We were not the first to arrive at Charlie’s. Poul and Karen Anderson were there, Shelly and Paul and the rest of the staff, Quina of course, and a man I mistook at first for Jim Benford but who turned out to be Milton Wolf. Everybody was out on the deck, and a fine spread was inside, Bagels, cream cheese and lox, bread, ham, pastrami, birthday cake, bagel chips, truffles, and chocolate spears.

More and more people arrived. Bob Silverberg and Karen Haber, Lisa Goldstein and her husband, Jay Sheckley with newly purpled hair, accompanied by her teenage son, who was wearing Jay’s pet python, Jay’s new husband, Jack Rems… The snake, which was quite docile, was a hit with everyone but Charlie.

Milton Wolf is an outgoing, solid man in his forties, with traces of sharp good looks. At various times he took each of us aside to talk about Charlie. He talked a great deal with Carolyn, who was eager to tell him what she knew and give advice, much less with Faren, who was less eager, and some with Shelly and me. I don’t think we told him anything he hadn’t already learned.

Before the evening was done, Liz Lynn, Karen Joy Fowler, and Pat Murphy had arrived. I think I caught a glimpse of Jim Benford looking a little sour and putting his shoes on next to the hearth.

If Jim Benford was putting his shoes on, it meant he was leaving. Charlie always required everyone to remove their footwear before coming in (the one exception I know of was Lucius Shepard), and at his parties there were always rows of shoes lining the little corridor from this front door.