Overture to death – Ngaio Marsh – Fontana – 1972 – Blanda

**Overture to death**: There was deafening applause as Miss Campanula seated herself at the piano. She placed the famous Rachmaninoff C sharp minor Prelude on the rack, opened it with a masterly flip and dealt it a jocular slap.
Her left hand poised over the bass. Down it came. Pom, Pom. POM! She paused, lifted her big left foot - and planked it down on the soft pedal.
For a second nothing existed but noise.
Women were screaming. Chair legs scraped the floor and Miss Campanula fell forward.
Her face slid down the sheet of music - which stuck to it...