She was standing in an executive office. Rich, neutral-tone carpet on the floor, sourceless lighting illuminating objets d'art on the windowless walls. The room was dominated by a large desk of dark wood, clear except for a pen and pencil set and what looked like a clock-calculator. Behind it was a comfortable-looking leather chair. It was the kind of office that might be found on the upper floors of any corporate or government edifice, anywhere on the continent—or in the world, for that matter.