The crowd impressively large, and was full of the best kind of people. Geeks! Geeks of every shape and age, dressed in the standard uniform of jeans and tshirts emblazoned with computer, science, sf, & anime references, the air filled with conversations about computers, physics, telecomms, and history of the same.
Mr Stephenson wasn't the best reader of his own work, but that's too be expected, especially since apparently this was the very first time he's read AND non-trival length of Quicksilver in public. But we the crowd loved him, the Q&A session went well, and while the signing line was huge, the time passed well.
Afterward, I took Elf home, then took myself home. The neighbor's cat affectionately met me in the parking lot, much to the jealous annoyance of my own guys. Ran thru some piano exercizes, watched the latest epsode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and have now retired to bed, with my laptop on me knees, and a sleeping cat on my lap.