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Abaddon stood motionless.






" Do you think he could take off his glasses for just a second? " asked Margarita, pressing close to Woland and trembling, but only out of curiosity.

" No, that is impossible, " Woland replied in a grave voice, waving his arm at Abaddon, who then disappeared. " What do you wish to say, Azazello? "


The Master and Margarita

" Messire, " answered Azazello, " permit me to speak. Two outsiders have appeared: a beautiful woman who keeps whimpering and begs permission to stay with her mistress, and also her, pardon my expression, hog."

" Beautiful women have strange ways, " remarked Woland.

" It's Natasha, Natasha! " exclaimed Margarita.

" Well, let her stay with her mistress. And send the hog—to the cooks! "

" To be butchered? " cried Margarita in fright. " Have mercy, Messire. That's Nikolai Ivanovich, our downstairs neighbor. You see, there's been a mistake here, she rubbed him with that cream..."

" Just a minute, " said Woland, " who the hell is going to butcher him and what the devil for? Just let him sit with the cooks for awhile, that's all! You'll agree, I can't very well let him into the ballroom! "

" Well, yes..." added Azazello, and announced, " Midnight is approaching, Messire."

" Ah, good." Woland turned to Margarita, " And so, please come with me... I thank you in advance. Don't get flustered and don't be afraid of anything. Drink nothing but water, or else you'll wilt and it will be hard for you. Time to go! "

Margarita got up from the rug, and then Korovyov appeared in the doorway.


XXIII

Satan's Grand Ball

M

idnight was approaching, they had to hurry. Margarita had only a vague idea of her surroundings. She recalled candles and a pool inlaid with semiprecious stones. Margarita stood on the bottom of the pool while Hella, helped by Natasha, covered her with a hot, thick, red liquid. Margarita tasted salt on her lips and realized she was being washed with blood. The mande of blood was followed by another—thick, transparent, and pink— and Margarita's head spun from the oil of roses. Next she was laid on a bed of crystal and rubbed with large green leaves until she sparkled. At this point the cat burst in and began to help. He squatted at her feet and started polishing the soles of her feet, as if he were a shoeshine boy polishing shoes on the street

Margarita cannot remember who sewed her pale rose-petal slippers, or how they got fastened with gold clasps all on their own. Some force lifted Margarita up and stood her in front of a mirror, where she saw a regal diamond tiara sparkling on her head. Korovyov appeared from somewhere and hung on Margarita's breast a heavy, oval-framed picture of a poodle on a heavy chain. This adornment was a great burden to the queen. The chain immediately began chafing her neck, and the weight of the picture caused her to bend forward. But Margarita was rewarded for the discomfort caused by the black poodle and chain. Her reward was the new deference shown her by Korovyov and Behemoth. " Never mind, never mind, never mind! " mumbled Korovyov in the doorway of the room with the pool. " There's nothing you can do, you just have to wear it, you have to, you have to... Allow me, Your Majesty, to give you one last bit of advice. The guests will be a diverse lot—oh, very diverse—but, Queen Margot, whatever you do, don't show any partiality! Even if you take a dislike to someone... I know that you, of course, will not show this on your face... No, no, don't even think of it! He'll notice it, he'll notice it right away! You have to like him, you have to like him, Your Majesty! The hostess of the ball will be rewarded for



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