<strong>Amanda</strong><br/><br/>The stuffed elephant was silent during the entire trip towards the Hotel Olympique. Perhaps it enjoyed the tour; perhaps it was brooding or just doing what plush animals usually do. With some of them, you never could tell.<br/><br/>The hotel lights blinked invitingly against the night sky and as Amanda walked up the five steps leading towards the entrance, the large glass doors opened obligingly. A night clerk sat behind an ornate reception desk to her right. He raised his gaze and smiled.  “Nice to see you tonight, Miss Kyleson.”<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/SLCCCHH/media/images/photo_gallery/SLCCCHH_Hilton_Salt_Lake_City_Center_gallery_meetings_grndblrmfoyer_large.jpg)</div>To her left lay a spacious hallway leading towards the SLCIC conference rooms. Two white doors on either side led to smaller rooms where kindred of rank convened at certain nights. At the far end the hallway angled towards the right and opened into a sumptuous foyer, dotted by small marble-topped tables flanked by comfy chairs. A Steinway & Sons piano stood in an alcove to the left. Near the piano stood Hayden Moreau, a Tremere, engaged in seemingly pleasant conversation with a Toreador of formidable reputation. Antoinette Courvoisier was well known for her talent to ridicule and was as much feared as she was respected.<br/><br/>At the far end near the open double doors leading to the SLCIC conference room was Anton Zolic. The Brujah Primogen's voice betrayed his slavic accent as he spoke to two kindred Amanda didn't know. "He did what?!" Anton waved his arms. "Idiots!" He whipped out a cell phone, waved to his companions with one hand, beckoning them to stay and stalked past Amanda towards one of the hallway doors, disappearing inside. The other two looked uncomfortable until one shrugged.<br/><br/>"Out of our hands now", he commented.<br/><br/>"Pavel's brought it upon himself." The other agreed.<br/><br/>Their gaze turned towards Amanda, they exchanged a glance and one nudged the other, tilting his head towards the open double doors. With a last glance at Amanda, the two headed inside. Beyond the double doors lay the main conference room of the SLCIC, declared elysium by the late Roger Fitzpatrickfrom Clan Ventrue and reinstated by the current Prince.