the conference and was very careful not to catch Helen’s eye as I spoke.
“‘Excellent,’ Professor Sandor boomed. ‘We have a big respect for the universities of your country. May our two countries live in peace and friendship for every year.’ He saluted me with his glass of the medicinal clear stuff I’d been smelling, and I hastened to return the salute, since a glass of it had magically appeared in my hand. ‘And now, if there is something we can do to make your stay in our beloved Budapest more happier, you must say it.’ His great dark eyes, bright in an aging face and contrasting weirdly with his white mane, reminded me for a moment of Helen’s, and I took a sudden liking to him.
“‘Thank you, Professor,’ I told him sincerely, and he slapped my back with a big paw.
“‘Please, come, eat, drink, and we will talk.’ Right after this, however, he vanished to other duties, and I found myself in the midst of eager questions from the other members of the faculty and visiting scholars, some of whom looked even younger than I. They clustered around me and Helen, and gradually I heard among their voices a babble of French and German, and some other language that might have been Russian. It was a lively group, a charming group, actually, and I began to forget my nervousness. Helen introduced me with a distant graciousness that struck me as just the right note for the occasion, explaining smoothly the nature of our work together and the article we would soon be publishing in an American journal. The eager faces crowded around her, too, with quick questions in Magyar, and a little flush came to her face as she shook hands and even kissed the cheeks of a few of her old acquaintances. They had not forgotten her, clearly-but then how could they? I thought. I noticed that she was one of several women in the room, some older than she and a few quite young, but she eclipsed all of them. She was taller, more vivid, more poised, with her broad shoulders, her beautifully shaped head and heavy curls, her look of animated irony. I turned to one of the Hungarian faculty members so that I would not stare at her; the fiery drink was starting to course through my veins.
“‘Is this a typical gathering at a conference here?’ I wasn’t sure what I meant, but it was something to say while I took my eyes off Helen.
“‘Yes,’ said my companion proudly. He was a short man of about sixty in a gray jacket and gray tie. ‘We have many international gatherings at the university, especially now.’
“I wanted to ask what he meant byespecially now, but Professor Sandor had materialized again and was guiding me toward a handsome man who seemed very eager to meet me. ‘This is Professor Geza Jozsef,’ he told me. ‘He would like to make your acquaintance.’ Helen turned at the same moment, and to my utter surprise I saw a look of displeasure-was it even disgust?-flash over her face. She made her way toward us immediately, as if to intervene.
“‘How are you, Geza?’ She was shaking hands with him, formally and a little coldly, before I’d even had time to greet the man.
“‘How good to see you, Elena,’ Professor Jozsef said, bowing a little to her, and I caught something strange in his voice, too, which could have been mockery but could have been some other emotion. I wondered if they were speaking English only for my benefit.
“‘And you,’ she said flatly. ‘Allow me to introduce my colleague with whom I have been working in America -’
“‘What a pleasure to meet you,’ he said, giving me a smile that illuminated his fine features. He was taller than I, with thick brown hair and the confident posture of a man who loves his own virility-he would have been magnificent on horseback, riding across the plains with herds of sheep, I thought. His handshake was warm, and he gave me a welcoming cudgel on the shoulder with his other hand. I failed to see why Helen would find him repulsive, although I couldn’t shake the impression that she did. ‘And you will honor us with a lecture tomorrow? That is splendid,’ he said. Then he paused for a second. ‘But my English is not so good. Would you prefer we speak in French? German?’
“‘Your English is far better than either my French or German, I’m sure,’ I responded promptly.
“‘You are very kind.’ His smile was a meadow of flowers. ‘I understand your field is the Ottoman domination of the Carpathians?’
“News certainly traveled fast here, I thought; it was just like home. ‘Ah, yes,’ I concurred. ‘Although I am sure I will have much to learn from your faculty on that subject.’
“‘Surely no,’ he murmured kindly. ‘But I have done a little research on it myself and would be pleased to discuss it with you.’
“‘Professor Jozsef has a great range of interests,’ Helen put in. Her tone would have frozen hot water. This was all very puzzling, but I reminded myself that every academic department suffers from civil unrest, if not outright war, and that this one was probably no exception. Before I could think of anything conciliatory to say, Helen turned to me abruptly. ‘Professor, we must go to our next meeting,’ she said. For a second, I didn’t know whom she was addressing, but she put her hand firmly under my arm.
“‘Oh, I see you are very busy.’ Professor Jozsef was all regret. ‘Perhaps we can discuss the Ottoman question another time? I would be pleased to show you a little of our city, Professor, or take you for lunch -’
“‘The professor will be fully engaged throughout the conference,’ Helen told him. I shook hands with the man as warmly as her icy gaze would permit, and then he took her free hand in his.
“‘It is a delight to see you back in your homeland,’ he told her, and bowing over her hand, he kissed it. Helen snatched it away, but a strange look crossed her face. She was somehow moved by the gesture, I decided, and for the first time I disliked the charming Hungarian historian. Helen steered me back to Professor Sandor, where we made our apologies and expressed our eagerness to hear the next day’s lectures.
“‘And we will expect your lecture with all the pleasure.’ He pressed my hand in both of his. Hungarians were tremendously warm people, I thought with a glow that was only partly the effect of the drink in my bloodstream. As long as I postponed all real thought of that lecture myself, I felt adrift in satisfaction. Helen took my arm, and I thought she searched the room with a quick glance before we made our exit.
“‘What was that all about?’ The evening air was refreshingly cool, and I felt more aglow than ever. ‘Your compatriots are the most cordial people I think I’ve ever met, but I had the impression you were ready to behead Professor Jozsef.’
“‘I was,’ she said shortly. ‘He is unsufferable.’
“‘Insufferable, more likely,’ I pointed out. ‘What makes you treat him like that? He greeted you as an old friend.’
“‘Oh, there’s nothing wrong with him, really, except that he is a flesh- eating vulture. A vampire, actually.’ She stopped short and stared at me, her eyes large. ‘I didn’t mean -’
“‘Of course you didn’t,’ I said. ‘I checked his canines.’
“‘You are unsufferable, too,’ she said, taking her arm from mine.
“I looked regretfully at her. ‘I don’t mind your holding my arm,’ I said lightly, ‘but is that a good idea in front of your entire university?’
“She stood gazing at me, and I couldn’t decipher the darkness in her eyes. ‘Don’t worry. There was not anyone present from anthropology.’
“‘But you knew many of the historians, and people talk,’ I persisted.
“‘Oh, not here.’ She gave her dry snort of laughter. ‘We are all workers-in-arms together here. No gossip or conflict-only comradely dialectic. You will see tomorrow. It is really quite a little utopia.’
“‘Helen,’ I groaned. ‘Would you be serious, for once? I’m simply worried about your reputation here-your political reputation. After all, you must come back here someday and face all these people.’
“‘Must I?’ She took my arm again, and we walked on. I made no move
