The inn was full to bursting. The roar of songs, the clatter of dishes, the shouts of laughter, and the calls for food made the rafters ring. Elise and Hannerl were running in and out of the kitchen, their arms full of dishes—full one way, piled high with steaming sausages and cabbage and mounds of dumplings, and empty the other—dishes that ended this round tour in the sink, where, before long, I found myself up to the elbows in hot water. Taking the easy way out, perhaps, instead of trudging like King Wenceslas through the snow in the hope of finding some trace of Lucy. But when I’d thought that far, another load of dishes would arrive and be set down perilously on the wet draining-board and I had to start all over again.

What I really wanted, I now realized, was to talk to Peter. Maybe I could manage to get down to the cellar if there was a moment later on….

“Why’s it so busy?” I asked Ma, during a rare interval in her rushing from the kitchen to the parlor and back again.

“What? Oh, it’s Doctor Cadaverezzi’s performance! I thought everyone in the valley had heard about it.”

“Oh, yes! I did know—but I’d forgotten. He gave me that poster to put up.”

“He thought he’d have to cancel it earlier.”

“Why?”

“His servant’s disappeared. You don’t know the half of it—it’s been all go down here. First of all there was that nonsense of Sergeant Snitsch’s, with the papers and all—and then Doctor Cadaverezzi lost his servant. He wanted him to help set the Cabinet up—I don’t know what he does with it, but, my word, it looks impressive—and he couldn’t find the fellow anywhere. And he hasn’t turned up yet. But then he found someone else, apparently, and when I came down he said it was all right, he could go on with the performance after all. But he’d need the parlor to himself for the afternoon, to rehearse. And of course I said that was fine, and he just got on with it. A real gentleman. And handsome! Oh, Hildi, if your ma’s not here in the morning, it’s because she’s run off with Doctor Cadaverezzi!”