How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"But why wouldn't the king want to see his people fed and the sick among them healed?" Sadima asked him.
Franklin took her arm. "Because the people would follow anyone who could do that for them—then the king would no longer be king—and he knows it." (29.10-11)
This conversation between Franklin and Sadima illustrates one of the underlying assumptions of politics: people who hold the power make rules to stay in power. And rules like "no one can study magic" are meant to make sure that no one can replace the king by offering things to the people that are outside his power.
Quote #2
"No," Rinka interrupted her. "There is a royal family that sells herbs in Limòri. The king forbids anyone else bringing them into the city at all." (31.5)
Ah yes, creating a monopoly: one of the time-honored ways of gaining control of a situation. This seems like one of those unfair, arbitrary rules that are only good for the people in charge. Imagine if it were illegal for any shop but a government-owned shop to sell a basic necessity, like milk or shampoo. That'd sure stink, wouldn't it? But criticizing the rules the government makes, well, that's not always gonna lead somewhere nice.
Quote #3
"You both have to vow never to tell anyone else about this place," he said. "Never." (35.51)
If Somiss is making Franklin and Sadima swear solemn vows to keep things like the location of some old tunnels secret, maybe it's because he's a bit of a control freak. Here we see how Somiss's insistence on order reveals how paranoid he actually is. He's got to be the one in charge of keeping the location a secret, and he's the one who's most worried about being found out. If he were a lawmaker, we could see him making heaps and heaps of rules to protect himself from persecution.