Meryl was so shocked that she lost her senses for a moment and let the emotion show on her face. Now she had the Arbiter’s full attention.
He turned to stare at her, his eyes boring into her very soul, causing her to shiver despite the room’s heat.
“Do you have a problem with my order?” He asked.
Though he still betrayed no emotion, Meryl knew she had better tread carefully, lest she end up being “debriefed” in Prague. She cleared her mind as she had been taught to do.
“I have no problem with your order, Arbiter,” she said, this time showing no hint of her feelings on the matter. The truth was, she would sooner eat a vent rat then follow his orders, but she had little choice in the matter. Disobeying an Arbiter would end poorly for her, as well as her immediate family. She couldn’t take the risk.
“Very well,” he said, returning his gaze to the monitor, “Make it so.”