The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia Page 0,17
her dress for this occasion, a dress that Nina did not like at all, but she did not want to jeopardize the invitation and she grudgingly obeyed her instructions.
The dress was white with long sleeves, three tiers of lace, and a pleated yellow satin sash. Valérie insisted it was the perfect dress for the evening. Nina thought it made her look washed out. She would have preferred the green dress she’d brought from home with the embroidered roses, but Valérie had imperiously declared it too gaudy.
White, then. But Valérie would not dictate her hair. It would have to be done up, but Nina decided it would be worn in an elaborate knot. This required the maid to part her hair into four sections, twist and gather it at the top of the head, and then place a back comb and hairpins to secure the hairdo in place.
She also picked her emerald necklace rather than the pearls Valérie had helpfully suggested.
They left the house close to seven o’clock. The carriage rolled down the wide boulevards, onto the Avenue of Ashes, named thus because the Temple of Our Lady of Ashes was located midway through it. The Convent of the Sisters of Solitude could still be glimpsed behind a tall wall and rows of poplars, but the avenue was not a place for holy thoughts anymore. It had morphed into one of the busiest arteries in the city, with many fine restaurants and entertainment venues. The Opera House rose on the area known as the Mound, but other establishments were also perched along the avenue. Key among these was the Royal.
The Royal, like its rival, the Pavilion, branded itself not as pure entertainment, but also as an enriching, educational experience. At the Royal, patrons could be treated to displays of the latest electromagnetic gadgets, optical illusions, or a plain old dance troupe. The eclectic mix required a wide range of performers, from makers of complex automatons to musicians. Of most interest were the “talents,” those individuals who possessed strange abilities science was beginning to unravel. There were those who could make objects burst into flames and people who had mastery over animals, but Nina was most fascinated by the talents who could manipulate objects with their thoughts. Among these people, there was no doubt that Hector Auvray occupied a special place.
When Nina descended from the carriage, she looked up, wishing to take the time to admire the outlandish building. It was a large structure and looked far too excessive to really be called attractive, but its vastness inspired a certain reverence.
The arched doorways were flanked by two marble elephants, their trunks in the air. The main hall led to an imposing staircase. The floors were decorated with elaborate blue-and-white mosaics, the chandeliers dangling from the ceiling glittered, fairy-tale-like.
Nina and Valérie proceeded to the red-and-golden private box where they would watch the performance. Nina had not been to the Royal and she leaned forward, looking around with interest at the people beneath them and in the boxes around them, at the stage with its red velvet curtains, curious about every detail. Valérie, for her part, held her peacock fan in her lap and did not look at anything, her gaze fixed on a singular, invisible point.
The curtain rose. Music began to play and dancers streamed onto the stage. Nina felt impatient as they performed, the minutes ticking by. Finally the dance ended, the curtain fell again, and then rose for the main performance.
A man appeared and greeted the audience. The musicians assembled by the stage began playing a popular melody—“The Chestnuts”—and the man smiled, bowing.
“Welcome,” said the gray-haired man. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. In a few minutes, you will be treated to a display of wonders. But first I must make it clear that everything that takes place on this stage is real: no parlor tricks, no sleight of hand.”
The man gestured left and right, as if mapping the stage. “You are about to meet one of the most talented psychokinetics of our age. He has performed before queens and bishops, tantalizing audiences from Luquennay to Anuv. There is no feat that is too difficult, no manipulation of matter that evades him. And tonight he stands before you. I present Hector Auvray.”
Another curtain rose and an elaborate backdrop was revealed, a view of Loisail from the air. Hector walked slowly onstage as everyone applauded. The posters showed him with a crimson cape, but he wore a double-breasted black dress coat, a burgundy waistcoat