Smyrna times., 1937-11-18
Copyright issf-Soev's Inc
Chapter One

Count Armalia stepped across the
threshold OF the little waterfront
bar. known as the Cordillera and
surveyed the scene about him. Then
be rubbed his hands together de-
Iightedly. His experiment would
blossom well here, for this was the
lowest dive in Trieste, the lowest Of
the low.
He was more than little drunk
and he knew it; intoxicated not
only by wine but with power and
his omnipotence. He thought con-
temptuously Of his young friend,
Rudi Pal; Rudi who was leaving
tomorrow morning for Terrento
where his fiancee, Maddelena,
awaited him.
How blind the young were. Rudi
really believed that man controlled
his own destiny, that breeding.
family and tradition meant every
thing. What nonsense. After all
Life was but q Great Roulette
Wheel and the human a little ball,
worthless in himself, bouncing help
lessly from slot to slot.
These very people surrounding
him now, longshoremen, cheap
dancehall girls-these dregS-given
the ways and means could becoEae
men as intelligent as Rudi, girls as
lovely as Maddelena. And he in
tended to prove it.
His eyes fastened on a girl who
was singing. She was young, not
more than twenty perhaps, with a
youthful jaw and cheekline under
the heavy mask of rouge. Her eyes
We're indigo, filmed by fatigue. The
voice was herself and all her
species, existing in a monotone,
with no interest in the note that
had passed nor in the note that was
coming
AS if in response to his gaze,
Ami turned and stared at him.
The proprietor was whispering in
her ear. Her lips twisted. A Count,
was he? Come to stare at the ami
mails in the zoo? She sauntered to
his table.
Armalia waved her pompously to
a chair. "Will you have some cham
pagne, Signorina? And talk to me
for while? Suppose you tell me all
about yourself. Where you were
born and all that sort of thing"
Slow resentment stirred within
her. Then she shrugged After all,
champagne was a rarity. And per-
haps he would order some stew for
her - with plenty of meat in il.
She said, mechanically, My name
is Ami Pavlovitsch. Born in Poland.
age twenty. Mother Austrian.
Father, indeterminate, probably not
an aristocrat."
"You talk WELL" Armalia said ap
provingly. And your manners ara
good"
There was an edge to her voice.
"And we breathe and sleep and are
hungry too-very much like human
beings" Then she smiled impishly
''As for my manners = well = Cd
to the movies. watch the ladies of
your world. They're all so simple
and stupid and artificial"
Armalia said softly, And how
would you like a little holiday Miss
Ami? To stop at fine hotel, have
servants to wait on you, sunshine,
plenty of food, beautiful clothes?"
He continued hurriedly, In answer
to her amazement. You'd go alonA |
of course" His smile was whimsf
cal. You see, I'm In a mood I'd
meddle with fate tonight. Suppos-
ing I were to send you to mingls I
for two weeks with the men and
women of my world? With clothes |
from Gallfs. can see you doing |
not at all badly. You could call |
yourself Anne Vivaldi-."
She slipped her champagne. "I
won't go unless I can have a red
evening dress" 1t wouldn't hurt to
humor a crazy old man. He was
drunk and in the morning he would |
have forgotten.
"Of course. Anything you want. |
think I'll send you to - Terrento."
Oh, he would teach the complacent
Rudi a lesson. How he and his
friends would be taken in by this
waterfront girl.
Ami felt her heart quicken. What
t0ds the man driving at?
"I'll wire the hotel myself" Ar
malta continued. Here are the ad-
dresses of some shops. I'll notify
them to take care of you. And
here's little money for tips. The
hotel bills will be sent to me-"
Ami stared down at the money,
at the card. No, sha wasn't ia Z
dream from which she would