" Do you know what emperors do, Tilla?'
That was easy. 'Send soldiers to steal the land and make us pay taxes.'
'They spend half their waking hours listening to people who want things. As, it seems, do gods. Maybe it wasn't as much of a transition as everyone thought. "

― Ruth Downie , Persona Non Grata (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #3)