Ethan didn't look back as he drove the heavy off-roader away, leaving the Auditor standing in a cloud of desert dust. The old man watched the dust trail dissipate, his grandfatherly warmth vanishing instantly. He reached into his coat, pulled out a satellite phone, and dialed a secure line.
"Deacon... it is I," the Auditor said.
"Auditor. Tell me the status of your assignment," a voice replied—deep, distorted, and dripping with cold indifference.
"I apologize, Deacon. It seems the young man is far more astute and powerful than our intelligence suggested. It is highly unlikely he will accept our offer under the current terms," the Auditor said.
"I see. Then there is no further need to persuade him. Soon enough, he will understand why he needs the Union, and not the other way around," the Deacon said.
"Understood, Deacon. I shall fly back to the Holy See immediately," the Auditor said.
