The water on the loading platform had not dried. The crates were carried off one by one.
When they reached the last crate, its wheel sank into a gap between the boards. They pried it loose with a bar before pushing it out.
Kiyoshi followed the group off the ship and glanced at the shore first.
A canopy stood onshore, open on all four sides.
The lamps inside were already lit.
A man in a short jacket approached, holding a rolled-up list.
Someone followed behind him and lifted the curtain at the canopy entrance.
"The lord of the city has prepared a welcoming banquet for you all."
Kiyoshi made a mental note of that.
Once the man finished speaking, his eyes counted through the group, from the front to the back.
Only after finishing his count did he roll up the list and tuck it into his sleeve.
Tables stood beneath the canopy.
White cloths covered them, new ones, with stones weighing down all four corners.
All the food had been served. Fish, meat, and a green fruit he did not recognize covered the tables.
A slip of paper lay weighted down at each place. Everyone's seat had been assigned.
He turned that over in his mind. In his years in sales, clients had never assigned seats when treating people to a meal.
You had to find your own seat. Arrive too late, and you ate standing up.
Kakashi stood at the canopy entrance without going inside.
"...I'll pass. The crew is still waiting."
With that, he headed toward the snowfield.
The Liaison Officer stayed where he was, lowered his head, and added a mark to the list. When he looked up again, his smile was unchanged.
Sandayu stood at the canopy entrance without sitting down, his board tucked beneath