From a position near the western windows, where a cluster of nobles and the tall marble pillars kept him from the musicians' direct line of sight, Ulrich watched the half-masked violinist near the royal dais.
The man continued to play.
His movements matched those of the other performers closely enough to escape notice. To anyone who did not know what to examine, he appeared no different from the rest of the quartet.
Fortunately, he had shown no sign of suspicion.
The late violinist had moved among the performers, lingered near him, and eventually withdrawn with fear written plainly across his face. Yet the masked man had not reacted. Perhaps he had dismissed the nervous musician as an ambitious player looking for a vacant place. Perhaps he had been too absorbed in the work ahead to care who passed through the ballroom.
Either possibility favored Ulrich.
He needed the demon to remain calm.
