The crowd cheered.
Larani bowed her head to them. “I am honoured to count you all among my peers,” she said. “On this Friendship Day, let us remember that we stand united, one and all.”
The hologram vanished.
In the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Jena coming up beside him in a white skirt and a blue blouse that she left untucked. She directed a tight-lipped grimace at the spot where the hologram was, then nodded once. “The usual talking points,” she said. “Larani is one of the sharpest people I"ve ever met, but ask her to address a crowd, and you"ll get a speech that works so hard to avoid offending anyone, it"s practically a tautology.”
“You didn"t like it?”
“I didn"t feel much of anything one way or another; that"s the point.”
The applause picked up again when Jack strode up to t
