Part 9 (1/2)

He felt his heart lurch This was it A first approach The moment for which his father had coached hi He knew the etiquette, kneas being flattered, knew that outside of the vegzet this girl doubtless her social circles Yet that was the point of the vegzet, was it not? A levelling ground that allowed all hosszu eletek to le A tradition, as she had indicated, and one that stretched back hundreds of years He did not find her attractive but that was not the point Tonight was for first introductions It would only be at the next gathering that the in

'Would you not wish to ader?' he asked

'Oh, nonsense with the view The Danube will be there in theIt'll be there a thousand years froed hi his head, heart accelerating, he followed her out of the alcove and into the light As they passed along the wall, the girl paused underneath a gilt wall ornament that held a branch of candles She turned to hier up to his face and tilted his head towards her

Breathless, Lukacs looked into her eyes Around the black of her pupils, her irises were a startling cornflower blue As he watched, he noticed other colours begin to eold He felt blood begin to fizz through his arteries His chest swelled with anticipation

But even as he drank her in, the display faded Still transfixed by what he had seen, Lukacs did not notice the disdain on her face until she asked, 'What's wrong with you? Your eyes They'relifeless'

He felt his face reddening 'It's aa birth defect The rest of me-'

'You're not even hosszu elet!'

'Yes, I am Of course I am It's just that my eyesmy eyes never took No one knohy But the rest' He floundered

'I heard a ruined I'd be tasteless enough to pick hi for friendly faces in the crowd

Lukacs's terabbed her by the arm and twisted her to face him 'How tasteless of me to attract the only filthy kurva in the palace'

The girl curled back her lip, revealing a rohite teeth 'Manners toto punish her, he tightened his grip Beneath his fingers he felt thehis pressure

Lukacs gritted his teeth and squeezed, wanting to hurt her noilling his fingers to force theister on her face 'Filthy kurvak should keep their opinions to the her back towards the recess

An ugly blotch of red had appeared at her throat She took an unwilling step with hiood one' He knew she would not cry out, knew she would do al attention to their sordid little confrontation, even if thatthe pain he was inflicting He increased the pressure on her arainst her lips, and then a hand appeared on Lukacs's shoulder

Sharp fingers sank into hih of this Let go of her this instant'

Lukacs twisted around Three athered behind hi and navy frock coat None of them wore masks

The oldest of the three clutched his shoulder Lines of ageout froether The skin of his throat sagged like a ruined net, but his eyes were clear, strong, furious His fingers clenched and Lukacs suppressed a curse

The elder's voice was a dangerous whisper 'Re on to her a esture of defiance, Lukacs relinquished his grip and the girl shrank away from him Her eyes had lost their scornful expression She watched him noith fear Free, she took a few uncertain steps backwards and lost herself in the crowd

'I can iist of your encounter,' the elder continued, re his hand from Lukacs's shoulder' That's no excuse for your behaviour There is never any excuse for that kind of behaviour You bring shame on your family with your actions I knoho you are I know that you face soood man, an excellent entlemen to march you down to the river and hurl you in We'll overlook this Once Do you understand lared, but when the oldin those eyes that terrified hiallop in his chest He adopted a look of contrition 'Yes Coest you take soht Thankfully there was little audience to witness your perforo Outside The fresh air will bring you back to your senses'

'Thank you, sir I will'

Striding across the floor of the ballroom, Lukacs wanted to tear the ht the i the corridor of kings, down the grand staircase and out into the night air beyond

The girl's reaction had hurt, but he had expected it Jani, with his sarcasm, had at least prepared him What puzzled hi his fingers into her flesh

How many hours had passed? How much had he drunk? Lukacs squinted at the tankard on the scarred wooden table before hiiven him nestled inside his waistcoat pocket, but even as inebriated as he was, he knew better than to take out a valuable object like that in a place such as this The tavern was filled with punters: their noise and their stink and their s partners Markus, that was the first one's na h for over an hour Markus's lady friend Krisztina perched next to hiht In fact, a better as sexual She had an easy, suggestivethe slimness of her hips and the fullness of her breasts Her rich blond hair was tucked under a white cap

After leaving the palace for his prescribed fresh air he had, on a whim, continued down to the river He discovered Markus and Krisztina larking about on the bank They had both been drinking and, after running out of money at the tavern, had decided to take a stroll Lukacs was drunk for the first ti He also had a purse of ement to help him spend it While they initially showed surprise that soh-born would choose to share their cohed any reservations

Lukacs did not have to h any political debate with these two The conversation was degenerate but a, naive but fun He knew they zet night, he told himself drily: social interaction free of the constraints of class His new friendsthe best evening he could reesticulated 'You never told us What was that thing going on up at the palace? That's where you came from, isn't it? You had one of them masks, just like all them others '

'A rand'

'And very dull' Lukacs drained his tankard and slammed it down on the table 'More drink!'

'That's the spirit!' Markus shouted 'But I've got an even better idea Kris, are you game?'

She met Markus's eyes, se 'I a about?'

Markus slapped a hand onto his shoulder 'Lukacs, old friend Have you ever tried opiuh a side door and up a flight of stairs Down a filthy corridor and through a stained curtain, they e rooht, and the air held an astringency he could not identify Mattresses lined each wall, soroups of men, some by couples, a few by individuals Markus found an empty spot and they collapsed down on to a loom On the floor in front of the over them 'How many?'

'Three pipes,' Markus told him Then: 'Well, pay the man, Lukacs!'

He handed over coins froht the pipes A se lay in each bowl Lukacs watched as Markus lit the oil lamp and warmed his pipe in its flame He raised the ste the s back on his elbow

'Your turn'

Lukacs copied his friend's actions, drawing in the vapour and trapping it in his lungs It was a harsh sensation at first, bitter against the back of his throat He breathed out and watched Krisztina light her pipe, giggling at so Markus said to her

They continued to chat, their conversation just as irreverent as before, and the e peace settling over hihout his limbs, and he felt as if his vision had softened He found hi how fortunate he had been to bu and hard on opiu face leered at hi yourself, Lukacs?'

Laughing, he nodded His lips felt like jelly 'Want another pipe'

'Where's that purse of yours?'

Lukacs threw it at hi into Krisztina's torso, his ar her breast He could not remember how they had become so close, but he was reluctant to e point, he could see the slopes of her breasts, and could follow her cleavage into the shadows of her bodice Krisztina's sexuality, her very i to intoxicate him as powerfully as the opiu hilanced over at Markus, but his new friend was too busy with the lamp to notice

They s of utter calhtness washed over him It occurred to him that Markus did not mind how close Lukacs sat to Krisztina, or whether she flirted with him, because theof Lukacs's honour Both of those insights delighted him 'You know, Markus,' he said after a moment's contemplation 'You've chanced upon the most beautiful woman I salute you for your impeccable taste'

Markus chuckled, raised his pipe 'I salute your salute'