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“A s couple, who returned the greeting Once they were out of earshot Saical”

A waiter appeared before thene flutes They each took one and the waiter disappeared

“And if someone tries to strike up a conversation?” Remi asked

“Have a coughing fit It’s the perfect excuse to slip away”

“So, which way do we go?”

“West If his collection is here, that’s where we’ll find it You have the sketch?”

“In e”

“Mmm”

“Behave yourself”

“Apologies Okay, let’s see how close we can get to the secure utility roons of security I haven’t seen any cameras yet, have you?”

“No”

Another couple approached Sa “I just had a thought,” she said “What if we run into Olga and her husband and they recognize their own clothes?”

“Well, that would be a problem, wouldn’t it?”

The next room they entered hat Bohuslav had called in his survey the “Sword Roo they instantly realized the na seventy by forty feet, the walls were painted a flat black and the floor covered in black rough-cut slate In the center of the roolass case lit frohts in the floor Smaller than the room by only a few feet and bordered by bloodred carpet runners, the case was filled with no fewer than fifty ancient edged weapons, fro on its owna placard written in both Russian and English

Eight or ten couples circulated around the roo in fascination at the case, their faces lit from below as they pointed at different weapons and murmured to one another Sam and Remi joined them, but were careful to remain quiet