Consciousness crept upon him with a gentle caress. He half opened one eye, content to drift in the realm of semi-sleep. Something soft and silky covered him. His sluggish, lazy mind conjured up an image of a spider web. Spiders! I hate spiders! Jerking upright, he flung off the filthy mess, and watched in befuddlement as a thin silk blanket drifted to a pristine marble-tiled floor. His eyes darted around as he took in his surroundings. He found himself in a spacious room. Ornately carved stone pillars, each with colorful silken curtains dangling from them, reached up to support a high vaulted ceiling. An intricate designed painting stretched across its expanse, depicting winged creatures frolicking amongst clouds. Wide chairs covered in plush pillows lay scattered about the room. These matched the huge, bed-like bench Klain occupied. The blanket, a light blue wisp of fine silk, thrown away in his moment of repulsion, now lay crumpled on the floor.
