​     Whoa. The next room was just about as big as the auditorium he'd just left. Again, slot machines lined every wall. The center of this hall, however, was taken up with a stage, a theater in the round kind of deal. No one stood onstage at the moment, however. Instead, rock music played over the loudspeakers, music that maybe a dozen dancers undulated to. A smorgasbord was set up so everyone could load up their plates as much as they wanted. And, yes, Crystal was right. Adam saw plenty of meat, chicken, beef, ham, seafood, every kind of vegetable imaginable. It amused Adam to see all those people in clothes costing a small fortune sidling up to fill their plates with steaming, great smelling free food. A lot of people still crowded around the windows to watch the Skymaster rise to the stars. From their perspective, it seemed like it was the Earth that moved, that slowly slid away from the Skymaster rather than the other way around. No rocking or swaying whatsoever. Adam saw an elderly man with a cane, some old school billionaire, Adam assumed, and he had no problem traversing the hall. In each corner of this auditorium, Adam saw liquor bars and hosts handing out drink after drink to a long line of the very wealthy. 

     "Grab a plate," Crystal said. "I'll watch you eat."

     "No no, I'll watch him eat," said another female, an unfamiliar female, at least to Adam. He didn't recognize her voice at all. He turned. 

​     Well, she certainly is beautiful, he thought, whoever she is. I wonder why I've never seen her before?

​     Tall. Ultra thin. Raven black hair. Very self-controlled.

     Well, we'll just see what we can do about this, he thought.  

                                               CONTINUE