The auction house was packed by the time they arrived.
It was a single vast chamber, domed and tiered sky-high, with a thousand audience seats arranged in a wide arc that curved around a floating auction platform suspended at the center. The platform hovered without support, slowly rotating so every angle of every item could be seen from anywhere in the room. Soft white light pooled over it. The rest of the hall sat in deliberate dimness, keeping all eyes on the stage.
