I have endeavored to keep these events as sequential as possible to avoid confusion. This effort has been hampered, however, by the sketchy nature by which the facts have been reported to me-directly or indirectly-as well as by the previously noted timelessness of life in the casinos. Much of the difficulty in chronicling the company’s arrival on Lorelei is due to the fact that its undercover members were traveling as individuals by a wide variety of transports independent of the “official” group, and were establishing their presence both before and after the company’s formal, publicized entrance.
Often, my only clue as to “what happened when” is by chance passing reference to an event known to me, or which, by simple logic, would have had to take place prior to an event which I was aware of.
Such was the case regarding Chocolate Harry’s arrival …
Although Lorelei was known mostly for its famous Strip, which ran down the center of the station for its entire circumference, there were back streets as well. These housed the businesses necessary to keep the casinos operating, such as laundries and warehouses, as well as the hole-in-the-wall hotels where the minimum-wage employees made their homes. Also found here were the mini-hospitals and pawnshops, carefully hidden away to avoid reminding the space station’s visitors of the less frivolous side of life on Lorelei. This off-Strip area, though lighted adequately by normal standards, always seemed dark in comparison to the gaudy light displays along the Strip proper, and tourists needed no warnings to give it wide berth, clinging instead to the better-traveled areas which clamored for their attention and money.