18
I HAD HOPED FOR a thunderous roar of voices after my speech ended. Gamra meetings were often like that: people who agreed or disagreed would go into shouting matches.
But today, people merely applauded—they didn’t even do so with particular enthusiasm—and left their seats to go for lunch.
I had expected people to come up to me to ask questions, or dispute me or thank me. A few people glanced in my direction, but they didn’t come to me or say anything.
Would no one even congratulate me, no matter how perfunctory, on the speech? It was all very strange.
“Let’s go,” I said to Thayu, who stood watching the people stream out the door.
As I was putting my reader away, Margarethe came past, flanked by her guards. She met my eyes. I greeted her, but she just nodded and kept walking.
Well
