Follower I: Best wishes for the upcoming victory!
Follower II: It will be the final vote soon. It's a stunning victory for us ... Cheers!
Bernard: Cheers! May the peace be with us!
The group is fully immersed in the joy brought by the collective glory.
Z: You're in a good mood.
Follower I: ...!
Bernard: Z?
Follower II: You must be in the wrong room.
Follower II: You can't find those friends who tell balderdash here.
Bernard stops them with a wag of a hand. He pushes his way through the crowd and comes up to her.
Bernard: What brings you here, our honorable committee member?
Z: May I have a word with you, Bernard?
Bernard: Let me check my watch again. Hmm, it's three in the afternoon. I don't think I've drunk that much.
Bernard: Could you repeat that again?
Bernard: You want me, to canvass, for you?
Z: To be more precise, to form a partnership.
Bernard: My my, what a creative idea.
Bernard: What can you offer?
Bernard: Not supporting such a stupid draft next time?
Bernard: Or recruiting new arcanists for our caucus?
Z: What about a witness for the case of Chicago office?
Bernard: ...
He instantly frowns.
Bernard: Who is it? Give me the name.
Z: I will if you collaborate with me.
Z: Or talk to me with a better attitude.
Bernard: ... I'm sorry.
Bernard: Our philosophies have always been different, and that led to prejudice.
Bernard: But being mysterious won't show us sincerity for each other, right?
Z: A staff of mine is willing to testify as a witness. Her report can prove your point.
Bernard: Strong enough to prove their negligence?
Z: It depends on the special prosecutor.
Z: But the evidence is strong enough to prove that you're innocent from setting up others out of your personal interest.
Bernard: ...
He can't help breaking into laughter.
Bernard: Looks like you've got your own little bird.
Bernard: The management there sucks. They don't serve humans or arcanists. They are just puppets manipulated by money.
Bernard: I wanna bring order back to that place.
Bernard: And I've collected quite a lot of evidence against them.
Bernard: Yet the most ridiculous thing happened: in the second week after I submitted the investigation application to the Supreme Court ...
Bernard: The evidence was gone.
Bernard: My men found their charred pieces in the garbage room ... Someone threw them into the shredding incinerator.
Bernard: It was like I could do nothing but surrender.
Z: You have a wolf by your ears ... I understand.
Bernard takes a deep breath before he starts to talk again.
Bernard: But you're asking for too much.
Bernard: Eleven votes? We're on the opposite side. I can never persuade all of them to vote for you.
Bernard: Besides, the court session of the Chicago case starts later than the final vote ...
Bernard: Don't tell me you want the service before you pay for it.
Z: Don't worry. You can vote after testifying.
Bernard: How are you gonna do that?
Z: I will do what I can, in my power.
Z: The vote won't start so soon.
He raises one eyebrow.
Bernard: I can try for nine votes ... or ten.
Bernard: For the appreciation of your political resourcefulness.
Madam Z holds the hand waiting in front of her.
Z: Good luck making a better Chicago office, Bernard.
