A Party Like No Other

The time was a quarter past half past to twelve on the second from last day at the beginning of the month in the year twenty-twenty-soon, and all was quietly loud. The dancing had only just stopped after a night of sitting still and food piled up on the empty tables. Jugglers had danced telling their jokes and magicians sung their impersonations. People mingled on their own while loners chatted in small groups of large numbers. The party was starting just how it had ended and the guests were now arriving after clearing out slowly; hangers-on and lingerers had been the first to leave with late-comers having turned up too early and many of the uninvited empty-handedly bearing gifts. It had certainly been a night that day, a party like no other!