The hall wasn’t crowded, and he didn’t see anyone he knew. Just as well; acquaintances would have demanded acknowledgment. He didn’t feel like making new friends yet, either; so he looked for a table as far away from people as he could get. Spotting one in a nook near the empty buffet station, he headed that way, targeting the seat that would give him the best view of the hall’s big screen. From the snatches he heard as he walked, there was a news program on—weather just now, but they’d likely follow with at least the headlines. He’d missed several days of what was going on in the world and needed catching up.