Turning off the main road, you walk down through the crowds to a narrow alleyway. You step in. Suprisingly clean and well lit, you make your way to the end, where it opens up onto a pleasant courtyard. Small benches line the interior circle, facing a tall illuminated fountain in the center, all surrounded by tall, thin pines. The air is a bit fresher here, and you note that the smooth, concrete floors have been replaced here by worn cobbles. The normal electric lamps have been replaced with cast-iron gas lamps.

Welcome to the Cirque De Lune, or the Circle of the Moon.

The outer ring is composed of numerous small cafés, and many people are sitting, talking, and eating. A much calmer atmosphere prevailes here, unlike the tension of the rest of the city. There are four passages leading out of the courtyard, one leading back to the city proper, another leading to the street of small shops, one more leading away to the entertainment district, and the last leading to the rougher streets containing the numerous private groups, organisations, and movements.