The ceremony continued…
The arguments over Luna's personal jurisdiction advanced with the complexity they deserved, each faction pressing its interpretation of the territorial structure, each claim requiring its own verification against the record, the session moving forward with the people who were fighting over something real valuable and knew it.
But several of those present had started glancing toward the door with a frequency that increased as the session moved toward the recognition phase.
On Luna's side of the hall, the accumulated tension was visible in small ways, the set of Larissa's posture, the direction of Liora's attention.
Julius followed the session with the focus of someone for whom every remaining minute had a higher value but still was running down.
The recognition phase arrived anyway…
"The session proceeds to the conferral of recognitions for the fifth academic year," announced the master of ceremonies. "First-place finisher: tamer Ren Patinder."
