"Well, your mother is right about the current empire; it can't hold up without the Empress supporting it.  I suppose the question is, can we make it to the center and become the new support of the empire, or will the spokes fly apart and kill us all?"<br/><br/>Darius sighed.  "I think I need to go lie down."  And he started down the hallway, probably intending to do so in the only bed in the place.