I thought when the band started up again and people moved onto the dance floor it might be easier, but all that happened was the flashing lights started up again, and it became impossible to keep track of anyone for more than a split second. Bodies moved in jerky, disconnected motion, like dancers in a flickering, silent movie. Except that it wasn’t silent. I’d worked my way right up near the band by now, and the noise from the speakers was just about blowing my head off. I thought I’d headed more or less in a straight line, though I could easily have been going round in circles. Whatever, it was all pretty useless, as the boy in drag could have gone off in any direction. Once I thought I caught a glimpse of someone from his group – feminine features above a black bow tie. I pushed towards her, but with the next flash of light she seemed to have gone. There were only a different lot of random faces, blinking palely on and off above twitching bodies.
