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- 57 -
Shae had never seen the gardens around the Council buildings so busy, nor so full of smiles and expectation.
Even though her official invite had granted her access through a different entrance than the main one, where queues even now stretched far down the street, Shae had still been required to wait, surrounded by a sea of excited chatter. The security check had been relatively thorough, although not as intensive as the searches carried out on randomly selected individuals at the main entrance.
Shae moved through the throngs of party-goers, some of whom had started their personal celebrations earlier in the morning, and were already sloshing their drinks over their hands as they slurred their words. It wouldn’t surprise Shae if many required a sharp-drink later, to stave off
