Brinksmanship and strategy

One of the ways that Hope Hubris proves his manliness is by facing down his enemies and by outsmarting them in the application of policies and reforms to situations and problems that are rooted in the mobs and their irrational desires.

The first situation that proves Hope's power is the confrontation with Saturn over the Jupiter moon of Ganymede. Hope manages to bring the situation to a confrontation without revealing the identity of his ally who had tipped him off to the Saturnine threat. He is reputed to be a little mad, and this madness—the willingness to go all the way to destruction—makes his enemies blink, and he comes out in charge of a situation that could have turned catastrophic.

Hope survives at least three different assassination attempts, through sheer physical strength and also a little luck, and he has power, as...