He felt the almost sexual thrill of being the one in the room with all the power. - Ellen Kushner

I was afraid you wouldn't take me seriously."
"I did. But I am preparing," the duke said, "to revise that opinion. Stop playing and tell me what you want."
"And you'll give it to me?"
"What do you think? If it's reasonable, I'll consider it. If it's not, I have the resources to annoy you very much as you've been annoying me. It's true I have more scruples—but I'm willing to suspend them. I also have more money, you see—lots more money. I wasn't planning to waste any of it on you, but I could be convinced to change my mind."

"The trouble with you," the Ugly Girl said, "is that you think you know just what everyone should do, don't you?"
The Mad Duke smiled at her. His face was bright and sharp, smooth and glittering. "Yes," he said, "I do."
"And what," she said, "if you're wrong?"
"And what," he said, "if I'm not?"

I’m the Duke of Riverside. I build things here and pretty much keep the peace, and discourage certain behaviors. If you think all that has been achieved through entirely civil and lawful means, you’ve had your head in a bucket.