The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Binny had seen some amazing things in her time in the Stacks, but nothing prepared her for the sheer spectacle of dinner with Trimalchio.

The structure under which they ate was massive. Corinthian columns lined the perimeter like redwoods. Large round tables were placed every few yards surrounded by large couches on which diners reclined as they ate.

The tables were covered in all manner of food. There were sausages on little silver grates resting on top of dishes that were filled with what looked like plums and pomegranate seeds. Binny thought it looked a little like fake coals and fire.

There were dishes of olives – white and black in equal amounts. Some sort of meat covered in honey and poppy seed dressing was served on silver plates. Big silver goblets were filled with a cloudy orange liquid. It looked like apple cider.

But all these were on the edges of each table. In the centers were twelve dishes arranged in the shape of the zodiac. Binny didn’t recognize everything but a few of the dishes made perfect sense. There was steak for Taurus, fish for Pisces, and a scale with two perfectly balanced desserts for Libra. Binny didn’t recognize the rest, but it was all quite extravagant.

Binny wended her way through the festivities. None of the food spoke to her. She had such a nervous stomach, that she couldn’t guarantee keeping down even a single bite. But more than that, she had more important things to do than eat. She was on a mission.

As Binny walked, she wondered where all her friends, both old and new, were. Everyone had a job to do, distributing their copy of the book to someone who hadn’t read it. And everyone was supposed to disperse as far as they could to make it hard for the Keepers to catch them all. Binny didn’t recognize a single face, but reminded herself that everyone was spread out, so she shouldn’t worry.

Binny spotted what she was looking for in the very center of the space – a small stage. On each side, roaring fires burned in the cups of chalices large enough for giants to drink from. Binny assumed Two had been on it leading everyone in their pre-meal ritual. But now it was empty. Binny’s heart beat even faster as she made a bee-line for it.

And then, Binny was there. She stood on the podium. She had a clear view of the entire space. There must be thousands of people dining in this one space – maybe even ten thousand in this one building. 

Binny stood savoring the moment – gently frozen. She was above everyone and right in the midst of them and nobody even gave her a second thought. At least at first they didn’t. But gradually, diners nearby started noticing she was standing there. They told others, and soon it spread like wildfire. The bustle of the dining hall soon quieted down. A thousand pairs of eyes stared at Binny, wondering what she was doing.

Binny saw One approaching the podium from a distance. It spurred her into action. Binny started to speak.

“Hello. My name is Binny Jordan. Most of you don’t know me. But I have something important to tell you tonight.”

The acoustics of the room were perfect. Binny’s voice carried to every corner. People had even stopped eating.

“I only arrived here a couple of months ago. And at first, I was amazed, and thrilled. This place felt, well, magical. There were so many of you I was dying to meet. So many places I never would have gotten to visit. And so many wonderful books to read.” Binny smiled.

The crowd laughed quietly in understanding.

“But then, something felt, well, not quite right. The more time I spent here, the more I sensed an underlying sadness. This perfect place, wasn’t quite as perfect as I had been led to believe.”