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«Hi!»

      «I know a great costume.» Marina grabbed some clothes and held them out to David. He could do nothing but put them on.

      Here were wide Turkish trousers, a redingote and musketeers hat. David tied around his waist a scarf belt fitted with a fake saber. Everybody gasped, as he looked exactly like a pirate captain.

      «Are you happy now?» David asked with sarcasm.

      «Yes, I am,» Marina murmured inaudibly. She recalled the many books she had read as a teenager. In these stories, females often changed into male costumes to be with their beloved men. Now she did the same, and Marina chuckled to herself seeing her plan work.

      Busy with his outfit, Jeff did not notice when everybody left. His colleague’s son helped him with the helmet, then went away also, and only the director of the play was left.

      The show had begun.

      Hiding behind the curtains, Jeff watched for a while, then grew bored. He peeked through the opening between the panels looking for Vera. He saw her sitting in the fifth row at the edge, and, smiling, he kept his eyes on only her.

      «Go, go.» The whisper of the director took Jeff by surprise, and almost running he went to the stage, barely remembering his words.

      «Your Majesty!» he pronounced solemnly, as he slowed, walking now toward the twin thrones. «Be ready for anything!»

      The helmet severely limited his view, and when he stumbled over something, Jeff did not realize what had happened. He fell, but being a well-trained professional, he skillfully rolled and sprang up at once. The policeman did it automatically, as if avoiding a bullet, but it seemed so showy and spectacular that when he got to his feet he heard a delighted «Wow!» run through the hall.

      And no one noticed the comedy of the situation: that real armor would never allow one to move so effortlessly.

      But the episode had another fate than to end like this. The stage was not big, and getting up Jeff bumped into something and involuntarily sat… straight onto the lap of the «queen».

      The hall fell silent for a second, then a common guffaw shook the walls. Jeff got up, bowed to the «royal couple», and said, «I told you, Your Majesty, to be ready for anything!»

      He listened with pleasure as the audience gives him an ovation and whistles of approval.

      «I saved the day,» Jeff thought placing himself behind the thrones.

      The play took its course and soon finished.

      As all of the cast members took their bows, David VanStein picked up a microphone.

      «Thank you for your attention,» he said, addressing the audience. «Thank you for your play.» He turned toward the actors. The spectators applauded, and the players bowed.

      «Dear friends,» continued David, looking out into the hall. «Happy Halloween. Enjoy the party.»

      The music struck up, while everybody talked and moved the chairs aside, placing them along the walls and making a space for dancing.

      Remembering his fall, Jeff went into the hall stepping very carefully. The costume hid his entire body, even the hands, and he wanted to put Vera to a test, to check her feelings for him.

      In the middle of the hall the people started dancing. It appeared they all danced together, but one who looked with attention could see that almost everybody had separated into couples.

      Marina was next to David. As she had correctly guessed, her male costume threw him off, and the professor lost his careful manner.

      Forgetting his decision to be cautious when communicating with her, David was talking to Marina with an amicable frisky tone, as if she were a real boy. He was telling open-minded jokes. Sometimes he gave her a friendly push and tapped her shoulders and back. Enjoying his treatment, Marina thought, panting: «God, is it a dream? Yes, yes, a wonderful sweet dream.»

      «So, cadet,» David winked. «Are you ready for adventures?»

      «For you, my captain,» she answered, exhilarated and jocund. «I’m ready for anything!»

      This phrase reminded them of the play, and they laughed, glancing at Jeff Menard as he slowly passed them. Keeping his eyes on Vera dancing in the group, but without a partner, Jeff joined the dance, and addressed her. «Hi!»

      Wearing a simple long dress, she looked like a noblewoman from the Early Middle Ages, and her paleness harmonized with this image. It corresponded with his costume.

      «Perfect match,» Jeff thought.

      The woman looked at him. «Have we met each other?»

      «Yep.» Jeff watched her. She did not give away any emotion.

      «Dear Beautiful Lady.» Jeff bowed. «Would you be merciful to me, allowing me to be your gallant servant at this party?»

      «Okay,» she replied so coldly that if Jeff did not already have feelings for her, he would have given up all his efforts.

      «Was your falling part of the play?» she asked. «Or just an accident?»

      «Sometimes when you fall,» Jeff said in a cordial voice, «it’s difficult to know if it was just an accident, or the Hand of your Fate.» He saw Vera did not understand, and he explained. «I mean falling in love. With someone.»

      Her features were still showing boredom, and she looked at her watch.

      «I have to go soon,» Vera said icily. «My husband is going to pick me up.»

      «Soon?» Upset, Jeff suddenly felt stifled inside the helmet, and he opened the visor.

      «You!» Grach gasped, and Jeff could not believe his eyes, as a joyful smile lit up her face. «It was not nice to trick me like that.»

      «Sorry,» he murmured.

      «Why you didn’t tell me about you were going to take part in the play?»

      «I wanted to surprise you.»

      «You surely have done it.» Throwing frolicsome glances his way, Vera was dancing, curving her body like a snake, and an enchanted Jeff could only stare at her.

      «Vera!» they heard, and, seeing how she instantly lost all spirits and became confused, Jeff understood at once who called her even before he slowly turned toward the door and saw Oleg peeping into the hall.

      Smiling, Oleg said a few phrases in Russian. Vera lowered her head and quickly whispered, «Bye Jeff.» She, then almost ran to her husband.

      Jeff stood still. He had known she was married, but, for the first time, he realized, realized with all his soul, what it meant, and the hopeless horror of the situation struck him.

      This cocksure, red-headed white man with the self-satisfied grin took away his darling woman, took her away as was his right. Jeff saw Oleg hug his wife and leave with her. Jeff imagined how at home they would make love, and, suffocating, he tore the helmet off.

      He looked over his costume and got embarrassed. This disguise, his acting in the play, seemed to Jeff now as a boyishly stupid deed.

      «You looked like a fool,» he said to himself, and left the party.

      The cold rain with snow lashed him outside the building, and as he struggled through the raging gusts of the storm, Jeff felt as if he were part of a real black Sabbath, and raving witches were trying to tear him into pieces.

      Chapter 5: Lana

      The best friend of Vlad, Ruslan Grafinsky, had arrived yesterday, and it was the first time he had visited an American bar. When they entered, he looked around with curiosity.

      Vera’s husband remembered Ruslan from Moscow, and he suggested celebrating Ruslan’s arrival, but Vera refused to go with them, as she had to work on a project. So Ruslan, Oleg, and his American pal, Nicholas, went together. Although Oleg had lived in this

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