Mikhail Bulgakov. The Master and Margarita -
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: ' Look here, did J sign a contract yesterday for thirty-five thousand
roubles with a professor of black magic? ' It simply wouldn't do!
'Yes? ' came Rimsky's harsh, unpleasant voice in the earphone.
'Hello, Grigory Danilovich,' said Stepa gently. ' Likhodeyev speaking.
It's about this ... er ... this fellow . . . this artiste, in my flat,
called, er, Woland . . . I just wanted to ask you about this evening--is
everything O.K.? '
'Oh, the black magician? ' replied Rimsky. ' The posters will be here
any minute now.'
'Uhuh . . .' said Stepa weakly. ' O.K., so long . . .'
'Will you be coming over soon? ' asked Rimsky.
'In half an hour,' answered Stepa and replacing the receiver he
clasped his feverish head. God, how embarrassing! What an appalling thing to
forget!
As it would be rude to stay in the hall for much longer, Stepa
concocted a plan. He had to use every possible means of concealing his
incredible forgetfulness and begin by cunningly persuading the foreigner to
tell him exactly what he proposed to do in his act at the Variety.
With this Stepan turned away from the telephone and in the hall mirror,
which the lazy Grunya had not dusted for years, he clearly saw a
weird-looking man, as thin as a bean-pole and wearing a pince-nez. Then the
apparition vanished. Stepa peered anxiously down the hallway and immediately
had another shock as a huge black cat appeared in the mirror and also
vanished.
Stepa's heart gave a jump and he staggered back.
'What in God's name . . .? ' he thought. ' Am I going out of my mind?
Where are these reflections coming from? ' He gave another look round the
hall and shouted in alarm :
'Grunya! What's this cat doing, sneaking in here? Where does it come
from? And who's this other character? '
'Don't worry, Stepan Bogdanovich,' came a voice, though not