This is what we, and R. Kelly, call a cliffhanger.

Pronounce "cliffhanger" as if it rhymes with "anger".

--Geoff

Peter the Great's judgment of men was often a bit... off. He would regularly bring who were effectively drinking buddies into governmental positions and then go into a rage when, amazingly, they proved themselves eminently corruptible drunks. Often this meant the torture chamber and chopping block for the poor blighters. His closest friend, Prince Menshikov, got away with all sorts of fraud against the state the spoils from which went into buying himself simple pleasures like... islands covered in personal pleasure palaces.

As a side note, I should say that, upon reconsideration, I still believe that "slurk" is the best possible onomotpoeiaic description of the sound of "removing a cowl."

- Count Dolby von Luckner