," said Vorbis coldly.
The Tyrant looked up and gave him another lizard smile.
"Yes, I know," he said. "You torture people for a living. Please be seated, Deacon Vorbis. And your plump young friend who seems to be looking for something. And the rest of you. Some young women will be along in a moment with grapes and things. This generally happens. It's very hard to stop it, in fact."
There were benches in front of the Tyrant's chair. The Omnians