Lincoln looked on, his smug look turning up at the corners as a smile started to fight its way in. "Ladies and Gentlemen..." He spread his arms out and did a slow, deliberate circle pointing at the majority of them as he turned, ending back facing Clarissa where he brought his hands together to clap. Not the pitiful slow clap, nor the over enthusiastic fast clap; it was a deliberate medium paced one such that it confused many not sure if he was supportive or smugly about the finally rip her to shreds. He held the medium paced clap for a few seconds before he continued "...before you here stands Miss Carrington..." He slowed and stopped his clapping taking a second to brush the hair above his right ear before continuing "....and Miss Carrington stands here before us as the new leader hoping to lead us into new riches." Lincoln started to approach Clarissa maintaining eye contact with her for the entirety. "Many of you already know that Miss Carrington and I fought a hard fight to get the Throne of the Terraformers..." He started to slowly circle Clarissa while he made eye contact with the crowds around him "...But many of you won't know the lengths and depths of the process. Now, I must admit from the times we were in each other's presence as this whole process endured I started to believe Miss Carrington here was only there due to her feminine charm and resilient Bretonian patriotic passion. And I must also admit I did felt dirty that she was chosen above myself and my proven track record..." He finished his circle of Clarissa and was now a few feet in front of her ".... But Miss Carrington has shown tonight, to myself and all of you, that she has big picture vision and the ideas to bring them to fruition. So..." Lincoln looked around the hushed crowd once more before returning to look to Clarissa "...I am asking you Miss Carrington to accept here in my support..." Lincoln purposefully extended a hand to Clarissa almost grabbing her hand himself as she shakily answered the invitation not truly knowing if what she was hearing from Lincoln was honesty "...and I invite you all in this room to join me in joining Miss Carrington on our road to great wealth and accolades as we become the Hands of God".
As he broke his smug look allowing a smile to spread the room erupted in discussion among the people present.
Lincoln nodded to his PA Ruth who quickly stepped up brandishing a camera ready to take a photo that would soon be destined for PR purposes. "Smile" Lincoln hinted to Clarissa as he half posed, their hands still locked in a handshake he wasn't prepared to drop till it was needed. "You can thank me later" he remarked to her out the side of his mouth; the overall din in the room making it inaudible to anyone but her.
