5
The moment we entered the room, I was assailed by the stench of stale sweat and too many people. One scan of the room confirmed exactly why that was the case.
Everywhere I looked, there was another person. And all of them were staring at me and the woman. Who was she? No one had even referred to her by name while I'd been here.
She walked through the crowd, watching them part for her. With nothing else for it, I followed, walking the requisite two paces behind, even though it was hard to be so strict. With so many people watching, it didn't seem like a good idea to break her rules. None of them looked as if they were about to help me. Far from it. Several glared at me with expressions which made my skin crawl.
The woman pointed to a spot on the floor just in front of a raised dais. I
