Margarita let go of his ear, and saw a pair of importunate somber eyes in front of her.

" I am happy, Hostess-Queen, to have been invited to the Grand Ball of the Full Moon."

" And I, " replied Margarita, " am glad to see you. Very glad indeed. Do you like champagne? "

" What do you presume to be doing, Your Majesty? " yelled Korovyov in Margarita's ear in mute desperation. " You'll cause a traffic jam! "

" Yes, I do, " said the woman imploringly and suddenly began repeating mechanically, " Frieda, Frieda, Frieda! My name is Frieda, Your Majesty."

" Drink as much as you want tonight, Frieda, and don't worry about anything, " said Margarita.

Frieda stretched out both her hands to Margarita, but Korovyov and Behemoth, with great finesse, grabbed her under her arms and she was lost in the crowd.

A wall of people was now advancing up the staircase as if about to storm the landing where Margarita stood. Naked female bodies moved up the stairs in between tailcoated men. Their bodies— swarthy, white, coffee-colored or completely black—swept up against Margarita. In their red, black, chestnut, and flaxen hair precious stones sparkled, playing and dancing in the downpour of light. And the advancing column of men looked as if it had been sprayed with droplets of light-light splashed by the diamond studs on their chests. Now every second Margarita felt the touch of lips against her knee, every second she stretched out her hand to be kissed, her face tensed in a mask of welcome.

" I'm delighted to see you, " crooned Korovyov in a monotone. " We are delighted... Her Majesty is delighted."

" Her Majesty is delighted..." said Azazello in a nasal twang behind her.

" Delighted, " cried the cat.

" The marquise..." mumbled Korovyov, " poisoned her father, two brothers, and two sisters because of an inheritance... Her Majesty is delighted!... Lady Minkina!... Ah, how lovely you look! She's a bit nervous. Why was it necessary to burn the maid's face with a curling iron? Naturally that sort of behavior can get you murdered... Her Majesty is delighted! Your Majesty, a minute of your attention! Emperor Rudolph, wizard and alchemist... Here's another alchemist—he was hanged... Ah, here she is! Ah, what a marvelous brothel she had in Strasbourg!... We're delighted to see you!... A Moscow dressmaker, we all love her for her inexhaustible imagination... she had a salon, and thought up something terribly amusing: she drilled two cute little round holes in the wall..."

" And the ladies didn't know? " asked Margarita.

" Every last one of them knew, Your Majesty, " replied Korovyov. " Delighted to see you!... This twenty-year-old rascal, a dreamer and an