It is a stormy night in the Whale Territories. A young whale sneaks onto a Grand Army Of the Whales transport vessel, headed for the Horse Territories. For years she has dreamed of furthering her education there, but was repeatedly denied transport by the very administration she put in place. That whale’s name is Shamelia, and she is the head of the Political Science department at the Rameau University in the heart of Pony City. Years ago, she was responsible for turning Shamudy’s image - one of a gung-ho, reckless opportunist - into the grounded, thoughtful leader that got him elected (and re-elected) for nearly a century. Endlessly fascinated by the art of diplomacy since her birth, Shamelia set to work learning