Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

A catastrophe is imminent.Franz can only prevent it from happening by sabotaging Baron de Golz's plan. It was already 11 o'clock at night.Franz had no fear of being discovered, and he got to work again.The wall bricks were easy to pull out, but the walls were very thick. It took him half an hour to dig out a hole that he had just gotten through. Going into the drafty church, the cool air outside made him refreshed.Through the cracks in the walls and the glassless windows, one could see thin clouds moving in the breeze in the sky.Bits of starlight reflect the cool moonlight rising above the horizon.

The most important thing now is to find out which door Baron de Golz and Olvanik went out just now.So, Franz crossed the hall diagonally from the side wall, and ran straight to the apse. The apse was too dark for the light of the moon, and now and then Franz's feet encountered fragments of tombstones and broken bricks and tiles that had fallen from the vault. Franz came to the end of the apse behind the screen of the altar, where he found a wooden door that had decayed for a long time, and pushed it open. Baron Degolz and Olvanik entered and exited the church through this door just now.

Franz stepped into the corridor, and it was dark again all around, and he couldn't see his fingers.He circled around, but neither went up nor down, so it was estimated that he should still be on the plane of the inner garden. Half an hour later, the night seemed less dense: faint light came in from the openings on both sides of the corridor. Franz walked faster than before, and he stepped into a spacious bunker built under a platform in the left corner of the city wall. There were small gun holes in the wall of the bunker, through which the moonlight shone into the bunker. There was a door in the opposite wall.Franz leaned closer to a gun hole, and took a breath of fresh air against the cool night wind.

He was about to leave when he saw two or three shadows moving under the Olgale Heights in a trance.The moonlight was like a mirror from the ground, and it continued to illuminate the edge of the fir forest below the hilltop. Franz stared intently. There were also a few people walking up and down in front of the bushes—possibly Rodzko's reinforcements from Katzburg.So, are they going to act tonight to catch the people in the castle by surprise, or do they have to wait until dawn? How hard Franz had to refrain from calling Rodzko, who must have heard and recognized his voice!But the screams were also carried to the tower, and before the police could attack, Rudolf de Golz calmly shut down the engine and fled through the tunnel.

Franz tried his best to control himself and left Cangyan.He walked through the bunker, past the door, and continued down the corridor. After walking more than 500 steps, I came to the stairs, and the stairs spiraled up along the thick walls. He finally reached the main tower that stood in the middle of the training ground?He felt that it was almost there. But this staircase was certainly not the main staircase leading to the floors, but consisted only of a series of circular stone steps that spiraled up like the threads of a screw in a narrow and dark well. Franz climbed up quietly, listening as he went, and heard no sound, and after twenty or so steps he reached the landing.There opened a door leading out to a terrace, which circled the second story of the tower.

Franz sneaked along the open-air platform. He carefully hid his body behind the railing, looking at the Algal Heights from time to time. A few more people appeared by the fir grove, but it was not clear whether they intended to approach the castle. Franz decides to track down the Baron and prevent him from escaping through the pass tunnel.He walked around the platform to another door, and when he entered the door, it was the spiral staircase again. He stepped onto the first step, put his hands on the wall, and began to climb. Everything was quiet. The rooms on the second floor are unoccupied.

Franz quickened his pace, trying to reach the landings of the upper floors early. When he reached the landing on the fourth floor, his feet couldn't touch the steps, and the stairs were interrupted.This is the highest floor of the tower, and the top of the room is a platform with crenelated battlements, on which the former Baron Degolz's battle flag was waving in the wind. The key hung on the door, and a strong light shone through the keyhole. Franz listened attentively, but there was no movement in the room. Putting his eyes close to the keyhole, he saw that the left half of the room was brightly lit, while the right was dark.

He turned the key lightly and pushed the door open. Ahead lies a spacious hall, which occupies the highest floor of the tower.On the circular wall is the algae well dome, and the ribs above are closed to the center to form a drooping dome.The walls were hung with thick hangings, and ancient tapestries with figures.A few pieces of old furniture: wardrobes, wine cabinets, armchairs, low stools, the whole hall is filled with a strong artistic atmosphere.The windows were hung with heavy curtains, so that no light could get through.The floor is covered with a high-grade woolen carpet, which is silent under foot.

The layout of the living room seemed odd, but upon entering, the strong contrast of half-light and half-dark gave Franz a vivid impression. To the right of the door, the hall is covered in darkness, with no end in sight. On the left is the opposite. The podium hung with black cloth is brightly illuminated. This light may be from a condenser mirror in front, but the mirror cannot be seen. About 20 feet from the platform, there is an ancient high-back chair, which is separated from the platform by an elbow-high curtain.The drapery immerses the surroundings of the armchair in a semi-dark atmosphere of mystery.

Beside the chair was a small table, covered with a tablecloth, and on the table was a rectangular box. The box was about twelve to fifteen inches long and five or six inches wide. The lid was inlaid with precious stones, and a round metal rod was contained inside. Franz entered the hall and found someone sitting on a chair. The man was motionless, his head was leaning back on the back of the chair, his eyes were closed, his right arm was stretched out on the small table, and his hand was placed in front of the box. This man was Baron Rudolf de Golz. The baron wanted to spend his last night in the castle on the top of the tower, was it just to sleep?

No! ...According to Franz overheard his conversation with Olvarnik, that is far from the truth. Baron de Golze was left alone in the room, so his companion must have carried out his orders and left the castle by the tunnel. What about Lastila?Didn't Rudolf de Golz say he was going to hear her sing one last time before blowing up the castle? . . . Could there be any other reason for him to come back to this hall than that of Lastira's beautiful singing which enchanted him every night? But where was Lastira? Franz did not see her, nor heard her singing... But what does that matter, now that Rudolf de Golz is in the hands of the young count! . . . Franz would surely force him to speak.However, he was so excited at the moment, would he jump on the man he hated and beat him up?It was he who took and drove Lastila mad... Franz went behind the chair.He only needed one more step to grab Baron de Golz, his bloodshot eyes, his head dizzy, and he raised his hand... Suddenly, Lastella appeared. Franz's dagger fell to the carpet. Rastella stood on the podium, bathed in strong lights, with long hair draped over her shoulders, her arms stretched forward, wearing Angelica's white dress in "Orlando", beautiful and moving , just like the last time she appeared on the turret of the castle.A pair of beautiful eyes are affectionate, staring at the young earl, as if to see into the depths of his soul... Standing on the podium, it was impossible for her to lose sight of Franz.But she made no sign to him, nor did she speak.sky!She is crazy! Franz was going to jump on the podium, put her in his arms, and take her out... Lastella began to sing.The Baron de Golze sat on his chair, leaning forward: the music lover seemed to be intoxicated, as if he was sucking in the fragrance, as if drinking the nectar.How similar it was to what he had heard in the Italian theatre, and now he was alone, sitting alone in the middle of the hall.The hall is located on the top floor of the tower, overlooking the entire Transylvania area! yes!Lastella is singing! ...she was singing for him...for him alone! ...a breath passed her lips, though it seemed not to move...But, though reason had deserted her, at least the whole artist's soul belonged to her! Franz was also immersed in the beautiful singing voice; he hadn't heard this voice for five long years... He stared at this woman like crazy, thinking he would never see him again in this life.At this moment, she was standing in front of her, alive, as if some kind of miracle brought her back from the dead! Wasn't Lastella singing the very piece that most struck Franz's heart?yes!He recognized the finale of the tragic scene in "Orlando," at which the singer dies: Innamorata, mio ​​cuore tremante, Voglio morire... Franz listened to the indelible lyrics... He thought that this time it would not stop abruptly like at the San Carlo Theater! ……Won't! ...it's not going to go away like that farewell show with the diva's sudden death... Franz held his breath...his whole life was tied to this song...a few more beats and the whole song ended flawlessly... But the voice of the female singer began to fade..., she repeated with piercing pain: Voglio morire... Lastila is going to fall on the podium again, like she fell on the stage last time? ... But she didn't fall, but the singing stopped at the same beat and syllable as at the San Carlo Theater... She screamed... the same scream that Franz heard that night... Lastilla stood on the podium all the time, motionless, with tender eyes, showing all her tenderness for the young count... Franz rushed up...he was going to take her out of this room, out of this castle... At this moment, the baron also stood up, and the two men faced each other. "Franz Dederek! . . . " roared Rudolf Degolz, "Franz, you escaped . . . " Franz ignored him and continued to rush towards the podium: "Lastella . . . my dear Lastella;" he kept calling, "I have found you again, and you are still alive..." "Live...Lastella...live!..." cried the Baron de Golze. The baron laughed loudly, and one could feel the anger in his heart after saying these ironic words. "Alive! . . . " went on Rudolf de Golz, "huh! Try and see if you can take her from me!" Lastella gazed eagerly at Franz, and the count held out his arm to her... At this time, Rudolf Degolz bent down, picked up the dagger that Franz had dropped on the ground, and walked towards the still standing Lastila... Franz threw himself upon the Baron to prevent him from harming the unfortunate Lastilla... It was too late...the dagger was in her heart... Suddenly, there was only the sound of a mirror being smashed, followed by glass shards flying everywhere, and Lastila disappeared without a trace... Franz was astonished...he didn't understand...was he mad too? ... At this moment Rudolf Degolz cried out: "Franz, you have lost Lastella again! . . . but her voice . . . her voice is with me . . . her voice belongs to me alone . . . to me alone . " Franz was about to throw himself at the baron, but at this moment his body gave way, and he fell unconscious under the dais. Rudolf de Golz ignored the count.He grabbed the small box on the table, rushed out of the hall, and went down to the second floor of the tower; he came to the platform of the tower, went around the platform to find another door, and suddenly there was a clear gunshot. Rozko ducked around the bend of the platform and had just fired a shot at Degolz. The bullet missed the Baron, but shattered the box he was holding tightly to. The Baron let out a terrible scream. "Her song, her song! . . . " he kept yelling, "her soul . . . Lastila's soul . I saw the Baron's face was pity, his hair stood up, his hands were twitching, and he ran frantically around the platform, always yelling: "Her voice...her voice!...they smashed her voice!...that damn it!" His figure disappeared into the doorway, while Rozko and Nick Deckard managed to climb the city wall without waiting for the police. At this moment, a deafening explosion resounded throughout the Pleza Mountains.The raging flames rushed into the sky, and the stones rained down on the mountain road of Fuerkang. The turrets, walls, towers, and churches disappeared, and the entire Carpathian castle became a pile of ruins, remaining on the top of the high ground.