A 1960 science fiction short story by Christopher Anvil, "The Troublemaker'" is part of his Federation of Humanity series. The ship follows a spaceship captain engaging in a Battle of Wits with a troublesome new crewman.
Tropes:
- The Chains of Commanding: The planet of New Cornwall selects its monarch by giving the job to the first person to volunteer after a previous incumbent resigns. Said king has absolute power but (along with his nobles) gets implanted with neurotransmitters that cause severe pain whenever a large number of their subjects are experiencing pain or fear (like after an earthquake) to motivate them into immediately acting on behalf of their people whenever necessary. Any thoughts about removing the neurotransmitters trigger far greater agony. This keeps even the most ambitious and selfish kings from abusing their power or wanting to rule for a prolonged period. The captain is a former King of New Cornwall and tricks trouble-making cargo master Seat into volunteering for the position while visiting the planet.
- Fisher King: Inverted. The king is technologically linked to the land, but the ruler is affected by his subjects rather than the other way round.
- The Millstone: The last seven ships Sneat served on are now the seven lowest rated ships ships in the fleet. At least one of them was once one of the most popular ships in the fleet but had the entire crew go into debt over late deliveries within a couple of months of hiring Sneat as a cargo-master.
- Smart People Play Chess: Sneat is a cunning manipulator who enjoys chess games.
- Wham Line: The captain's status as a former king of New Cornwall is revealed when he explains that once Sneat retires "The people will respect him, and whenever he's on the planet he'll have full honors and the courtesy title of 'Your Highness.'" The narrator then recalls how New Cornwall's people had held a big welcoming ceremony for the captain and referred to him as "Your Highness," which everyone has assumed was merely a local custom for greeting ship captains.
- You Are Fat: Sneat relishes picking on his crewmate Feralli's weight, gets everyone else on the ship doing it, then starts lecturing them over it to make Feralli feel mentally isolated and have him owe Sneat a favor.
