"Not so long as you go into it thinking of defense first," Benevenuta says, thoughtful, warming her hands around her teacup. "We on this Council - broken down to simplest parts, we ultimately want the same things. You will never succeed if you come to each meeting prepared to defend yourself. You persuade your colleagues that your position does not need to be defended. You want their understanding and their support - to be able to work with them."