23
IT WAS VERY BUSY at the compound of the military base.
A number of craft had already arrived; I assumed they had come either from the city or from some kind of space settlement.
When we got out of the craft, we were met by someone from Asha’s household whom I recognised from our earlier visit there.
To my question where Asha was, he said he was unsure, but we would surely see him later.
“Can you tell him that I need to speak with him urgently?”
“Sure.”
I wanted to warn him of the impending arrival of groups of people who had not been invited. Security was already tight and nervous. However, I had no great hopes of actually speaking to Asha before the ceremony. Asha was a law onto himself.
The man told us to go into the building, and if we needed to, freshen up, and maybe it was
