“I don’t know how you got away with it,” Tate whispered. “You’re broadcasting bloodlust on every wavelength of the TP band. He’s here. Alone. No servants. Only two bodyguards provided by Maria. @kins was right. He’s dangerously sick…”

“To hell with that. I’ll cure him. Where is he?”

“Go through the west arch. Turn right. Up stairs. Through overpass. Turn right. Picture Gallery. Door between paintings of the Rape of Lucrece and the Rape of the Sabine Women…”

“Sounds typical.”

“Open the door. Up a flight of steps to an anteroom. Two guards in the anteroom. D’Courtney’s inside. It’s the old wedding suite her grandfather built.”

“By God! I’ll use that suite again. I’ll marry him to murder. And I’ll get away with it, little Gus. Don’t think I won’t.”

The Gilt Corpse began to clamor for attention. Flushed and shining with perspiration, standing in the glare of a pink light on the dais between the two fountains, Maria clapped her hands for silence. Her moist palms beat together, and the echoes roared in Reich’s ears: Death. Death. Death.

“Darlings! Darlings! Darlings!” she cried. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight. We’re going to provide our own entertainment.” A subdued groan went up from the guests and a drunken voice shouted: “I’m just one of the tourists.”

Through the laughter, Maria said: “Naughty lovers, don’t be disappointed. We’re going to play a wonderful old game; and we’re going to play it in the dark.”

The company cheered up as the overhead lights began to dim and disappear. The dais still blazed, and in the light, Maria produced a tattered volume. Reich’s gift.

Tension…

Maria turned the pages slowly, blinking at the unaccustomed print.

Apprehension…

“It’s a game,” Maria cried, “called ‘Sardine.’ Isn’t that too adorable?”

She took the bait. She’s on the hook. In three minutes I’ll be invisible. Reich felt his pockets. The gun. The Rhodopsin. Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun.

“One player,” Maria read, “is selected to be It. That’s going to be me. All the lights are extinguished and the It hides anywhere in the house.” As Maria struggled through the directions, the great hall was reduced to pitch darkness with the exception of the single pink beam on the stage.

“Successively each player finding the Sardine joins them until all are hidden in one place, and the last player, who is the loser, is left to wander alone in the dark.” Maria closed the book. “And darlings, we’re all going to feel sorry for the loser because we’re going to play this funny old game in a darling new way.”

As the last light on the dais melted away, Maria stripped off her gown and displayed the astonishing nude body that was a miracle of pneumatic surgery. “We’re going to play Sardine like this!” she cried. The last light blinked out. There was a roar of exultant laughter and applause, followed by a multiple whisper of cloth drawn across skin. Occasionally there came the sound of a rip, then muttered exclamations and more laughter.