Sectional sofas line three walls; a semi-circular bar bulges out from the fourth. Tables between the sofa sections are all fitted with deluxe telecoms. A tridscreen two meters broad fills the wall over the bar. The atmosphere is informal, but not without significance. The large floor-to-ceiling window at one end of the room provides a view of Manhattan's Lower East Side, often described as "The Pit." Perhaps the most violent, uncontrolled district anywhere on the island. Machiko wonders if the choice of views is deliberate. If this is intended as a message to her.