they eventually got out of the maze (the door was slyly disguised as a mirror, too) he gazed around for a long time.
'Who are you looking for?' Lera asked.
'Ah, it's nothing,' Victor said, with a smile. 'Just nonsense.'
Then there were a few more halls with the sombre trappings of medieval prisons, and then ?the 'River of Blood'. The hushed children were loaded into a long metal boat that set off slowly across the dark water to the 'Castle of the Vampires'. The darkness was filled with malevolent laughter and menacing voices. Invisible wings flapped above their heads, water gurgled. The impression was only spoiled by the fact that the boat sailed about five metres at the very most ?after that the illusion of movement was main tained by fans blowing air into their faces.
But even so Lera suddenly felt afraid. She was ashamed of her fear, but she was afraid. They were sitting on the last bench, there was no one else beside them, ahead of them were actors groaning and giggling as they pretended to be vampires, and behind them...
Behind them there was nothing.
But Lera couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was someone there.
'Vitya, I'm afraid,' she said, taking hold of his hand.
'Silly girl... ' Victor whispered into her ear. 'Just don't cry, all right?'
'All right,' Lera agreed.
'Ha-ha-ha! Evil vampires all around!'Victor exclaimed, imitating the voices of the actors. 'I can sense them creeping up on me!'
Lera closed her eyes and clutched his hand even tighter. Boys! They were all boys, even when they had grey hair! Why was he frightening her like that?
'Ai,' Victor exclaimed very convincingly. Then he said,'There's someone... someone biting my neck...'
'Fool!' Lera blurted out, without parting her eyelids.
'Lera, there's someone drinking my blood...' Victor said in a mournful, despairing voice. 'And I'm not even afraid... It's like a dream...'
The fans kept blowing their cold wind, the water slapped against the sides of the boat, the wild voices howled. There was even a smell of something like blood. Victor's hand went limp. Lera angrily pinched him on the palm, but he didn't even twitch.
'I'm not afraid, you blockhead!' Lera exclaimed almost at the top of her voice.
Victor didn't answer, but he tumbled softly against her, and that made her feel a bit less afraid.
'I'll bite your throat out myself!' Lera threatened. Victor seemed to be confused. He didn't say anything. Then Lera surprised even herself by adding: 'And I'll drink all your blood. Do you hear me? Straight after... straight after the wedding.'
It was the first time she had mentioned this word in connec tion with their relationship. She froze, waiting to see how Victor would react. A single man simply had to react to the word 'wedding'! He would be either frightened or delighted.
Victor seemed to be dozing on her shoulder.
'Did I frighten you?' Lera asked. She laughed nervously and opened her eyes, but it was still dark, although the howling had begun to fade away. 'All right... I won't bite you. And we don't have to have a wedding!'
Victor still didn't say anything.
A mechanism creaked and the iron boat floated another five metres along the narrow concrete channel. The clamouring kids piled out onto the shore. A three- or four-year-old girl who was holding on to mummy with one hand and sucking one finger of the other kept turning her head and staring straight at Lera. What could have caught her attention? A young woman talking in an unfamiliar language? No, that couldn't be it, they were in Europe...
Lera sighed and looked at Victor
He really was asleep! His eyes were closed and his lips were set in a smile.
'What's wrong with you?' Lera asked and gave him a gentle shove. Victor started slowly slumping over, with his head falling straight towards the iron side of the boat. Lera squealed and managed to grab hold of him (what was happening, why was he so limp and flabby?) and lay him down on the wooden bench. An attendant immediately appeared in response to her cry -black cloak, rubber fangs, cheeks daubed with black and red make-up. He jumped down agilely into the boat.
'Has something happened to your friend, miss?' The boy was very young, probably the same age as Lera.
'Yes... no ... I don't know.' She looked into the attendant's eyes, but he was bewildered too. 'Help me! We have to get him out of the boat!'
'Maybe it's his heart?' The lad leaned down and tried to take hold of Victor's shoulders ?then