Lady Hue escorted me out of the hall and into a backroom.
It wasn't empty. Scattered across crimson sofas, a dozen or so figures sat in careful isolation, legs crossed, hands folded, the kind of stillness that looked practiced. Some sat alone. A few in pairs, leaning close enough to whisper but never quite touching. Every one of them wore a mask. Fox faces. Oni faces. One that looked disturbingly like a green man, though I doubted they called it that here.
None of them looked up when I entered.
I followed Lady Hue past all of them without a word, through another door, into a second lounge. This one was empty. She turned to face me.
"You can wait here. From this room you'll hear the auction as it proceeds. I'll register your items and return to join you while you await the results."
I nodded and took a seat. She continued toward the back door without another glance.
For a moment, everywhere was silent.
