John Marchant and Pavel Tomeckova, first introduced in Viennese Waltz, take centre stage to tell two micro-thrillers of their own.
Scorpion Dance: It is easy to dismiss John Marchant as the stolid support act to his flamboyant partner, not least because it is a view that he encourages. But Marchant, a company man to the bone, is a dangerous man in his own right, with as much claim as his cousin to be the brains of the partnership.
A Hook in the Heart: If you can find Pavel Yakovych Tomeckova and he accepts you as one of his kind, and if you can get him drunk but dissuade him from singing maudlin folk songs, you may be able to persuade him to tell you how he first came to be drawn into the game.