Summary

In the chapter “An Announcement,” the Count arranged to serve at the combined dinner of the Presidium and the Council of Ministers by talking Andrey into telling Emile that his palsy in his hands had suddenly gotten much worse. As a result, a liaison from the Kremlin shared with the Count the guest list. The Count knew the personalities of many of the people on that list from having served them at the Boyarsky. When the Count learned there would be no required seating arrangement, he believed the evening would be a success both for himself and for the leaders.

The Count was happy to hear there was not going to be a seating arrangement because he believed the spontaneous arrangement the attendees showed would “tell the studious observer all he needed to know about the...