HH_mirror

It occurred to Stephen that Susan's costume had been sensible in more ways than one. Warding a conversation between them would have been conspicuous in its silence, as he often pointed out; the room was large and crowded with other partygoers, though by no means packed closely enough that someone could unobtrusively come close enough to overhear a quiet intimate discussion over the general din of conversation and canned evil clown laughter; and Susan, wise creature, was wearing a veil, which forestalled the possibility of an especially keen observer reading her lips. Stephen, of course, wore no veil, but was quite experienced at clandestine conversation in a world where warding conversations was unthinkable because impossible. In its own way, carrying on a discussion like this one was best done in a setting like this one.

"He also has a friend here now, this d'Eath, who tells me they studied together at this Guild, some sort of graduate work. Oddly enough, d'Eath said I reminded him of Teatime." Stephen still found this bemusing, not to say a bit insulting. "I do not recall your ever mentioning the fellow, but he will be one to watch for. There is, too, the matter of Mr Teatime's former lover, Mr C, the other caretaker. You may or may not have known before, or remember now, that they have had something of a publicly rancorous falling-out. Whether that means you have less to fear from him, or more, I cannot guess."