Heading to their first goal, Napoleon II guided Elisabeth through the crowds, wading in-between spaces.
He kept one hand slightly raised, not touching her, just enough to signal direction. People adjusted without complaint. A step aside here. A pause there. The flow bent and closed behind them.
Napoleon II angled them toward the center of the building.
Elisabeth noticed the change first. The ceiling rose higher. Light poured down from above through a wide opening that revealed another level.
"There's a second floor," she said.
"There are three," he replied. "We'll start with the second."
As they approached the opening, she slowed.
People were lining up in an orderly row. Not for a counter. Not for a cashier. They stood facing a wide moving structure made of metal steps.
The steps were… moving.
They rose steadily, one after another, carrying people upward.
"What is that?" she asked.
Napoleon II glanced at it, then back at her. "An escalator."
