نجات

CHAPTER TEN

Rescue

When it was nearly two o’clock I entered the castle moat. The water was cold. I swam to the metal pipe under the King’s cell. It was very close to Antoinette De Mauban’s room in the castle.

I looked up at the castle. There was a light in Antoinette De Mauban’s room. There was a man in the room with her. It was Rupert Hentzau. They were arguing about something. I saw Rupert approach her, and she walked away from him. I heard her say angrily, ‘Never! You’re mad.’

‘Forget Black Michael,’ Rupert told her. ‘I’m a better man than he is.’

He moved forward again and tried to kiss Antoinette De Mauban. She pushed him away angrily. Then I heard someone come into the room. It was the Duke!

‘Leave us alone’ he ordered Rupert. Rupert smiled cruelly and left the room. A few minutes later the Duke also left Antoinette De Mauban’s room.

The castle was now dark. I was waiting for Johann to open the gate when there was a terrible scream from Antoinette De Mauban’s room.

‘Help, Michael!’ she cried, it’s Hentzau, help me!’ I could not see anything, but I heard it all. First there was the sound of a man running towards Antoinette De Mauban’s room - the Duke.

Then I heard the noise of swords. Rupert and the Duke were fighting. One man called out in pain, and there was silence. The window opened, and I saw Rupert standing there. He had killed the Duke of Strelsau! Then more men rushed into the room. They attacked Rupert, but he jumped out of the window into the castle moat.

One of the Duke’s men tried to follow Rupert. I grabbed him and killed him quickly and quietly. Then I searched his body for the keys to the King’s cell. I took the keys and opened the door that led to the cell. I was now outside the King’s cell.

There were two men with the King. They thought I was a friend. They opened the cell door. I ran in and attacked them. I killed one of them immediately. The other man, Detchard, ran towards the King with his sword. The King was weak and ill, and he stood in one corner of the cell.

I attacked Detchard before he could kill the King. He was a good swordsman, and we fought for a long time down there in the dark cell. Detchard was stronger than me, and I was in great danger. Suddenly the King recognised who I was.

‘Cousin Rudolf!’ he cried. ‘I’ll help you.’

He ran forward and picked up a chair. Then he pushed the chair against Detchard. Detchard turned and wounded the King with his sword. The King fell to the floor. Then Detchard turned back to me, but he slipped on the blood from the King’s wound. I killed him as he fell. The fight was over.

I helped the King to climb the steps into the castle. Then we saw a strange sight. There was a group of the Duke’s men standing near Rupert Hentzau. Colonel Sapt and our soldiers were approaching Rupert from the other direction. Rupert looked at both groups of enemies and smiled. He did not seem afraid of danger.

Then I saw Antoinette De Mauban. She was standing in a door of the castle - and she was pointing a pistol at Rupert. She fired, but the bullet missed. Rupert turned to her and smiled. Then he looked once at the Duke’s men and once at Colonel Sapt and the soldiers.

He ran to the wall and jumped into the castle moat once more. I jumped in after him, but he was a good swimmer. He swam to the other side quickly and climbed out. Then he began to run through the countryside. I ran after him, but he was faster than me. He suddenly turned to the right, and I could not see. Then I heard a scream - it was a woman’s voice. I ran as fast as I could towards the sound. Then I saw Rupert. He was pulling a young girl off her horse. He pulled her to the ground, kissed her gently, and jumped onto the horse.

He rode up to me.

‘What happened in the castle?’ he asked.

eI killed three of your friends,’ I told him.

‘And the King?’ he asked.

‘The King is hurt,’ I replied sternly, ‘but I think he will live. I killed your friend Detchard.’

‘You’re a fool!’ Rupert said in a friendly way.

‘One more thing,’ I told him. ‘I saved your life. I was behind you on the bridge with a pistol’

He looked at me in surprise.

‘Now get off the horse’ I said angrily. ‘Come and fight me like a man.’

I ran towards him and hit him. I was furious. He defended himself, and I think he would have killed me there and then, I except for a sudden noise. Someone was coming towards us on a horse. I turned and saw that it was Fritz. He was carrying a pistol.

Rupert looked at Fritz. He stopped fighting me.

‘Au revoir, Rassendyll,’ he said. Then he rode away laughing.

Back at the castle the King was now lying in Black Michael’s own room. His men sent a message to Princess Flavia that he was safe. She now hurried to Zenda to see him.

The Princess immediately set out for Zenda in her carriage. She arrived just as Fritz and I were approaching the castle. Fritz gave me a sudden look. I understood that Princess Flavia must not see me. I hid behind some bushes - near the road.

Just at that moment the young girl whose horse Rupert had taken, came forward. She ran up to Princess Flavia.

‘The King is here, Princess!’ she cried. ‘In the bushes.’

‘Nonsense’ one of the soldiers told her. ‘The King is in the castle.’

‘He’s here, I tell you!’ the girl cried. ‘He’s here with Count Fritz.’

‘How can the King be in two places?’ Princess Flavia asked. ‘Or are there two kings?’

Colonel Sapt now appeared. He told the Princess that the King was in the castle.

‘But this girl says he’s here, in the bushes,’ the Princess told him.

Colonel Sapt smiled at the girl.

‘Every fine gentleman looks like a king to a simple girl like her,’ he said.

‘I’ll see this man,’ the Princess decided.

‘Then come alone,’ Colonel Sapt advised her.

A few minutes later Princess Flavia and the Colonel were standing over me.

‘It is the King!’ she cried excitedly.

She moved forward to kiss me.

‘It is not the King,’ Colonel Sapt told her. ‘You cannot kiss this man, Princess.’

‘Of course lie’s the King!’ Princess Flavia cried. ‘It is the King’s face - it is my love!’

‘Your love. Princess,’ the Colonel said slowly, ‘but he is not the King.’

‘Why do you let them torture me?’ the Princess asked me. ‘Tell me what it means.’

I looked at her sadly for a moment, then I spoke.

‘I am not the King!’ I said sadly.