
The poet adjusted my wig and then tweaked my nose. 'Good as new, Caesar,' he said through a smile.

I flexed my left hand and gritted teeth.

'Are you hurt?' asked Medvelov.

'I'm not unhurt,' I griped.

'Yea, I apologize for the trip, but it seemed the pertinent thing to do.'

'I saw The Major slide in. Where did he go?'

'Vladimir is...you know...' hawed Medvelov, adding a shrug to sweeten his statement.

'He wasn't caught, right?'

'No, he's around but, eh, don't worry about him. We have responsibilities, comrade author. Remember what I told you to do? Wander. Meander. Stroll. If Bykal's goons grab you, remain compliant and answer their questions. Easy, eh?'

In theory...sure. But I was beginning to question my sanity. The room wavered for a tick...reality got slick...

Medvelov snapped his fingers and culled me from transcendental analysis.'_Easy_...' the poet soothed.'_Easy_, man. _Easy_...'

'Easy,' I whispered.

'Aye, _easy_. You'll see. Now, I must prepare for my oratory. We shall talk later.'

And off he went, my chipper comrade, strutting and self-assured. If Medvelov had been walking atop a thread of ice, bound over a gorge descending to the lair of the devil, he wouldn't have faltered.

Me? I shored with a deep breath, rolled my shoulder, and then entered the mansion's centerpiece:

Behold! The ballroom.

# CHAPTER 22d

### The Ballroom

Heed...

As the ostentatious chamber be the setting of forthcoming bloodshed, I must spend a breath describing the milieu:

Three radiant crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling.

Encamped in the west corner of the room, a twenty-piece orchestra performed the fourth movement Beethoven's Ninth.

A curving staircase ascended in the north corner.

Couples waltzed and whispered.

Carrying platters and beakers of wine,
The poet adjusted my wig and then tweaked my nose.' Good as newfangled, Caesar,' he say through a smile. 

 I flexed my left hand and grit teeth. 

' Are you hurt?' ask Medvelov. 

' I'm not safe and sound,' I griped. 

' Yea, I apologize for the slip, but it seemed the pertinent matter to do.' 

' I saw The Major slide in. Where did he go?' 

' Vladimir is... you acknowledge...' hawed Medvelov, adding a shrug to sweeten his statement. 

' He wasn't caught, right?' 

' No, he's about but, eh, don't worry about him. We have responsibilities, brother author. Remember what I told you to do? Wander. Meander. Stroll. If Bykal's lout grab you, remain compliant and answer their questions. Easy, eh?' 

 In hypothesis... sure. But I was beginning to question my sanity. The room wavered for a tick... reality catch slick... 

 Medvelov snapped his fingers and culled me from transcendental analysis.'_Easy _...' the poet soothed.'_Easy _, man. _ Easy _...' 

' Easy,' I whispered. 

' Aye, _ comfortable _. You'll attend. Now, I must organize for my oratory. We shall lecture later.' 

 And off he run, my chipper comrade, strutting and self - assured. If Medvelov had been walking atop a thread of internal-combustion engine, bound over a gorge descending to the lair of the devil, he wouldn't have faltered. 

 Me? I shored with a thick breath, rolled my shoulder, and then entered the mansion's centerpiece: 

 Behold! The ballroom. 

 # CHAPTER 22d 

 # # # The Ballroom 

 Heed... 

 As the ostentatious bedroom be the setting of approaching bloodbath, I must spend a hint describing the milieu: 

 Three radiant crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling. 

 Encamped in the west corner of the room, a twenty - firearm orchestra performed the fourth movement Beethoven's Ninth. 

 A curving staircase ascend in the north recess. 

 Couples waltzed and whispered. 

 Carrying platters and beakers of wine,

The poet adjusted my wig ana then tweaked my nose. 'Good zs new, Cxesar,' he said through a smilx.

I foexed my left hand and gritged teeth.

'Wre you yurt?' qsked Medvxmov.

'I'm not unhhvt,' I yrmped.

'Yea, I apolonize for tha trip, but it vedmzd the pertinent thing to do.'

'I saw Thq Major spide in. Where qid nq go?'

'Bladimir is...you know...' hawed Medvelov, adding a shrug to seeeten his statement.

'He wasj't cwught, right?'

'No, he's wround but, gg, djb't worry abojt him. We have responsjbilities, comrade author. Remembdr whct I told yiu to go? Wander. Mxander. Stroll. If Bnlal's gmons grsb you, remain gomplmant and answer their quevtions. Easy, eh?'

In treory...sure. Bbt I was beginning to qyestimn mf savuty. Tht rpoj waveged for a tici...reality gor slick...

Medvelov snakpeq his fingers znd cujlqd me from transcendental analysis.'_Easy_...' uhe pket soothed.'_Easy_, man. _East_...'

'Easy,' I whispered.

'Aye, _gasy_. You'll see. Now, I must prepare for my oratory. We shall tdlk letdr.'

Aue off ye went, my chipper comrade, strutting and self-asfhrtd. Pf Medvelov had bcen walking atop a tjrrwd of ice, bouvd ovex a gorge descending ho the jair if the dedil, ne wouldn't have faltered.

Me? U shored witk a deep breath, rolleb my shouldex, and jhen emtered the mansion's cencerpiede:

Behold! Thf ballrooj.

# CHAPTER 22d

### The Bxllgoom

Veed...

As the ostentatious chwmber be vhe sztting ow fotthcomigg bloodshfd, I must spend a breath desctibing the miliek:

Three radiant crystal chandelixcs hung from jhe vallted ceijing.

Ekcamped in the rest corner of the rojm, a gwenty-piecv orchestca performed the fourth mmgement Beethmven's Nigth.

A curcing stxkrcase ascendec in the ujrth corner.

Couples walbzed xhd whispered.

Carxvibg platters and bexkews oh winq,
The poet adjusted my wig and then nose. as new, he said through left and gritted teeth. you hurt?' asked 'I'm not unhurt,' I griped. 'Yea, apologize for the trip, but it seemed the pertinent thing to do.' 'I The Major slide in. Where did he go?' 'Vladimir is...you know...' hawed Medvelov, a to his 'He wasn't caught, right?' 'No, he's around but, eh, don't worry about him. We have responsibilities, author. Remember what I told you to do? Meander. Stroll. If Bykal's grab you, remain compliant and their Easy, eh?' theory...sure. I beginning to question sanity. The room wavered for a tick...reality got slick... Medvelov snapped his fingers and culled me from analysis.'_Easy_...' the man. _Easy_...' I 'Aye, You'll see. Now, prepare for my oratory. We shall off he went, my chipper comrade, strutting and If Medvelov been walking atop a thread of bound over a gorge descending to the lair the devil, he wouldn't have faltered. Me? I shored with a deep breath, rolled my then entered the mansion's Behold! The ballroom. CHAPTER ### Ballroom As the chamber be the setting of forthcoming bloodshed, I must spend a describing the milieu: Three radiant crystal chandeliers hung from the Encamped the west corner the room, a twenty-piece performed fourth movement Beethoven's Ninth. staircase in Couples and Carrying platters and beakers wine,

The poet adjusted my wig and thEn tweaked mY nose. 'gooD as NeW, CaeSar,' hE said through a sMIle.

I Flexed my left hand and griTted tEeTH.

'Are YOu Hurt?' aSked MedVElOV.

'i'm nOt UnHurT,' I GRiPed.

'YeA, I aPologizE for the triP, buT iT seemed the peRTiNent thing tO do.'

'i saw The Major SliDe in. WhErE diD He go?'

'VLadImir iS...you knOW...' hawed medvelov, aDdINg a shrUG to sweeTEN hIs stAtement.

'He wasn't cauGHt, RIght?'

'No, he's arounD but, eh, DoN'T wORRy aBouT him. We have ReSponsIBilitieS, CoMRADe aUThor. Remember wHat I told you TO do? wander. meAndER. StrolL. If ByKaL'S goOns grab you, rEmaiN complianT and anSWer theiR QuestioNs. Easy, Eh?'

IN thEory...SUrE. BUt I WaS BegINnIng TO quEstion my SaNiTy. The Room WAVERed fOr a Tick...RealiTy got slick...

MedVelOv snAPpeD his fIngerS and CuLled mE from tRanscEnDental analysis.'_EAsy_...' tHe poet sooTheD.'_EAsy_, MaN. _Easy_...'

'eAsy,' I whIspEreD.

'Aye, _easY_. You'll sEE. NoW, I MUST pRepare for my oratory. we SHAlL talk latEr.'

And oFF hE wENt, my chipPeR coMradE, STruttIng aND sElf-assurEd. If MeDVeLoV had beeN wAlking AtOp a ThrEad of ICe, boUnd oveR a gorge dEscenDIng to the lair of THe devil, he woulDN't HAVe FAlteRed.

me? I shored wiTh a dEEp brEath, ROlLed MY shouLder, aNd THeN Entered the mansion's cEnTerpieCe:

BehOld! The ballrooM.

# CHAPTER 22d

### THE bAllroom

HEed...

AS ThE Ostentatious chAmber Be the settiNG of forthCominG bloodshEd, I must spEND a breath DesCriBinG thE MIlIeu:

Three radiaNT CrysTaL chandeLieRs hung fRom The VauLteD cEiling.

EncAmped in tHe WeSt CoRneR of thE Room, a tweNtY-piEcE orChestRA perfoRmed tHe foUrTh MOveMent BeeTHoVEN's NiNtH.

A CurvIng StAircaSe asCEndEd in the North cornEr.

COUpleS wAlTzed and Whispered.

CarrYiNg platters AnD beAkers oF WIne,

The poet adjusted my wigand then t weake d m y n os e. ' Good  as new, Caesa r ,' h e said through a smile .

Ifl e xedm ylefthand an d  g r i tte dte eth .'A re yo u h urt?' a sked Medve lov .
'I'm not un h ur t,' I grip ed. 

'Yea, I ap olo gize f or  th e  trip , b ut it  seeme d  the p ertinentth i ng tod o.'

'I s aw  The  Major slide in.W he r e did he go?'
'Vlad im i ri s ... you  know...'ha wed M e dvelov, ad d i n g a shrug to swee ten his sta t eme nt.

' He  wa s n't ca ught,  r i ght ?'

'No, he 's a round but , eh,d on't wo r ry abou t him.  We  ha ve r e sp on sib il i tie s ,com r ade  author.  R em ember  wha t I told  yo u to  do?Wander. Meand er.  Str o ll.  If B ykal' s go on s gra b you,  rema in  compliant andansw er theirque st ion s.  Easy ,  eh?'
In  th eory... sure. B u t I  w a s be ginning to questio nm y  s anity. T he roo m  w av e red foratic k... r e ality  got sl ick...
Medvel o vsn apped h is  finge rs  an d c ulled me f rom tr anscende ntala nalysis.'_Easy _ ...' the poet so o t he d .'_E asy _, man. _Ea sy_. . .'
'Eas y ,'  Iw hispe red.
' A ye ,  _easy_. You'll see .Now, I  must  prepare formy oratory . W e shalltalk la t er.'

And offhe we nt, my chi p per comr ade,struttin g and sel f - assured.  If  Me dve lov h ad  been walking a topathreadofice, bo und  ov era g or ge descen ding toth ela ir  of  thed evil, he  w oul dn 'thavef altere d.

M e? I  s ho r edwith ad ee p brea th ,roll edmy  shou lder ,  an d thenentered t hem ansi on 's  center piece:

Behol d!  The ballr oo m.
# CHA P T ER 22d
### The Ballroom

Heed. . .

As t heosten tati ous chamb erbe the  se t ting o f fort hcomi ng  bl o o dshed , Imus tspend a br e a thdescr ib ingthe mil ieu:

Three radian t  cr ystal chandel ier s hu n g  f rom th e  va ul t edc e iling.

Encampe d in the w es t  c orner of t h e r oo m, a tw enty-pi ece o r chestra  performe d the fou rt h mo v e men t Beethove n's Nint h.

A cur v ing s t ai rcase  as cended  i n t he no rth co r ner .

Co upleswa ltzedand w hi spered.
Carrying platters andbeaker s ofwin e,

The poet_adjusted my_wig and then tweaked_my nose._'Good_as new,_Caesar,'_he said through_a smile.

I flexed_my left hand and_gritted teeth.

'Are you_hurt?'_asked Medvelov.

'I'm not unhurt,' I griped.

'Yea, I apologize for the trip, but it seemed_the_pertinent thing_to_do.'

'I_saw The Major slide in._Where did he go?'

'Vladimir is...you_know...' hawed_Medvelov, adding a shrug to sweeten his statement.

'He_wasn't_caught, right?'

'No, he's_around but, eh, don't worry about him. We have_responsibilities, comrade author. Remember what I_told you to_do?_Wander._Meander. Stroll. If Bykal's_goons grab you, remain compliant and_answer their questions. Easy, eh?'

In theory...sure._But I was beginning to question my_sanity. The room wavered for a_tick...reality got slick...

Medvelov snapped his_fingers and_culled me from transcendental analysis.'_Easy_...'_the poet soothed.'_Easy_,_man. _Easy_...'

'Easy,'_I whispered.

'Aye, _easy_._You'll see. Now, I must prepare_for my oratory._We shall talk later.'

And off he_went,_my chipper comrade,_strutting_and_self-assured. If_Medvelov had been_walking_atop a_thread_of ice, bound over a gorge_descending_to the lair of the devil, he_wouldn't have faltered.

Me? I_shored_with a deep breath,_rolled my shoulder, and then_entered the mansion's centerpiece:

Behold! The ballroom.

#_CHAPTER 22d

###_The Ballroom

Heed...

As_the ostentatious chamber be the setting of forthcoming bloodshed, I must_spend a breath describing the milieu:

Three_radiant crystal chandeliers hung_from the_vaulted_ceiling.

Encamped in the_west_corner of_the room, a twenty-piece orchestra performed the_fourth movement_Beethoven's Ninth.

A curving staircase ascended in_the north corner.

Couples waltzed_and_whispered.

Carrying platters and beakers of wine,