And then of course they wouldn't obey her, if the benefit of that order is only Asmodia's personal protection.

"Abarco, all the researchers - on both sections of Project, for that matter - need to be working without Security harassment.  That's what good for Cheliax.  Selective harrassment is not going to give Cheliax the fair experimental data that Cheliax requires about the relative productivity of different research methods, and if I try to adjust that by asking the Sevar loyalists in Security to harass Avaricia's section exactly equally with the per capita harassment we document ourselves, that's not good for Cheliax either.  If you say we can all stop speaking treason and then you'll bring Security into line for all of us, that works fine.  Giving you that much control doesn't significantly hurt Cheliax in the time it takes Sevar to get back."

And then of course they wouldn't obey her, if the benefit of that order is only Asmodia's personal protection.

"Abarco, all the researchers - on both sections of Project, for that matter - need to be working without Security harassment.  That's what's good for Cheliax.  Selective harrassment is not going to give Cheliax the fair experimental data that Cheliax requires about the relative productivity of different research methods, and if I try to adjust that by asking the Sevar loyalists in Security to harass Avaricia's section exactly equally with the per capita harassment we document ourselves, that's not good for Cheliax either.  If you say we can all stop speaking treason and then you'll bring Security into line for all of us, that works fine.  Giving you that much control doesn't significantly hurt Cheliax in the time it takes Sevar to get back."