"Spider, I wish to ask you about Phyzann, the Drowned Captain," Eido prompted. "No doubt you've heard the odes."

Spider chuckled sardonically. "I wish I knew who wrote them—I could use a liar like that in my operation."

"My father also doubted their veracity," Eido said, intrigued.

"There was a reason Phyzann died guarding a hole in the ground," Spider chortled. "Craask knew he was a liability."

"If he was so widely ridiculed, why do the odes honor him?" Eido asked, puzzled.

Spider surveyed The Ether Tank shrewdly. "It's the first rule of propaganda, little Scribe. Everyone is either a friend or a foe. There's no room for nuance."

"But in the real world…" Eido supplied.

"That's all there is," Spider finished.