Redistricting

"It looks like a dragon."

"They should all look like dragons. That's the beauty of it!"

Fang sighed sulfurously. "The courts aren't going to like it," he said. "They're going to say we're disenfranchising minority groups, like Black Knights and Maidens in Distress."

"Screw the courts!" snorted Claw, rising dramatically into the air as far as the chamber allowed. "Now that we have our super majority, we intend to enjoy it. Anyway, we own at least 55% of all judges." He flopped, rather anticlimactically, back onto the floor. "They've even started calling courts 'Dragon Courts.'"

"'Kangaroo Courts,' I think you'll find," said Fang.

"Whatever," scoffed Claw. "The important point is that the courts are not for humans anymore."

"What I want to know," interjected Scaly, "Is how Ron over there managed to get elected in a Knight district."

"Shucks," blushed Ron. "Twarn't nothin', really. The first thing you do is adopt a human-sounding name. After that, you just keep your tail tucked inside your armor. Cat's out of the bag now, though. Or the dragon, yuk, yuk. Guess I can't get re-elected in that district. Or any district with a shape that occurs in nature."

"And that," intoned Claw didactically, "is precisely why we need to draw some of these ... creative districts. Take a look at Ron's, here."

"Thanks, guys," Ron aw-shucksed.

"See? It isn't even shaped like a dragon," said Claw.

"Um, doesn't all the territory have to be contiguous?" asked Ron doubtfully. "Isn't that a rule? This looks more like a Swiss cheese."

"More of a guideline, really," Claw explained.

"All I'm saying ...," began Fang.

"Now what?" snapped Claw.

"All I'm saying, is that I'm not sure this is going to work."

"Of course, it's going to work!" roared Claw. "Don't be such a nervous wiggle worm!"

"But it didn't work last time," Fang persisted. "The last redistricting was supposed to get rid of him, too. Remember? And who was it who got slain in the end?"

"Yes, well, that was then," mumbled Claw. "Ol' Firebreath was a good ol' dragon. That's for sure. And it was a shame. But he wasn't ... as smart as I am, see? This time, I've got it all figured out."

"I hope so," replied Fang uncertainly. "Cause I just want to mention, if anything goes wrong, I'm the one with the district next to that St. George guy."