"Business is good," Hammond butted in, "This putrid city has an endless supply of...pests."  He takes out a handkerchief and neurotically wipes his hands of nonexistent filth.  At the mention of Georgie, Hammond visibly flinched.  "I'd choose the Farm any day, the man runs a cesspool." He wiped his hands more vigorously, seeing if anyone else wanted to talk about their professions.

[hr]
Antoinette hauled another crate of beer to the bar.  Looking around, she could see that the bar was well stocked, enough to last the rest of the event.  She had volunteered to help out at the ball, at least, 'volunteered' in the sense that she had demanded some compensation for her time and effort.  Before the ball began, she had been helping with set up, decorating, placing tables and chairs, etc.  With her work done until clean up time after the ball was over, Antoinette sat down a bit away from the dance floor.  She silently disapproved of the festivities.  Many who attended struggled with their daily lives and should be spending their time improving them instead of forgetting their worries.  There was also the ever-present threat of the Adversary coming to this world; a ball such as this was indicative of the community's lack of preparedness for such an eventuality. [i]"They're all going to die like that dumb grasshopper,"[/i] she thought to herself.