“We were in a room the size of a small town, drenched in gold—gold statues, gold wall hangings, gold plates, gold silverware…all gleaming under the light of a dozen gold chandeliers.
There was a raised stage in the middle of the room, surrounded by big round tables set for ten. A couple hundred guests, all elegantly dressed and much older than us, milled around while servants in crisp uniforms snaked through the group, offering trays of fizzy red drinks in long-stemmed glasses.
I was the only non–band member who’d been allowed to tag along. As I watched the adults stare at us, I thought to myself that it was a good thing Salo had made us all take baths and buy new clothes. We still stuck out, but at least we smelled okay.
After we’d spent a few minutes standing around like awestruck cows, a palace official in a high-collared suit appeared and began to herd everyone into a line starting at the door.
Once we were all lined up, the official bellowed an announcement, and Li Homaya entered the room.
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