“I refuse to argue for my own neck at the expense of the revolution,” he said slowly, straightening his back, remembering the long-ago searing pain of the birch whips the old regime’s camp guards wielded. “This is larger than any of us. This is the Commonwealth’s first transfer of power. Its first opportunity for a peaceful transition. You may dislike me—I have no control over that—but if you take this as an opportunity to settle personal scores, then you will set a precedent. By doing that, you risk proving that Commonwealth politics is personal, just as much a matter of wealth and position
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