Twelve screens lit the control room. Each showed a different angle of the concert hall: the stage, the aisles, the VIP boxes, and Arthur in the front row.
Maria checked the feed on her laptop. “You get five minutes after the introduction. Once you press Enter, I can’t pull it back quietly.”
“Good.”
Below us, black ties and evening gowns filled the auditorium. Arthur accepted handshakes from colleagues and smiled for every camera pointed at him.
The President of the NPA stepped up to the podium and praised Arthur’s “unwavering ethical standards” and “profound empathy.”
“Please welcome the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Arthur Sterling!”
Arthur took the stage to a standing ovation. He accepted the gold-plated statuette and set it beside his notes.
“The sanctity of th
