high stakes

binSalman feared a coup was in the cards
but figured he'd forestall it by his wits.
He placed his royal cousins under guards
as non-consensual guests at the Ritz.
Democracy's not fostered by the gun.
He's seized their assets, not their loyalty.
His claim's unsure as Salman's youngest son;
most princes can post more securities.
Aramco's IPO is looking grim
as Saudis smuggle assets out the door.
The kings economists can't lie to him;
the nation's wealth's increasingly off-shore.
The odds are long for such a petro-state,
that bets its fortune on one gambler's fate.