F-237-Lia: Secretariat Building, Private Dining Room

Crofton does not speak but deepens his nod in response to her thanks.

The Majordomo remains impassive, true to his role.  He trails them to the table.

The dining room itself is a split-level design.  The main floor has some lounge chairs and a few low tables scattered about, but the dining tables are each raised up a few steps on platforms of different sizes surrounded with low railings and glass panels.  The décor is natural timber, glass, and muted neutral carpets.  In addition to the usual lighting there are a number of decorative gas flames in glass enclosures, and reflected flame light sparkles off the many glass surfaces.

Distorted shapes of heads and some other bodies are visible at other tables – the place is perhaps a quarter full.  It’s quite quiet in here though, the dining tables don’t spill much sound at all, and the background is filled with a light, unobtrusive, upbeat musical tune.  

In the centre of the lower area is a huge, ornamental clock made of glass, taller than Lia.  But, it does not employ an electronic display, the time segments are class containers, the current task slowly filling with green-coloured sand. 

Farbello leads her to a table on a platform next to the huge window at one end of the room.  Through it, the clear night sky is full of stars above, and the lights of the capital city many storeys below.  

As they reach the steps up to their dining platform he responds to her comment, “I should hope so.”