The high vaulted ceilings brought a certain richness to the sound that reached his ears and he paused. Joy. Being sung by voices that meant every nuance, every syllable. It was music that didn't belong in these gaudy gilded halls where the government was so acutely separated from the people it served. But there it was and for a moment his expression was soft as he recalled how even he had once belonged to a choir, had once released the love in his heart through voice, through music. A name passed his lips, an unbidden whisper.
It had been an unrequited love.
His features hardened as he remembered why he no longer sang, and he started again towards the other side of the building. He slowed as he passed through the rotunda and saw a crowd swaying silently as they gathered around the choir he'd already heard. A demonstration against current legislation, he easily determined from the signs and propaganda T-shirts. The song ended and the choir immediately began another. He quickened his step and shifted his tie.
His appointment was waiting for him and he couldn't smoke again until he left the building.