She came through the door fully. The rest came in behind her. They spread out without saying a word, like they'd rehearsed it.
One headed straight for the guild bench side. He pulled out the chair of a man already sitting there and sat down. The man stood up. I don't think he decided to stand. His body just did it. He stayed there beside his own chair like he'd forgotten the next step.
Another went toward the hearth end. She studied the chairs for a while. Then she moved one. Looked at it. Moved another.
The third stayed just inside the door. He looked at the room the way someone looks at a room they're already planning to rearrange.
The council chair had been in the middle of a sentence. It stopped.
Every head in the room turned.
"Excuse me," the council chair said.
She walked to the counter.
"I said excuse me."
