Part 50 (1/2)

Let me have an adventure while I'm over there, she prayed. Let me

meet someone. Let something really unusual happen, okay?

She hadn't been in the city herself in six or eight months. You tended not

to, without some special reason. If only she could park the old man for a

couple of hours and go off to have some fun, see the clubs, maybe check

out the new styles, meet someone lively. But that wasn't going to

happen. She had to stick close by Uncle James. At least she was here,

a perfect day, blue sky, warm breezes blowing. The city was where

everything that was of any interest in Northern California went on, It was

the capital of the Empire of San Francisco, and the Empire was the

center of the action, Everything else was small-time, even if the small-time

places wanted to give themselves fancy names: the Republic of Monterey, the

Free State of Mendocino, the Royal Domain of San Jose. Once upon a

time, of course, it had all been a lot different.

”San Francisco,” Carlotta said. ”Here we are, Uncle!”

They came off the bridge at the downtown off-ramp. There were bright

banners everywhere, the imperial colors, green and gold. Crowds were in