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The stand caether quite well Soht I picked up my music off the floor and placed it on the stand I hovered, withfor the sheets to fly off when the legs gave out They didn’t and I applauded my achievement One day I would replace the infernal contraption

I sucked on ue I took a deep breath, had opened my mouth to blon the mouthpiece when I noticed the music on Cordelia’s stand I blinked in disbelief

She gavecontrite expression “I’ed”

“Changed!” A bloody understatement “When?” I stared at the flurry of notes printed on the bar lines

She opened herthen snapped it shut Instead, she peered over the top of her stand, and she jerked her head in the direction of the conductor’s tiny podiuaze The position stood vacant

“Where’s Felix?” I asked

Cordelia gave me another full-on expression of embarrassment “I’m such a dork I’ve been rushed off my feet with my kids… Sorry Felix is ill” She leaned toward me, head low “Very poorly”

“Ill?” I couldn’t i sick The man never missed a practice

She nodded “Chemo” Her voice was barely audible over the scrape of bows on strings

“Cancer?” I opened my eyes wider Poor Felix “What kind?”

She shrugged “He’s been cagey Not wanting flowers or visitors He looked sick last ti an indefinite break”

“So…?” I pointed at the empty conductor’s spot

“New guy Newabout in the pile of paper under her chair “I should have stuck this lot in the mail to you” She handed me a wad of sheet music “Out with the old and in with the new”

I thuh the collection and sed hard What the hell? I’d been playing first clarinet for over a year, ever since the previous competent first player, Paula, went onhout that year, I’d never playedas what sat on my lap

“So who picked these?” I would have to sight-read everything How could she have forgotten to tell me? I considered myself a competent clarinetist, but not that brilliant, plus I’d hardly touched Nettie in the last six weeks My sto people down Cordelia had probablyup to first in my absence, but I bet she’d happily slipped back into second once she’d attempted these parts I’d been durowled at her from behind my plastered-on indifferent face I turned and fully intended to give her a few chosen words of annoyance when the orchestra about ly quiet

I peered over my stand Somebody over by Debbie, the leader and first violinist, stood He rose froht and continued to grow, stretching out into well over six foot in stature I tracked his unraveling as he went fro off his shoulders A dark mop of hair bounced about his face Tousled, curly and ale He tossed his head back and exposed his face Every ht have been undisciplined but the features of his face see elements His eyes were perfectly placed on either side of a straight nose Cheeks high and defined, but not gaunt, and his chin, which was neither pointed nor round, was dusted by a soatee

I watched as he picked up a small baton and rattled it on the conductor’s stand