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Grisha sets off down the promenade and follows fancy some port). We get off the tram, walk to his
the tram tracks. As he slowly approaches the city parents’ apartment, drink, and eat pickled eggs.
centre, the streets become increasingly narrow. Four or five glasses later, we get into an argument
Here, the fog is even more dense than on the over Bulgakov’s brother-in-law’s manuscripts. After
outskirts of town. Assuming that at this moment some shouting, we punch Bulgakov in the stomach
someone should happen to be standing at their a couple of times, swipe the rest of the port and
window, watching the street, as unlikely as this may hurriedly leave his parents’ apartment. (...) We
seem - after all the hour is late, the weather far from arrive at the bank of the river.
beneficial - they would be unable to identify Grisha
and would have to strain their eyes just to make out Since we have had an idea, we lean against the
the silhouette of a person passing below. So Grisha, balustrade and start jotting notes in our notebook.
completely unwatched, or at least unidentified, (...) A man wearing a white mask appears from the
walks calmly through the deserted streets. underpass of a nearby bridge. It is Markov,
evidently making his way home from a fancy
Grisha arrives in the oldest part of the city and costume party. He is, of course, heading in the
walks down an alley lined by a variety of shops. wrong direction, a fact he will blame on the heavy
Then something surprising happens: as if struck by mist - despite it being a clear and sunny day - the
an important thought, Grisha stops dead in his next time we see him. We gaze into the river.
tracks and just stands there in the middle of the Minutes later another man wearing a white mask
footpath, his face marked by deep concentration, appears from the underpass. It is Petrovich, who
his body completely motionless. Then something seems to be trailing Markov to set him back on
unexpected occurs: his concentration is broken by track. At Petrovich’s pace there is little chance of
the door of a tavern opening. The door emits a him catching up with Markov. (...) Our feet are
shaft of light, the sound of several people talking is tired so we take a seat on one of the wooden
to be heard. As the voices grow louder, Grisha benches in the museum’s rotunda. (...) We arrive at
retreats into the doorway of a butcher’s shop and, the park and from a distance see Smirnov. Next to
only seconds later, a group of people spills out into him on a blanket lies the lovely Nina Simonovich.
the alley. We are overcome by rage. How is it possible that
Smirnov, who is as meek as a goose, is able to woo
From the doorway, Grisha watches the people put a woman of Nina Simonovich’s stature? She is the
on their coats, scarves and ear muffs, all the while top soprano of the opera house and countless times
continuing their conversations. Suddenly, one of we have spent our last money on a seat just to
the men shushes the group and motions them to admire her stunning voice and her graceless but
listen. After a couple of seconds, the man demands charming acting. Oh, what we would do to be the
“who goes there?” in a more interested than one lying next to her on the grass, feeding her
authoritative voice. Grisha holds his breath. Then, sardines! (...) At the Hermitage, Daniil gets aboard
for a split second, it seems as if he has, for whatever the tram. He looks disheveled and lugs a huge
reason, decided to approach the group: he leans suitcase behind him. We lend him a hand in
forward and parts his lips as if to speak. But by placing his baggage in the overhead compartment
then his opportunity has passed. The group, who and take a seat next to him. He offers us a drink of
has convinced the man that he has simply heard a port if we help him retrieve his bottle from
stray cat, has already proceeded halfway down the Bulgakov. We decline, saying that we have to get to
alley. Grisha emerges from the doorway and the library before closing time. (...) We quicken our
watches the group disappear out of sight. He turns pace and soon the bronze statue of Andrei the
around and goes back the way he came. Great comes into sight. Upon seeing us, he gives us
a warm welcome and then breaks into a noisy fit of
Currently, Grisha is back at his desk. coughing. (...)
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