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Igor ignored the woman He shielded his face behind a French newspaper (a Russian newspaper would have aroused suspicions) so that she wouldn't see him An unnecessary precaution: like all women who feel themselves to be queen of the world, she never looked at anyone else Such wo at what other people are wearing because, even if their own clothes and accessories have cost them a fortune, the number of diamonds or a particularly exclusive outfit worn by soht make them feel depressed or bad-tempered or inferior
Her elegant, silver-haired cone, a necessary aperitif for a night that proood music, and a fine view of the beach and the yachts moored in the harbor
He noticed how extreht their drinks and giving her a large tip
The three of thereat wave of happiness as the adrenaline began today he would make her fully aware of his presence there and, at some point, they would meet
God alone kneould coor, an orthodox Catholic, had made a promise and sworn an oath in a church in Moscow before the relics of St Mary Magdalene (which were in the Russian capital for a week, so that the faithful could worship them) He had queued for nearly five hours and, when he finally saw them, had felt sure that t
he whole thing was so dreamed up by the priests He did not, however, want to run the risk of breaking his word, and so he had asked for her protection and help in achieving his goal without too much sacrifice And he had promised, too, that when it was all over and he could at last return to his native land, he would coolden icon from a well-known artist who lived in a monastery in Novosibirsk
AT THREE IN THE MORNING, the bar of the Hotel Martinez sarettes and sweat By then, Jimmy (who alears different colored shoes) has stopped playing the piano, and the waitress is exhausted, but the people who are still there refuse to leave They want to stay in that lobby for at least another hour or even all night until so happens!
They're already four days into the Cannes Filuest at every table is interested in but one thing:for a producer to fall in love with theive the a that the whole business is a matter of complete indifference to them--but they always keep one eye on the door
So directors, full of ideas and with CVs listing the videos theyever written about photography and scriptwriting, are hoping for a stroke of luck; perhapsfor an earette, so to the same old places all the time and feels ready for a new adventure
How naive!
If that did happen, the last thing such a person would want to hear about is sole" on a hackneyed subject; but despair can deceive the desperate The people with poho do occasionally enter o up to their roo to fear The Superclass does not forgive betrayals and they know their liet where they are by tra on others On the other hand, if there is some important new discovery to be made--be it in the world of cinee only after much research and not in some hotel bar
The Superclass are now atecrash the party and who is ga the lines on their faces, and thinking that it's ti at the online news to see if the announcement they made earlier that day has been picked up by thepill and drinking the tea that pro the boxes on theit on the door handle along with the sign saying "Do not disturb" The Superclass are closing their eyes and thinking: "I hope I get to sleep quickly I've got atomorrow at ten"
HOWEVER, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE bar in the Hotel Martinez is where the powerful people hang out, whichthem
It doesn't even occur to the hopefuls that the Powerful only talk to the Powerful, that they need to get together now and then for lunches and suppers, to lend allure to the big festivals, to feed the fantasy that the world of luxury and glae to pursue an idea, to avoid any nonlucrative wars and to proression between countries or co them more power and h they're now hostage to their own success, to continue struggling to increase their wealth and influence, even when both those things are already vast, because the vanity of the Superclass consists in co with itself to see who is the top of the tops
In an ideal world, the Powerful would talk to the actors, directors, designers, and writers who are now bleary-eyed with tiredness and thinking about going back to their rented rooain the s, and being endlessly ready and available
In the real world, the Powerful are, at thistheir e- that these Festival parties are always the saer jewel than they were, and asking how coht has a totally unique decor?
Igor has no one to talk to, nor does he want to talk The winner stands alone