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In this case, Mephistopheles has a loose string,him list drunkenly to one side It’s an easy fix ‘Sure,’ I say, and put my stuff inOnce the lounges clear out – puppeteers to the stage andto do The thought of it kicks my heartbeat sideways

I have to break into Mik’s violin case

I grab my tool kit First I have a devil to sober up

4

Drastic

It’s Act II I can hear Mephistopheles singing I text Karou: Kindly confir theed Correct?

No reply

After aknife Text now to stop o

Still no reply

One last text: It’s done Aer to the taxidermist by her hair Plan to have her stuffed and mounted above Aunt Nedda’s TV

For a moment, my frustration over the soprano is undercut by anxiety as I ponder what Karouin South Africa that she can’t answer her phone Poacher, or witch doctor? I have no success i either, and resu Act I, then there were sets to change, and just when I was going to slip away, Hugo had to pee and handed off Siebel to h I am not cleared to operate abut o came back, I rab , and then…just as I was about to creep into the e…

‘Excuse me Girl!’

Cinzia Polombo appeared in the doorway Girl? She actually snapped her fingers to get ets better She handed me her empty coffee cup and, because she doesn’t speak Czech, said in English, with a luxuriant and imperious R roll, ‘Hurrry’

Oh I hurried

If anyone has ever filled a coffee cup with cigarette butts faster than I did tonight, I would be very much surprised

‘Is that not what you wanted?’ I asked her in purest innocence when she gasped and looked aghast

‘Coffee! I want coffee!’

‘Ohhh Of course,’ I said ‘That ht back I handed her the cup, now full of cigarette butts and coffee, and kept walking

‘Disgraziata!’ she shrieked at , back into the puppeteers’ lounge, where I sit now on the sadder of two sad sofas, thwarted Cinzia is still in the e, where she should not be Her cue is anyin Italian? I’ to lose my chance!

My phone vibrates It’s Karou Finally She texts: Go to the taxidermist on Ječná They’re the best with humans

--Perfect Thanks for the tip Find that poacher?

--Much to his dis stronger, though

That sucks She’s looking for s, I know, are only a little better than scuppies I text: Well, better than nothing?

--Yeah So tired Going to sleep now GO FORTH AND CONQUER!

Again, whatever went down in South Africa, I can’t begin to iine it As for the taxider to see if there really is one on Ječná, but I dis hu around

At the thought of Kaz, and to the continued sound track of a high-strung soprano cursing in Italian, I can’t help but iht do in this moment with a limitless supply of scuppies Really, Karou was incredibly restrained I could not be trusted I would be afflicting people with itches every second, at the slightest provocation Think about it With the power of itch – even better, the power of cranny itch – you’d be master of any situation

Maybe not any situation It wouldn’t really help le scuppy on Cinzia Polombo I will preserve them for Mik-enchantment

IF I EVER GET MY CHANCE TO INVADE HIS VIOLIN CASE, DAMN IT

Finally: a door sla, and Cinzia is out of the way I take es burned, and tied with a black satin ribbon – and creep to the door of the e It’s ajar, and I can see that there’s no one inside No sense waiting A flash and I a locker doors, mindful that if anyone were to walk in, I would absolutely look like a thief I don’t knohich locker is Mik’s, and it’s impossible to open and close metal doors quietly, and some of them have locks on them, so I can only hope for the best…

And then I find it Everything is a miracle It is ais a ht

I open the violin case and put the scroll inside I close it, shut the locker, and back away Time to escape I flash back out the door, skirt Cinzia’s coffee-and-cigarette splash, and slide back into the puppeteers’ lounge, where I take a deep breath Another Another Then I put on s