In truth, Kallen had little time to think. He had not known at first that Bishop Dorf was the one summoning him through the Silver Mask, so he had set aside no time to consider his response.
Fortunately, Kallen had experience playing the role of a "great figure." He knew very well that once he accepted Bishop Dorf's devout "summons," he could hardly discuss things with the bishop. Every response had to be brief and concise.
Thankfully, something Mr. Dalis had said over their earlier meal was still in Kallen's mind:
His father could never be like those other bishops who wrote a suicide note and killed themselves when faced with something like this, preserving their last shred of dignity.
Following that line of thought, he would have Bishop Dorf write a suicide note.
He was the one answering the summons. For some reason, that Temple Elder had not come, which meant... he probably could not come anymore, right?
Even if he did come again, he probably would not agree to clash directly with the High Priest over the Nadun Family, would he?
Even if the most extreme possibility came to pass, could a local district bishop outweigh the High Priest's standing?
Having returned from Fire Island, with Vic at his side, and having personally witnessed the interactions between the High Priest, the Whip Bearer, and Taixisen, Kallen felt that his grasp of political struggles at the top might even be sharper than Bishop Dorf's.
Vic had told him plainly that the current High Priest took the toughest stance toward the Divine Temple of any High Priest in history.
"Yes, I understand. Please rest assured. I will write my suicide note immediately and announce it to the Whole Church."
Bishop Dorf agreed at once, because he felt the method proposed