"Cheers," he said in reply. "Sorry, my French is atrocious. I won't inflict it on you." He took a sip of the whiskey before answering her question.

"I? I am the glorious leader of all you survey." He spread out an arm in a gesture to encompass beyond the bar to the tiny, wretched town outside and the associated military outpost.

"I served on the European Front during the Pale Wars, went to New York after, and from there was posted out west, helping to secure the frontier. And before you ask, it was Viceroy Mercado whom I pissed off to get chosen for this lovely assignment."