"Mom! Dad! Look over there!"
A tiny voice pierced the morning air, bright and loud enough to rival the fireworks overhead.
A child, probably no older than six, was bouncing in place while tugging on her parents' sleeves with all the urgency of someone who had discovered a new galaxy.
Her eyes were completely round, her mouth hanging open as her little finger pointed sharply at the sky.
Above them, daytime smoke-shell fireworks burst in brilliant swirls. Reds, blues, golds, and shimmering silver spiraled outward like painted comet tails. The air crackled with the unmistakable sound of celebratory explosions.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
People roared in excitement. Cheers rolled over the crowd like a tidal wave. Claps, whistles, and ecstatic shouting filled the streets lining the entrance plaza of the Imperial Summit Exhibition Center.
