The hours before midnight passed easily. They ate well, and avoided drink, but the throng of customers packed around them drank themselves silly, Everyone was resplendent in the costumes of the carnival, with silk and satin and velvet and gold threading, masks of silver and gold and bronze, cowls and capes and cloaks, everything whirl of color and texture and the mystery of it all, with everyone masked and few who they appealed to be. "Just don’t chat up the women, Michael." Streak advised him: "Half of ‘em will be transvestites with a sausage surprise you don’t want to get your teeth into, know what I mean?" he leered.