"You still have a life ahead of you, a future. Before long, the official letters on how the two of us are to be dealt with will arrive. I'd like to invite you to a farewell dinner, and at the table, I'll offer you a sincere apology.
Whatever else happened, we did work together."
Bernie had adopted a very humble attitude. In truth, by this point, the whole affair had left him exhausted, both physically and mentally.
He felt none of a victor's joy, and the young man before him faced none of a loser's punishment.
This was an unfair game. He was merely a pawn, and as a pawn, his joys and sorrows were meaningless, because truly, nobody cared.
As for Kallen's earlier reaction, Minister Bernie thought it was a young man's stubborn refusal to admit defeat or setbacks. He could understand that. After all, who hadn't been young once?
But he had misunderstood.
Kallen wasn't someone who couldn't take a loss. Given his way of handling things, if he really did lose, he could behave with more grace than the vast majority of defeated parties.
The problem was, he hadn't lost yet.
Kallen stood, his hands still tucked into the pockets of his clerical robes, a pose that seemed somewhat undignified and overly casual.
Of course, if Kallen had been wearing a white shirt and slim-fitting jeans, that pose would have been perfectly appropriate.
He walked to the edge of the stage and stopped. With the meeting over, everyone was leaving in an orderly fashion. Kallen silently counted the time. Next, they should be releasing the five bishops. A "prisoner release ceremony" was about to be held outside.
Monaxi gestured for the assistant beside her to hurry and capture the scene. "Quick, quick, over here. Crouch down. Yes,