Green looked up at Lola, leaned back, and said firmly, "Don't go."
Lola froze. His answer was not what she had expected. She had come mainly to tell him about the invitation so that meeting someone from the church in private would not cause unnecessary trouble. She had not expected him to refuse outright. "What? But..."
Green raised a hand to stop her. "I know what you're worried about, but remember where you stand. You're with the Anomalies Bureau. Why should those holy frauds be able to summon you whenever they please? If you go in private, you'll hand them leverage over you. The church could use it to pressure you later. Once you take that first step, it'll be hard to turn back. Have you thought it through?"
Lola fell silent. She had considered that herself, but she held little authority. How could she refuse a Cardinal's summons?
Green had no wish to make things difficult for her. After giving her a moment to think, he continued, "There's a simple way to handle this. You came to me instead of deciding on your own, and that was the right call. If you want my advice, don't go. And don't contact the person who delivered the message again."
"Yes, Director. I understand." Lola nodded, though she remained uneasy. The man who had summoned her was Cardinal Skodadi, after all.
"Don't worry," Green said. "We're with the Anomalies Bureau, not some unaffiliated band with no one behind us. When we run into a problem, we report it to our superiors. Adviser Hiddink happens to be in the city. We'll pass this straight to him and let him argue with the church. If even he can't hold them off, then you can meet the Archbishop, and no one will have grounds to