Volume 1, No. 1

Banquet / Tyrras ... 9 

applauding and Ekaterina Efimovna was indicating to him to rise. At that instant his mind was a blank and he had completely forgotten where he was and why these strange people were clapping. "Say a few words, Bob. I vill translate," Morozin said to him. The diners were expected him to speak. There was no avoiding it now, Bellamy realized. Very slowly he rose to his feet.
The applause died away and complete silence filled the auditorium. May be one hundred guests trained their eyes on him, everyone waiting to hear him say something. In that hall hardly anyone had ever met a Canadian so whatever he was about to say, Bellamy thought, it had to be good. But his mind was a blank, his mouth was dry. He reached for his glass, which was filled again, and took a couple of big swallows. He set the glass down, and at that instant he caught the stern gaze of Catherine the Great. Bellamy looked out at the diners who, it seemed to him,