Chapter 6

She turned, and saw a door, and walked out of it.

The helpful egress led to a balcony, mercifully deserted, wide and built of opal-veined stone. Not true stone, she concluded, professionally assessing: manufactured, though that didn’t make it unreal. A compromise of sorts between realities.

She looked up, and through all the lights of the cities that shrouded Home in garish glare, she caught a glimpse of far-off stars. And despite the headache and the too-sweet champagne she found herself wanting to smile back at them.

There proved to be someone else on the balcony after all. A man, neither tall nor short, dressed fairly simply, and leaning on the faux-stone wall, looking out at the light-display under the shimmer of the dome.

Kit wandered over to lean next to him, because it genuinely was the best view. After a second, he looked up, startled, and then smiled. “Not enjoying the festivities?”