There could hardly have been a greater concentration of famous and influential people gathered at the Hall of Archangels than there was tonight.
The constant clicking of cameras had become almost impossible to distinguish from the relentless flashes of light bursting across the courtyard, and for nearly an hour the reporters had continued taking photographs without showing the slightest intention of stopping. Every arrival was considered worthy of attention, no matter how minor the person might seem at first glance. In fact, those fortunate enough to have been granted permission to remain within the courtyard had been encouraged to photograph practically everything they could, because even the most ordinary-looking picture might turn out to contain something interesting once they returned to their offices and examined the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of photographs they had taken.
