With the matter settled, Lloyd drained the last of his drink.
The Grand Judge arranged for a driver to take him home, while he himself remained in the tavern's private room. He sat perfectly still, like a decorative suit of armor, seemingly pondering some complex problem.
He sat that way for a full hour before finally stirring, muttering to himself in a low voice:
"Not bad, not bad. A young person's talent is important, of course, but their mindset and way of thinking are just as crucial..."
As he spoke, he stood and walked to the window, pushing open the tightly shut blinds.
The window, surprisingly, faced directly toward that distant, white megatower in the Central District: the Veto Sanctuary.
"You're still as sharp as ever when it comes to judging people, aren't you?"
He said this in a joking tone while facing the distant Veto Sanctuary. Then, he leaped from the window, landed back in his car, and asked the driver:
