Chapter 1032: Chewing
The thick photo album was tossed onto Hesta's desk. Kendall was about to open it when Hesta suddenly reached out and pressed down hard on the cover.
"Oh?" Kendall smiled provocatively. "You don't dare look? You actually don't dare look?"
"Answer me one question first, Kendall," Hesta said softly. "Why do you want me to see this?"
"Because it is your responsibility." Kendall stared into Hesta's eyes, her voice carrying a chill. "What did you think that decision you made at the emergency meeting was? A few weightless words, and then it was over? Hesta, every decision made from your position carries a price. I want you to bear that price in full, right now."
"That is exactly what I want to ask." Hesta met Kendall's gaze. "If this might shake me, why put it in front of me?"
"Say whatever you like," Kendall said. "Will you—"
"What direct benefit is there to you in shaking me?"
The atmosphere froze. Kendall was the first to avert her eyes, moving to sit at the other end of the long table.
Hesta turned her gaze back to the album. Expressionless, she opened the first page and saw countless bodies piled together. The camera had not focused on the bodies themselves, only on many pairs of bare, shoeless feet, like a heap of dried wood.
Hesta's eyes swept over every photograph. These close shots always focused on children, on hunger, on the hopes people had carried while alive. Besides portraits, there were also traces of life whose former outlines remained visible even after destruction: shattered teacups scattered across the ground, charred books, a hand clutching a metal badge...
"Have you looked into the details of this attack?" Kendall asked softly. "The strikes against targets above and below ground happened simultaneously.