The Chairman of the Awakened Association replaced the President at the podium, and the hall shed its applause like a spent wave.
Where the President had performed, the Chairman arrived.
He settled his hands on the podium's edges without adjusting the microphone, without scanning the hall, without offering a smile.
The press section quieted before he opened his mouth because every reporter in that hall understood the difference between the man who signed papers and the man who built the deals behind them.
"Ladies and gentlemen." His voice carried flat and unhurried across the packed conference hall. "The President has spoken to the spirit of today's agreement. Allow me to speak to its substance."
He finally looked at the cameras. What came next was for the billions watching behind them.
