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Show 112 "How will I know when to go?" Karl asked. "Oh, I'll come by and give you a shove. I have to leave you now, because I dance with Veronica right after Emil and my old man do." The musicians began to play a czardas. Karl slipped into the shadows against the wall to watch Veronica and Emil Hrenko make one complete turn around the cleared floor before Mr. Stulak replaced Emil as Veronica's partner. Andy was next, then came a succession of male relatives Karl didn't know. He watched each man hand money to the best man, Emil's brother Vaclav, before claiming a dance with the bride, As the music went on and on, Karl tried to familiarize himself with the tempo of the czardas so that he wouldn't look clumsy when it was his turn to dance, but every few measures the musicians threw in an extra beat or took one out, confusing him. Even though each man dancing with Veronica was now limiting himself to less than half a minute, the bride's dance had gone on for nearly a quarter hour, and Veronica looked tired. "Here you are. I couldn't find you," Andy said, coming up to Karl in the darkened corner. "You better get out there and dance before it's over." Karl stepped onto the floor, remembering to give the dollar to Vaclav before he cut in on a short, husky young man who was vigorously pumping Veronica's arm. "Oh Karl," Veronica murmured when he'd put his arm around her waist, "thank you for rescuing me from Stefan." "You look pretty," Karl told her, and she did. Exertion had brought color to her face, and the angles of her thin body seemed softened. |