Shepherd Creed

But Shepherd was fascinated by the place. It was like all the riches of the world had been poured in there, but in a contradictory way. The gold and mirrored decoration of the place and the tunes of the band were impeccable, but the club had an air of seaminess. There were rich and powerful men hobnobbing with beautiful women, but it was filled with a kind of boozy laughter. The carpet was thick rich crimson but downtrodden into paths; the ash trays were always full; the voices were as coarse as the crystal was delicate. It was a world of the money and power of this part of the state and the capitol, all reflected to a grotesque in the silverware.