Read Online Last Act by Jane Aiken Hodge - Free Book Online Page A

Schennen, Annchen. That young man’s poison here in Lissenberg and don’t you forget it.”
    â€œPoison? But why? What’s the matter with him?”
    â€œEverything.” He took her arm and led her up the steps. “Where he is, there’s trouble. And no wonder. I can’t think why Prince Rudolf let him come back.”
    â€œBack?”
    â€œFrom abroad. I wish I knew who’d sent for him. Full of crazy ideas. Stirring things up. Well, you heard him about trades unions.”
    â€œI happened to agree with him.” Anne paused at the top of the steps and looked back to see Michael swiftly reversing the car down hill to leave her bag at the hostel. “And I never thanked him properly either; you dragged me away so quick. What’s got into you, Carl?”
    â€œI’m mad with worry.” He turned to face her, his arm still firm on hers so that he spoke almost uncomfortably close. “This opera is my great chance, and right now it looks headed for disaster. Everything’s gone wrong—everything. Alix’s throat. Lotte Moser. And now Falinieri’s been in some accident and turned up in a filthy mood. It was a miracle I got away to meet your bus. We must go
in
, Anne. We’ve wasted too much time already sight-seeing with that damned dropout. Falinieri was going straight up to the rehearsal room. Said he wanted to know the worst. And—” here he came to the heart of the matter—“said he’d never heard of you. Well, not surprising. You’ve keptso quiet. If only Alix could sing today, but she’s got this throat … If he hears Lotte first, I’m afraid he’s capable of going back to Italy, the mood he’s in, and then we’re in real trouble. I can’t do it all, Anne; I absolutely can’t.”
    â€œOf course not. It would be crazy to try. But hadn’t we better go in, if you’re so worried?”
    â€œYes. No. Do you know any of the music?”
    â€œHow should I?”
    â€œNo. I’m stupid with worry. But you always did sight-read like an angel.” He looked her up and down, and she was very much aware of her shabby appearance. “Tell you what.” He let go of her arm and she felt an odd stab of relief. “I’ve got a better idea. We’ll
let
him hear Lotte first. Slip in the side way, sit at the back—give you time to do something about your hair, at least—and listen to Lotte. While he does.” He pushed open swing doors and led her across a lobby and down a corridor. “Shh.” Finger on lip, he opened another door and a great burst of disastrous sound hit her. A full, rough soprano was making desperate attempts to get her voice down the necessary register to the contralto part.
    The rehearsal room, dimly lit, was a miniature theatre with an almost full-sized stage but a truncated auditorium where a few people were scattered, half visible on the banked seats. “We worked like hell on the acoustics,” Carl whispered as they slipped into two seats at the back.
    â€œMuch good they’re doing her!” Onstage, a luxurious golden-haired Valkyrie in a low cut model dress was baying incomprehensibly in something between German and, Anne thought, the local dialect.
    â€œ
No, Fräulein Moser. No, and no, and no!
” Signor Falinieri, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, was almost incoherent with rage. “
E impossible
…” He looked furiously round and changed languages. “It’s nuts; it’s crazy; it’s an insult; I won’t do it. Where’s this Alix? And for Christ’s sake where’s Herr Meyer?”
    â€œHere.” Carl stood up and moved forward to climb onto the stage. “And I’ve brought the new understudy.”
    â€œOh you have?” Lotte turned on him. “Your precious ‘unknown.’ I may not have Italian trills and shakes to please thesignor here, but what of my friends