They stopped at Lenka’s apartment building. Rácz got out and opened the door for Lenka. They entered the hall. Lenka did not turn the light on.
“When are we going see each other?” the stoker asked.
Lenka smiled in the dark. “I’ve got quite difficult exams at college now,” she said. “But when I’ve got shot of them, I’ll ring you.”
Rácz called the lift down and held the door open for her. “Good night, Lenka,” he said.
“Good night, Rácz,” Lenka said, “and thank you for a lovely evening.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” thinks Rácz, returning to the street and the taxi. He is quiet all the way home. He constantly imagines penetrating Lenka’s virginal body and rolling together all over the bed, both moaning loudly.
At the Ambassador he asks the taxi driver, “Do you have a wife?”
The taxi driver is alarmed. “Yes,” he says.
Rácz takes out a banknote and hands it to the taxi driver. “Take it,” he says. “And don’t work any more tonight. Go home, and keep your wife nice and warm.”
When the taxi driver sees the banknote’s denomination, he’s flabbergasted. “I’m much obliged to you, sir,” he murmurs. “Thank you very kindly, sir.” He can say no more. Rácz has already slammed the door and crossed the snowy pavement to the hotel.
“Let’s get the band over here!” he yells in the cabaret bar and stops at the steps leading to the cloakroom. “Ďula!” he shouts for his sidekick. “Let’s drink! At the double!” He scans the room. He heads to the back of the room, where Video Urban is sitting with Wanda and Eva. “So you’ve joined forces,” he tells Urban. But Rácz is all for it. “Women need looking after. They have to have an eye kept on them. They have to be protected, and so do a man’s interests. That’s how it has to be. Rácz invites them all to his table.”
“And what are you celebrating?” asks Eva, clutching her handbag, as she prepares to join the stoker’s table. Out of the corner of her eye she watches Urban, but he’s not moving yet.
Rácz smiles. Rácz is simply celebrating being happy. He’s in love and is going to get married. Yes, sir!
“Well, if that’s how it is,” says Urban, “we’ll gladly accept Rácz’s invitation.” He’s got nothing against the stoker. He’s not jealous over Lenka. In fact, Urban is almost convinced that Rácz is exactly the sort of man that Lenka needs. At least he’ll knock all the bullshit out of her head.
“You bet I will!” says Rácz. Urban can be quite sure that Rácz will put her right. She’s young and silly. Rácz will tame her. You have to loosen the reins from time to time, and then tighten them again. That’s the way Rácz sees it.
They sit at the table. The panting gypsy Stojka runs in with his violin, but Rácz sends him away. He bangs the table. “Champagne!” Ďula sits down, too. He eyes Wanda. He’d like to screw her, but ever since Urban started looking after these two sluts’ business affairs, he hasn’t a chance. Only westerners get a chance. Life’s a bitch!
“Boss!” Ďula addresses the stoker.
“Well?” asks Rácz, “What do you want?”
Ďula lowers his voice to a confidential whisper. Ďula has new information about the black man.
“Later, later!” Rácz waves his hand. “Now sit and drink, damn and blast you.”
They drink. Ďula is soon stupefied. He sits, looking straight ahead. He doesn’t even blink. Rácz has turned him into an alcoholic.
Urban can hold his drink, but he isn’t drinking much. He keeps an eye open, registering each new guest who enters. It’s not long before he sends both girls to the bar. Let them find some punters. They don’t feel like it and they’d like to get out of it. They don’t feel like it tonight. Urban gives them a stern look. He doesn’t know what they’re going to live on. Are they going to skive for ever? Wanda protests: they feel best when they are with Urban. He’s nice and considerate. He doesn’t yell at them. If Urban gave them their share of the Swede’s money and car, they could have at least a few days’ rest. Urban shakes his head. Urban has put this money aside for them. They’d have squandered it in no time. This way they’ll learn to be prudent with money. Work is what keeps a person going. Urban didn’t invent their line of work. He’s just making it easier for them. They don’t pay rent. Urban took them out of cold, uncomfortable rented rooms. Now they can lounge in a spacious luxurious apartment near the centre. And what does he want for that? Nothing, would you believe it! What he does want from them from time to time is the same thing they want, too. And now they should stop bitching and move to the bar; there are so many Germans here, it looks like Stalingrad. “Be quick about it!”
When both prostitutes go off with long faces, Rácz murmurs with approval. “You’ve got to be tough with women: tighten the reins, loosen the reins.” Rácz hopes that Urban is not angry with him. There’s no reason: Lenka chose Rácz. But it is pointless analysing these things. Rácz is in love and is getting married. Full stop! Rácz wanted to talk about something else. He has a proposition for Urban.
“What kind of a proposition?”
Rácz lights a cigarette, pours Urban and himself a drink. They’re alone at the table. Ďula doesn’t count. He’s frozen into a posture with head bent backwards and mouth open.
“Well?” Urban asks.
Rácz begins to explain. Rácz has had a lot on his hands lately. And he’s on his own. Ďula is useless. He’s a sidekick. A driver. He can be given small tasks, but can’t be trusted to work on his own. He’s too stupid. Besides, he doesn’t have a mind of his own. Rácz can rely on him, but only within limits. Rácz needs more than a sidekick. He needs an independent, creative employee. The stoker blushes. He’s used the word “creative” for the first time in his life and is not sure if Urban has noticed. He takes a drink and puffs on his Marlboro. Rácz needs a man who wouldn’t have to agree with Rácz on everything, but who’d work for their mutual benefit. Rácz has big plans. Maybe Urban doesn’t know, but Rácz would like to buy the Hotel Ambassador and perhaps even the department store. But that would only be a beginning. In time, Rácz would want to start up other operations. But he can’t do it alone, or with one sidekick and a bunch of Albanians. Rácz falls silent.
Urban clears his throat. “That’s all very well,” he says. Urban is glad Rácz is thinking so far ahead. After all, the situation is changing at incredible speed. What was unthinkable just two or three months ago is now quite simple. But Urban can’t understand where he comes into this.
The stoker offers Urban a cigarette and gives him a light. Rácz was thinking of Urban when he spoke about a creative employee. Ďula is an idiot. Rácz hates doing the rounds of government offices. And besides, quite frankly, he doesn’t feel like it. And now’s the time when you have to run round government offices. Rácz wants to buy the hotel. That has to be done somehow. He’s got the money. Urban will be able to buy the whole government, if need be. Besides, Rácz believes that Urban has all the necessary charm and can express himself well. He can get access anywhere. And he’ll never regret it. Rácz is offering him a good position. A salary he’s never dreamt of. He can start immediately: unofficially, for the time being, as Rácz himself is still registered as a stoker. They’ll sign a contract afterwards. Rácz is straight: he says what he thinks. “Well then?”
Urban shakes his head. He doesn’t know if he’s the right man for this kind of work. He will, of course, think Rácz’s offer over. But he can’t give him an answer off the cuff.