Corliss rolls her eyes as she takes the podium. "It might be wise," she says, "for you to not side yourself directly with the condemned when your fate has yet to be decided. Kashif attacked me in my office. There were witnesses. His guilt is not in question, but if you continue to defend him to the court, things will get much worse for you than they already are."
You scan the crowd, trying to gauge their reactions to your comments. Ophelia is obviously pleased that you backed up her statement, but it will take more to win over the others, especially the visiting dignitaries who seem more interested in the refreshments than they are in you.
Next
"You spoke of the Anarchs," Corliss says to Ophelia. "That I lacked the will to defeat them? I think it's time to show you how very wrong that sentiment is."
Whispers run through the assembled vampires as they speculate. Will Robert Ward be brought out on stage? Has he already been destroyed? If so, what proof will she have of the deed? Say what you will about Corliss—she knows how to keep a crowd engaged right from the start.
"Alisha?" Corliss calls out into the crowd. "Are the live feeds ready?"
"Of course, Eden, darling!" Alisha Grey sweeps out into the center of the room. Her flowing red gown stands in stark contrast to the others' more dour ensembles, which is no doubt her intention—a Diva always needs to stand out from the crowd. She's looking positively radiant for someone whose final death had been widely speculated after the Elysium bombing. She points a thin remote control in the stage's direction and presses a button with a theatrical flourish. Moments later, the wall behind you is lit up with the glaring light of several flat-screen monitors. You crane your neck and watch as Ward and his Anarch allies climb up a set of stairs along with a handful of mortal mercenaries.
"They believe they're closing in on our position as I speak," Corliss says. "Ward, Sevinc, and their associates intend to destroy every last one of us tonight."
"And you're just letting them run amok?" Bouchard growls. "What kind of stupid game are you playing at, Eden? This display isn't winning you any favors!" Even Qui tenses up as he watches the monitors intently from his place at the side of the platform.
The Anarchs on the live feed reach the top landing in the stairwell and speak among themselves. There's no sound on the video so you have no way of knowing what they're saying, but it's not hard to guess that they're planning to strike the top floor of the hotel. Corliss has stepped to the side and is now close enough to you that you could speak to her without the remainder of the crowd overhearing. There's no way to know exactly how much time you have left.