All parties present will have to excuse North, as from the parting line he's laughing helplessly into his hand, peeking at Wash for all of half a second, and going into a second peal of laugher that has him red in the face by the time there's a vote of confidence for America's revisions.

"I have to agree. That's definitely a better Buttercup," he finally manages, keeping his eyes valiantly trained away from the Washington-and-company side of the room. "But what's the tipping point? Where does she go from pining over this guy to being willing to kill him?"