It was only a short drive to The Village from Jinnah's house. Orchid pulled the Vampire between two houses and parked it. He walked slowly from the alley then went to the house on his right and looked into one of the windows. He saw it was dark inside and continued on. He entered the building across the street.

Orchid inhaled as he came through the door, closed his eyes for a moment as the smoke and strong smell of coffee filled his nostrils. He scanned the room then, and smiled when he saw whom he was looking for. Morpheus was sitting at a nearly hidden table at the back of the coffee house with some friends of theirs.

Orchid walked toward their table, passing Eleni Sandrunner-Lightfoot on his way and touching her shoulder. She was the matriarch of the two joined tribes of Wolfbreed that lived in Karachi, and when she wasn't administrating from the Villa she was in her husband's coffee house gossiping. She turned and waved, and Orchid smiled as he sat across the low table from Morpheus.

Orchid glanced about to the others, his own friend Miko who was an Asian Vampyre; her young fledgling Laila; an Anglo-Indian singer whom Morpheus was good friends with, Jaya Tagore; and their new friend  the pretty, young, Arab-Indian Halfangel, Zulfikar Rahman. They had a game of Parcheesi on the table and it seemed Zulfikar was the one not playing. He sat back smoking a pipe as he watched the others. He grinned at Orchid.

Orchid smiled then looked at Morpheus. He didn't return Orchid's gaze but rolled the die then moved one of his pawns.T hen Morpheus looked up, pushing midnight blue hair from his forehead. He wore a silver nosering and chain that connected with his earring, and he looked especially exotic even though there were other Halfangels and piercings to be seen. "Went to see Vicky?" he asked.

Orchid laughed. "She still doesn't quite get it."

Eleni's husband Ibrahim came to their table and asked Orchid if he wanted a drink. The large man smiled at the others one by one as he waited on Orchid. They sat in his coffee house for hours on most days and they tipped well, even though he treated them like family. "Tall glass of Red Rabbit, no need to warm it," Orchid said.

"Rabbit's blood, cold, no problem," Ibrahim said, "Becoming your regular."

"I suppose it is," Orchid said. He felt Morpheus' foot sliding up his leg hidden beneath the table and he gazed across the table into Morpheus' dark eyes. "We don't have too much time before the show tonight."

"Nope," Morpheus said.

"I'm going," said Zulfikar rising just enough so that he could move closer to Orchid and also pull one of his feet up under him. "I always like your shows."

"I'll be going," Laila said slowly.

"Not too many women show up usually," Orchid laughed.

"Someone I know is going there," Laila said.

----------------------

Secret: Zulfi's pipe is probably by mostly-legal prescription.